Misawa Air Base is celebrating Energy Awareness Month throughout October.

This designated month is designed to inform and educate personnel about energy consumption and conservation and hopes to encourage energy conservation and responsible usage by bringing awareness to the forefront.

The campaign has been running for more than 30 years. Each year the objectives change slightly, but the end goals remain the same; promoting the wise and efficient use of energy throughout the Navy. The Navy highlights the energy initiatives it plans to implement, or has already implemented, during the month of October, but energy conservation is a year round effort.

"This time of year we always focus on the little things that we can do to conserve energy, but it is a year round effort," said Construction Electrician 2nd Class Aaron Trotter, attached to Naval Facility Far East Public Works. "We have several scheduled booths to be set up throughout the month that will offer small prizes for correct answers about energy conservation, and to raise general awareness."

Energy conservation is vital to keeping Department of Defense costs lower and to lessen the footprint our military has on the environment.

This message is emphasized by the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, in a message regarding Energy Conservation Month.

"Energy reform must inform and shape every decision we make during research, development, and procurement of our systems, during training operations, and during daily life aboard ship, on base, and in our homes," said Mabus. "With a consolidated Navy and Marine Corps effort, we will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, reduce our tactical and strategic vulnerabilities, and we will make the Department of the Navy a government leader in energy reform."


For more news from Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan, visit www.navy.mil/.