| United States Fleet Activities Sasebo | |
|---|---|
| Sasebo,Japan | |
 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Naval Base |
| Owner |  United States of America Japan |
| Controlled by |  United States Navy |
 | |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Captain Michael Fontaine |
U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is aUnited States Navy base, inSasebo,Japan, on the island ofKyūshū.[1] It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of theUnited States Pacific Fleet and designated tenant activities.[2]
Sasebo has been a naval base since 1883, when Lieutenant CommanderTōgō Heihachirō nominated the small fishing village to form the nucleus of a base for theImperial Japanese Navy. In 1905, ships of the Japanese Navy under Admiral Togo sailed from Sasebo to combat theRussianBaltic Fleet, leading to victory for Togo at theBattle of Tsushima.
The Imperial Japanese Navy had approximately 60,000 people working in the dock yard and associated naval stations at the peak ofWorld War II, outfitting ships,submarines and aircraft. Sasebo was a popularliberty port for navy personnel.
In September 1945, theU.S. Marine Corps'Fifth Division landed at Sasebo, and in June 1946, U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo was established.
When war broke out inKorea three years later, Sasebo became the main launching point for theUnited Nations and the U.S. Forces. Millions of tons of ammunition, fuel, tanks, trucks and supplies flowed through Sasebo on their way to theU.N. Forces in Korea. The number of Americans in Sasebo grew to about 20,000, and some 100 warships and freighters per day swelled the foreign populations still more.
After theKorean War ended, theJapan Self-Defense Forces were formed, andJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships began to homeport in Sasebo (Sasebo District Force). The U.S. Fleet Activities continued to support ships of theU.S. Seventh Fleet. Service Force ships made Sasebo their homeport.[3]
The U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo provided heavy support to the expanded Seventh Fleet during the years of war in Southeast Asia. In the mid-seventies, the U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo became theNaval Ordnance Facility Sasebo, and fleet visits dwindled to a low level.
On 4 July 1980, this trend was reversed when U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo regained its name, and Seventh Fleet ships were once again forward-deployed to Sasebo.
U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo played a vital logistics role inOperation Desert Shield/Storm during 1990–91, by serving as a supply point for ordnance and fuel for ships and Marines operating in thePersian Gulf theater.
Sasebo was expanded as a result of theEast Asian foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration, with a doubling of the number of LCACs stationed there.[4]
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Commander Amphibious Squadron 11 (COMPHIBRON 11)
Commander Mine Countermeasure Squadron 7 (COMCMRON 7)
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools include:
CFA Sasebo
CFA Sasebo
CFA Sasebo
33°09′46″N129°42′41″E / 33.16278°N 129.71139°E /33.16278; 129.71139