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  • Area Defense Counsel: Defense starts here

    When members of the U.S. Air Force or Space Force face investigations, adverse actions or potential disciplinary proceedings, knowing where to turn can make all the difference. The Area Defense Counsel provides free, confidential and independent legal defense services to Air Force members across

  • Faces of Kadena: The people behind the mission

    Kadena Air Base is home to over 19,000 personnel including U.S. Air Force Airmen, sister service members, and both U.S. and Japanese civilians who each have their own story to tell.

  • Practice makes perfect: 909th ARS refuels F-16Cs and F-35As

    U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers assigned the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, F-16C Fighting Falcons assigned to the 120th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, and F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron conduct aerial refueling operations over the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 29,

  • Under Secretary of the Air Force visits Kadena to conclude Indo-Pacific tour

    Under Secretary of the Air Force Matt Lohmeier visited Kadena Air Base, Japan, Feb. 4, 2026, concluding his tour of Pacific Air Forces installations across the Indo-Pacific region. The visit capped a weeklong engagement that included stops at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Osan Air Base, and Yokota

  • Live Fire Immersion strengthens U.S. Air Force, JASDF readiness

    U.S. Air Force Firefighters from the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron trained alongside members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Airmen assigned to the 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 28–29, 2026. The two-day event sharpened combined aircraft rescue and

  • Rain or shine; 18th OSS weather Airmen take flight

    For most people, weather is a matter of convenience — what to wear, whether to drive, if an umbrella is worth carrying. For the Airmen of the 18th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight, weather means something else entirely: mission success or failure, aircraft safety or risk, life or loss.

  • “Purified by the Path”: Team Kadena’s Misogi on the Kumano Kodo

    Team Kadena participants hiked the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, Dec. 4–9, 2025. The team of Airmen, spouses and local guides completed the centuries-old trail as a Misogi, reflecting on resilience, gratitude and purpose through shared hardship. (U.S. Air Force courtesy

  • 5th Air Force Senior Enlisted Leader Reinforces Readiness with Team Kadena

    5th Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Shaun Campbell visited Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 13–14, 2026, to connect with Airmen, observe operations firsthand, and gain a deeper understanding of the 18th Wing’s role in maintaining peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region.Campbell kicked

  • Kadena Food Pantry: Supporting Airmen when it matters most

    Run by the Shogun Rising Four Council, the pantry is an Airman-led initiative providing food and essential household items to service members, families, and civilians across Okinawa. What began as a small grassroots effort has grown into the largest free food distribution program run by military

  • 718th FSS fuels the fight as Hennessy award finalist

    In the Indo-Pacific, where the mission never stops, readiness begins with something simple: a meal.At Kadena Air Base, The 718th Force Support Squadron’s food service professionals at the Marshall Dining Facility from Kadena Air Base have been named finalists for the John L. Hennessy Award, one of