LEXINGTON, Va. Feb. 10, 2026 — Virginia Military Institute hosted a Japan U.S. Military Program (JUMP) event which included a reception, dinner, and expert panel discussion Feb. 3 in Marshall Hall. JUMP is a partnership between Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA (Sasakawa USA) and the Embassy of Japan, which honors U.S. military personnel and veterans for their contributions to the U.S.-Japan security alliance and engages them in high-level dialogue with U.S.-Japan alliance leaders.
Col. David Gray, executive director of VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics, served as master of ceremonies for the evening. Welcoming guests to the event was Lt. Col. Jochen Arndt, associate professor in the Department of History and deputy director of the John A. Adams ’71 Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis (Adams Center). Arndt stated the strategic analysis portion of the Adams Center ties in with the importance of the U.S.-Japan military alliance. “This event took over four months of planning, and we are very happy, proud, and honored to welcome all our guests here tonight.”
Guest speakers included retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Larry Nicholson, former commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan who now serves as a distinguished senior fellow for Sasakawa USA and sits on boards of several veteran-related nonprofits; retired Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Adm. Ryo Sakai, a former surface warfare officer and JMSDF chief of staff; and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Col. Satoshi Masaka, a career infantry officer who currently serves as military attaché for the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, director of JUMP and president and chairman of Sasakawa USA, served as moderator.
Topics of discussion included the strong alliance between Japan and the United States and the hard work involved to build trust after WWII; other partners and ally countries in the Pacific like Australia, The Philippines, and South Korea; the security and safety of Japan; emerging security threats in the Indo-Pacific; long-term sustainable deployment in the Indo-Pacific; the safety and security of Taiwan; artificial intelligence; undersea military operations; what the future holds for VMI cadets; and the importance of building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with peers from different nations. 
Past JUMP events have been held at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps University, and Naval Station Norfolk, but this is the first time the event has been held at VMI. Over 50 cadets attended the dinner and panel discussion including J. Paul Sporleder ’27, the cadet in charge of the Adams Center, a history major with a military history concentration, who plans to commission in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. He stated the event was a wonderful experience. “I got to spend time showing the JUMP delegation around post, discussing international affairs, and learning from their experiences and different perspectives about the situation in East Asia.
For Daniel Korniluk ’27, an international studies major who plans to commission into the U.S. Marine Corps, the event provided insight on alliance strategies.
“The perspectives from Lt. Gen. Nicholson and Col. Masaka were inspiring in how to approach real-world problems and fostering productive thinking on how relationships are utilized in times of threats from other countries.”
Additional information on JUMP may be found on their website.
Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE