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  • BH 26-1: 909th ARS Refuels with precision

    U.S. Air Force ​Airmen ​operating a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, conducted aerial refueling operations with F-35A Lightning IIs and F-16C Fighting Falcons, in support of an 18th Wing ​​operational​​ ​​readiness exercise over the Pacific Ocean, Japan, Nov. 4, 2025

  • ​​​BH 26-1: 18th CES hones aircraft fire and egress response​​

    The 18th Civil Engineer Squadron ​F​ire and ​E​mergency ​S​ervices flight conducted an F-15 ground emergency response exercise during ​base-wide ​operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 6, 2025. ​​​​During the simulation, first responders used fire trucks and

  • 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.

  • After dark: nighttime air refueling with the E-3 Sentry

    The 909th Air Refueling Squadron refueled a E-3 Sentry assigned to the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron during nighttime refueling at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Sept. 24, 2025. The 961st AACS is a combat-ready E-3 squadron providing airborne command and control, long-range surveillance, detection

  • Fueling the F-35s’ fight

    The 909th Air Refueling Squadron refueled F-35A Lightning II's assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and the 355th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in support of a large force training exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Sept. 11, 2025. The continuous rotation of aircraft to Kadena

  • Carrying Their Memory Forward

    The POW/MIA Remembrance Run 24-hour ruck pays tribute to U.S. service members who endured captivity and those still missing, ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten.