Mission-ready smiles: Kadena Dental keeps Airmen fit to fight

Behind every Airman ready to deploy is a team dedicated to keeping them fit to fight, starting with their smile. At Kadena Air Base, the 18th Dental Squadron ensures readiness of the Air Force’s largest combat wing through expert care, teamwork and precision.

Right place, right time: Airman’s courage shines outside Kadena

What began as a quiet Sunday drive to the gym quickly turned into a life-aiding  moment for one Airman from the 18th Wing Erwin Professional Military Education Center. U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Winsome Culley, the center’s senior development advisor, didn’t hesitate when he saw a car

18th CES Firefighters ignite community awareness during Fire Prevention Week

“Protecting those who defend America.” That’s the motto firefighters and emergency services across the Department of War live by. The 18th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department carried that spirit through Fire Prevention Week, held Oct. 3–9, 2025, at Kadena Air Base, Japan.Fire Prevention Week

PDF line operations exercise rapid deployment readiness

U.S. Air Force Airmen process through a personnel deployment function line during a routine 18th Wing operational readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 4, 2025. The PDF line optimizes the administrative process for deploying forces by ensuring personnel are equipped with government

Japan’s Southwestern Air Defense Force commander visits Kadena

Southwestern Air Defense Force Lt. Gen. Takayuki Terasaki, SWADF commander, comes to Kadena Air Base for a visit to meet with U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. William Cupp, 18th Wing command chief, to discuss bilateral training and to receive a

Forging warrior ethos: Kadena launches first USAF Combatives Course

A week-long combatvies course, held Sept. 15-19, brought together 46 Airmen from across Kadena. Each morning began with a safety brief and a demonstration from certified Air Force combatives experts. Then came practice; hours of ground drills, defensive maneuvers, and eventually, live sparring.

Radiant Falcon sharpens Kadena Airmen’s radiological response readiness

When a mission-critical aircraft returns to a base contaminated by radiation, every second counts. To prepare for that possibility, Airmen from the 18th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron’s Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight joined forces with the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron and the 18th Civil

BH 26-1: Airpower out of MCAS Futenma

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed to Kadena Air Base, launched from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan, during a simulated combat mission during BH 26-1, Nov. 5, 2025.

BH 26-1: Teamwork on the line: Maintainers and Defenders stop simulated intruder

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 119th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron and the 18th Security Forces Squadron responded to a simulated intruder scenario on the flightline during base-wide operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 6, 2025.

BH 26-1: Kadena Airmen prove readiness in MASCAL exercise

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron and 18th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron came to aid personnel from the 18th Comptroller Squadron for a mass casualty training event in support of base-wide operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 6,

BH 26-1: 4th EFGS Airmen conduct maintenance

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron, deployed to Kadena Air Base, perform maintenance on F-35A Lightning IIs during base-wide operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 3, 2025.

18th LRS delivers under pressure

The 18th logistics readiness squadron's petroleum, oil, and lubricants flight simulated an emergency liquid oxygen refill as a part of a base wide exercise, BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Nov. 5, 2025.

11th Combat Air Base Squadron; leveling the field

Ghost in the model: Kadena Airmen confront AI threats

As technology advances faster than ever before, the challenge isn’t just creating smarter systems, but protecting them from being turned against their users.

18th CS goes the distance

Cadences echoed through the streets of Kadena Air Base as Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron kicked off their first two-mile morale run on Oct. 22, 2025.