Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan – In 2023, it was recorded that 27 Marines and sailors lost their lives due to preventable off duty mishaps. On Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Jennifer Ayers, the aquatics director and swim survival skill master trainer, is on a mission to help change these statistics for the better. Finding ways to improve the service members’ confidence and proficiency in the water is a crucial part of the Naval service expectation. Learning how to stay calm in instances of high stress and being confident in the water are crucial aspects of an amphibious fighting force.

Jennifer Ayers, started her aquatic journey at the age of nine, being mentored by her neighbor, William “Bill” King, the head coach for the College of Charleston’s swim team. By the age of 16, she was instructing her peers and many other members of her community. “I’ve watched kids go from small children to members of our swim team, to becoming coaches themselves,” said Ayers, “but mentoring everyone and being able to find so much joy in it helped me find my ‘ikigai’.” In Japan, there is a concept that describes when people search for their purpose, whether through fulfillment in work, building a family, or finding a hobby that brings them peace — that is their Ikigai. This concept encourages people to discover what truly matters to them and live a life filled with purpose and joy.

“Before I moved here, I was in charge of four pools in the City of Charleston’s recreation department, in four very different parts of town,” said Ayers, “each of them of wildly different demographics.” While she had a great passion for instructing and being able to positively impact people’s lives, Ayers craved something more.

During this part of her life, Jennifer decided to broaden her horizons by considering opportunities in other places, even considering opening her own swim academy so that she could continue to pursue her passion. But deep down, she knew that wasn’t what she wanted. “I even considered becoming a traveling trainer for a professional swim organization,” said Ayers.

Jennifer was later approached by one of her colleagues who brought up the idea of moving to Japan and taking over the position of Aquatics Director for the Marine Corps Community Services in Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Initially, she was nervous, thinking this idea was absurd. “I have a family; I can’t move to Japan. It is a very flattering offer, but I am not moving to Japan,” said Ayers. Little did she know that suggestion would affect her life forever.

Ayers always had a fascination with Japanese culture. “I studied a lot about the culture and wanted to experience these things firsthand,” Ayers confessed. After some thought, she applied for the position and decided to come to Japan.

“I think that the years of aquatic experience I’ve gained throughout my life could be used for something greater,” said Ayers, “even if it’s only helping a few people become more comfortable in the pool”. But coming to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni would come with its own set of challenges that she would soon encounter.

Within her first month aboard the air station, she observed three iterations of the Marine Corps Water Survival Training (MCWST) and knew there needed to be a change. She was shocked to see the Marines’ lack of experience and decided that introducing swim clinics to assist service members would be her next mission. “In July of 2023, we started hosting weekly swim clinics, specifically to help active-duty service members improve their swimming abilities. Headquarters Marine Corps got word of what we were doing out here and were ecstatic to implement it as a core part in the organization’s training,” said Ayers.

Committed to her goal of improving the ‘survival’ portion of the MCWST program, Ayers traveled from MCAS Iwakuni to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina to discuss the development and implementation of the Swim Survival Skills Training (S3T), in addition to gaining her master trainer certification. S3T is a progressive swimming skill course designed to increase Marines’ familiarity with the water and reduce accidental drownings.

“For me, the greatest satisfaction is to share the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained with service members and their families,” said Ayers.