Home / Media / News

Pacific Ocean Division News

Results:
Tag: People
Clear

  • December

    Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, presented a certificate of retirement to Randy Bowker, deputy district engineer and director of programs and project management, in a ceremony at the district headquarters on Dec. 16, 2025.

    Randy Bowker retires from Alaska District after 33 years of service

    The Alaska District celebrated the retirement of Randy Bowker, deputy district engineer and director of programs and project management, in a ceremony at the district headquarters on Dec. 16. Brig. Gen. Joseph “Clete” Goetz, commanding general of the Pacific Ocean Division, and Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, presented multiple awards, including the Silver Order of the de Fleury Medal, Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal and a certificate of retirement to Bowker at the event. In addition, staff from around the district offered gifts in appreciation of his service to the organization.

  • February

    From left, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Health Agency, Ms. Seileen Mullen, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Hon. Gilbert R. Cisneros, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Heck, the director of Department for Health Affairs Region Indo-Pacific to Japan, and Maj. Gen. JB Vowell, U.S. Army Japan Commanding General, receives a question from a Department of Defense civilian, during a ‘space available’ town hall, January 31, 2023. The town hall was held in response to DoD civilians being restricted to ‘space available’ clinic visits after a mandate released in 2017 prioritized active-duty Servicemembers and their families, or those who were covered by the military health plan TRICARE Prime.

    Defense Health Agency to Japan: "We Hear You!"

    It’s no secret that Department of Defense civilians working in Japan are having a difficult time navigating healthcare options in Japan. This is due to restrictions placed on the usage of military-operated hospitals and clinics whose administration and management has recently fallen to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). The agency received a mandate from Congress in 2017 instructing them to prioritize treatment for active-duty service members, their families, and others covered by the military health plan TRICARE Prime, a service only available to Servicemembers on active duty, their immediate family, or as a benefit for someone who is retired from the military.

  • January

    Rock-N-Roll Burrito, a family-owned Mexican cantina-style establishment located near Naval Air Facility Atsugi, January 24, 2023. Owned by Peruvian native and long-time Japanese resident Hajime Higa and his family, Rock-N-Roll Burrito has offered freshly made Mexican cuisine to hungry U.S. Servicemembers and their families for nearly a decade.

    From South of the Border to the Far East

    ‘Hecho con mucho amor’ – Made with immense love. Written in vibrantly red cursive, the Spanish phrase adorns the entranceway to a kitchen, sectioned off with saloon-style swinging doors. The rhythmic beat of salsa music and scent of simmering meats and unique tang of cilantro embraces you. As you look around, your eyes are drawn to the red and yellow walls decorated with imagery of a sombrero-clad boy and his donkey, and the golden glow of still-warm empanadas resting, bringing you back to your local Tex-Mex joint back home.

ArticleCS - Article View