Season's greetings from 18th Wing commander Published Dec. 18, 2013 By Brig. Gen. James B. Hecker 18th Wing commander KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Team Kadena, From my family to yours, Happy Holidays and a very happy New Year! Thank you for all the hard work and continuous sacrifices you make to support our mission here in the Asia Pacific. Your professionalism and dedication in support of Operation Damayan helped the Filipino government provide relief supplies, transport relief workers and evacuate more than 20 thousand from affected areas following the super typhoon that devastated the Filipino people and their country. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout this year, not only did Team Kadena sustain our mission and assist our allies, but in total we supported 2,628 deployment taskings and 40 operations in 61 different locations around the world. I also want to pass on my appreciation to our dedicated American and Japanese civilians. You all are a vital part of our team and key to accomplishing our unique mission. Please enjoy every holiday party and time off, but also keep in mind that this holiday season can be challenging for our service members away from home. Please ensure they are taken care of and have a place to celebrate and enjoy the holidays. At the same time, remember our 463 service members who are currently deployed. Keep these people in your thoughts and prayers, and support them as well as their families back here at Kadena in any way you can. Bottom line, the holiday season is a good time to decompress, and come back ready to start the new year right! I look forward to 2014 and all the opportunities in store for the men and women of Team Kadena.