Kadena Airmen target FOD during annual walk

More than 400 Kadena Airmen gathered on the flightline early Jan. 5 in search of an enemy responsible for damaging Air Force aircraft: foreign object debris (FOD). Airmen of all ranks volunteered their time for this year's Team Kadena FOD Walk, an annual event designed to raise awareness of the

Kadena Officers' Spouses' Club donates food to base kennel

Sharing the holiday spirit with some of the base's four-legged residents, the Kadena Officers' Spouses' Club donated more than 80 bags and containers of pet food and various other items to Karing Kennels Dec. 11. "We are extremely grateful for their donation," said Audrey Armstrong, Karing Kennels

Sky High: 31st RQS, 17th SOS conduct parachute training over Ie Shima

Aero Club adopts new safety measures, will resume flying operations

The Kadena Aero Club has adopted a comprehensive set of new safety measures and procedures as a result of the Oct. 24 Cessna -172 forced landing near Nago City. The safety measures incorporate the recommendations from the accident investigation report as well as additional measures developed by the

718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron named best in PACAF

By focusing on readiness, mission accomplishment and efficiency, Kadena's 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron earned the 2008 Pacific Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award for medium sized squadrons. The award recognizes mission accomplishment, effective use of maintenance resources, innovative

Tops in Blue to perform 'Déjà Blue' show at Kadena

To celebrate their 55th Anniversary, the famed Air Force "Tops In Blue" ensemble will showcase its musical talents at Kadena's Keystone Theater Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The exclusive "Déjà Blue" tour will bring crowd-pleasing performances to servicemembers and their families Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. and Jan. 1

Security Forces, local police cracking down on drunk driving during holidays

To keep drunk drivers off the road, Kadena law enforcement officials and Okinawa police will be exercising increased vigilance during the holidays. Motorists can expect to see a greater number of sobriety checkpoints around the base and off base as law enforcement officials try to keep the roads

DODEA changes age eligibility requirements for kindergarten, 1st grade

The Department of Defense Education Activity will make an important change to its entrance age eligibility requirement that will affect the early childhood program for the 2009-10 school year. The entrance eligibility birth date will be adjusted from October 31 to September 1. That means a child

New terminology recognizes deployed Airmen's contributions

The Air Force is adopting new terminology to better reflect participation in today's joint fight, the Air Force chief of staff advised in a letter to the field. Airmen who were previously categorized as filling non-standard or "in lieu of" taskings now will be referred to as filling a joint

CFC wraps up for Kadena

The men and women of Kadena Air Base showed their generosity by donating a total of $455,000 to charity as part of the 2008 Combined Federal Campaign, which wrapped up here Dec. 10. Senior Master Sgt. David Duncan, Kadena CFC primary community area project officer, said although the end total fell

PACAF centralizes fit testing

Airmen across PACAF will soon see a change in their fitness testing procedures as the command moves to centralize all fit testing under base health and wellness centers by March of 2009. After receiving feedback from across the command, Gen. Howie Chandler, Pacific Air Forces commander, directed the

Commentary: Being a military spouse means looking forward, not back

I became a military spouse almost four years ago after marrying then Airman 1st Class Bernabe Balatero, Jr. Like many other military couples, we married fairly quickly with a small wedding that we promised would be redone on a grand scale in years to come. For me, the past four years have been an

Congress authorizes paternity leave

Eligible Airmen are now authorized 10 days of nonchargeable paternity leave following the birth of their newborns, courtesy of the 2009 Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress. The law applies to married, active-duty Airmen. The Airman's wife must have given birth to the

F-22As scheduled to deploy to Kadena

The U.S. Air Force is scheduled to deploy 12 F-22A Raptors to Kadena Air Base in January 2009 for approximately three months in support of U.S. Pacific Command's security obligations in the Western Pacific. These deployments underscore the U.S. commitment to Japan as a vital regional partner and

Kadena Airmen participate in cultural ceremony at Chitose Air Base

For members of the 44th Fighter Squadron and 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, the opportunity to participate in a traditional Japanese New Year celebration was a welcome end to a week-long training exercise. Five of the approximately 70 Kadena Airmen training at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's