 Representatives from Japanese and international media outlets got the chance to visit Air Station Iwato. Civilian access to the island is restricted, so it was a rare chance to visit the memorials and tour the island. But the main reason behind the visit was to see how the U.S. Navy trains Carrier Air Wing 5 pilots to land aircraft on the deck of a carrier. The airstrip on Iwato is 60 feet above sea level and provides just the right conditions needed for accurate simulations. Perhaps the best reason for coming to Iwato, in addition to the operational, realistic training that it provides, is it removes the noise from the citizens that surround that Sugi. Within five miles around that Sugi there are several million people and field carrier landing practice is loud. The FCLP training used to be conducted in Sugi because the area had three divert airfields, secondary landing areas in case the pilot encounters an emergency situation. But since 1989 the U.S. Navy has held the training on Iwato. The island has no divert airfields nearby and pilots often won't have the fuel to fly over 100 miles to the next nearest airfield. The lack of divert airfields requires a waiver from the chief of naval operations every two years to continue the training on Iwato. The U.S. Navy is working with the government of Japan to find a location that fit all the requirements for accurate training that benefits everyone. The operational readiness of our air wing and our Navy fighter pilots is only obtained through the cooperation with the people in the government of Japan by the services they provide here in the teamwork they provide with the JMSDF, that's the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. It's a great working relationship. The training continues day and night on Iwato as pilots get the training they need to fly and land safely. Teddy Officer Kurt Putnam reporting from Iwato, Japan.