Japanese residents of Ginowan City and Chatan Town participated in a humanitarian assistance evacuation drill here Sept. 12 as part of Constant Vigilance 2012, an annual exercise conducted by Marine Corps Installations Pacific.

CV-12, executed Sept. 10-12 aboard MCIPAC installations, tested and improved natural disaster response procedures through realistic practical applications, including an evacuation drill.

Camps Lester, Kinser, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Kinser Elementary School and portions of Lester Middle School also participated in evacuation drills during CV-12.

"The purpose of the exercise was to make sure that all personnel are protected in the event of a disaster," said Heather L. Huller, the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergency officer for Camps Foster and Lester. "As part of the exercise, the camps assisted the local community with their evacuation to higher ground."

Two evacuation routes on Camp Foster, the northern and southern routes, can be utilized during a tsunami warning, according to Huller. The north route extends from The Spot gate to the Exchange gate, and the southern route reaches from the commissary gate to the Legion gate.

"The gates will be open when the tsunami warning sounds," said Col. Katherine J. Estes, the commanding officer of Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, MCIPAC. "To help facilitate the evacuation, we are working with the local communities to get signs in both Japanese and English."

Tsunami evacuation route signs are standard in the civilian community, and the Marine Corps is working towards standardizing similar signs aboard MCIPAC installations.

"We are acquiring the same types of signs that the local communities use," said Huller. "The (bilingual) signs will help protect many lives, including Japanese residents and military families."

The drill provided the opportunity for approximately 70 Japanese residents and officials to use on-base evacuation routes and rehearse coordination with the U.S. military.

"It is necessary to check the evacuation routes for the safety of the citizens," said Atsushi Sakima, the mayor of Ginowan City. "The U.S. military bases exist here and we should find a way to work together, especially in times of disaster."

The tsunami evacuation routes are currently unofficial, but local officials and military personnel are working on an official agreement, which will formalize the routes and procedures during an emergency.

The simulated evacuation was the culminating event of CV-12, which displayed the Marine Corps' continued commitment to the safety of its personnel and the local community on Okinawa and enhanced MCIPAC's ability to respond to emergencies.

Whether it was practicing communications procedures, standing up the base emergency operations center, or rehearsing an evacuation with local citizens, the goal of CV-12 was to increase the ability to save as many lives as possible, according to Huller.