European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 202007 stars and stripes Page 3 when marines Are inboard they break out the Good stuff j j Ensign Dustin Smith harpers ferry weapons officer marines sailors jell on Jaunt to iwo Jima photos by Megan and stripes members of Marine Wing support Squadron 172 stand in formation while aboard the uss harpers ferry earlier this month during the formation the units sergeant major and commanding officer talked about their Mission and How to behave on the ship by Megan Mccloskey stars and stripes aboard uss harpers ferry theres a Long rivalry Between sail ors and marines but when the ser vices deploy together on amphibious ships like the uss harpers ferry the rivalry gets left at the pier were dedicated to amphibious operations in support of the marines Petty officer 1st class Gregory Hightower said about the ships Mission its our Job to get them to their destination and with the marines comes a change in atmosphere each time a new group comes in they bring a new lifestyle to the ship said Petty officer 2nd class Dennis Adams a culinary specialist marines from the 31st Marine expeditionary unit and the Naseb based sailors Are often deployed together in the Pacific sometimes for Short excursions like a Jaunt last week from Okinawa to iwo Jinia for the 62nd anniversary commemoration of the world War ii Battle and other times for months until we pick them up and bring them inboard we hardly see them Hightower said at first the tables at the mess Are Sepa rated by Green and Blue but eventually the two groups end up hanging out with each other when at sea Japan based sailors do As the japanese they dont eat with chopsticks or Bow when entering a room but some uss harpers ferry sailors say they take a Little bit of Japan with Mem when they head out to sea it Doest change when we pull out of port Petty officer 1st class Gregory Hightower said i feel like were still in Japan Petty officer 3rd class Jennifer Rogozinski who works in the engine room but is currently on Galley duty said sometimes at sea Shell forget where she is but then Shell hear words like Hai and Domo japanese for yes and thank you around the passageways and she Clicks Back to Japan for those who speak the language even just a Little Greet Ings Are often Given in japanese Ohayon go Zaimas instead of Good morning Konichika instead of Good afternoon Petty officer 2nd class Dennis Adams who has been with the ship for years said he and others who Are fairly fluent speak the language with each other to keep our japanese up while were at sea some sailors who have japanese girlfriends Back at port will hit Adams up for help with sending out an email to their significant other or translating something she wrote even underway there trying to understand the culture Adams said much of the japanese Way of life incorporated inboard is just automatic from living in Japan for a while said Hightower whose wife is japanese i went Back to the states and i got culture Shock and it was my own country said Petty officer 2nd class Colin Costa Megan Mccloskey sailors and marines get dinner saturday aboard the harpers ferry the ship has to double and sometimes triple the amount of food made when marines Are inboard i normally buddy up with my Marine counterpart Ensign Dustin Smith the ships weapons officer said Ive made re ally Good friends with some of the Marine officers the sailors form closer Bonds with the marines on longer deployments Petty officer 2nd class Amanda Eck said during a seven month deployment to the persian Gulf in support of the Iraq War we ran out of things to say to each other because everyone knew everything Eck said Adams said the Cooks have to double and sometimes triple the amount of food made when marines Are aboard mostly what they do is eat sleep and eat again and work out in Between he said noting their jobs for the most part dont Start until they get to Shore what else Are they going to do the ship also gets louder when there not around its so quiet Petty officer 3rd class Jennifer Rogozinski said of marines like the Karaoke singing mostly coun try blaring on the first deck some nights and sailors say the food gets better when the digital cammies show up when marines Are inboard Smith said they break out the Good stuff email Megan Mccloskey at besides Job description whats the biggest difference Between a Sailor and a Marine military bearing the Green Side respects the rank More Petty officer 3rd class Donald Mestas a corpsman with Marine Wing support Squadron 172 Camp Foster Okinawa i think marines Are More motivated even when they dont want to do something there always saying Hooray Petty officer 3rd class Jennifer Rogozinski assigned to harpers ferry Home ported at Casebo naval base Japan sailors Are More Lidback Cpl Jewell Payne Marine Wing support Squadron 172 Camp Foster Okinawa marines Are hungrier and they work out More Seaman Gary Home assigned to harpers ferry Home ported at Casebo naval base Japan were All just people who contrib Ute to something larger than ourselves i guess marines it a Little More and we like the land 2nd it Rachel Boyland Marine Wing support Squadron 172 Camp Foster Okinawa