PACAF commander visits Kadena Airmen, tours facilities

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Maeson L. Elleman
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Gen. Gary North, Pacific Air Forces commander, visited Kadena Jan. 6-9 where he toured several base facilities on the island, spoke with Airmen and presented two Bronze Star Medals.

During his time on Okinawa, North expressed his gratitude to all the Airmen stationed here for their outstanding support of global missions and operations.

"Thank you for a tremendous job every day," North said. "Thank you for the professionalism, the pride, your courage, your discipline and how well our Airmen take great care to ensure we've got a military mission that can be met. I'm so very proud of you for what you do and how well you do it alongside an incredible joint force. "

The general highlighted that Airmen working with joint forces and Japanese allies provide vital support of the U.S.-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty which has stood for more than 50 years and provides peace, security and stability throughout the region. He also expressed that despite challenges in the region, Kadena, as the 'Keystone of the Pacific,' is vital to mission success in the Pacific area of responsibility.

"It's a huge mission. It's the largest air base we have in the Pacific Air Forces and one of the largest in our United States Air Force," North explained. "It truly is a cornerstone, not only in Northeast Asia, but certainly throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The Air Force and the U.S. have been at Kadena Air Base for over 50 years, which brings a cultural, diplomatic and military relationship that has strengthened over the years. "

As the former 18th Wing commander from 2000-2002, North said he's proud of Kadena Airmen for their hard work in building lasting relationships with joint and allied forces, as well as the Okinawan people on the island.

"It is truly a pearl of the Pacific, not only because of the infrastructure, but the relationships that we have with the Okinawans and what we bring to a joint relationship and combined relationship with the Japanese. It's a pleasure to always come back and to see how our Airmen, civilian Airmen, and host nation Okinawan employees here on the base take such great pride in preserving, sustaining and maintaining an aging infrastructure, an infrastructure that must be kept up to provide mission, support and quality of life for our Airmen and their families."

The commander also praised Airmen for the exemplary display of global power shown in operations over the past two decades.

"We are a force which has been in direct combat operations for more than 20 years, and Airmen around the world have provided their expertise to unified commanders, " North said. "Airmen from the Pacific deploy every day throughout the PACOM AOR and into the Middle East and the U.S. Central Command AOR. Today, they are much more mobile, much more global, and much more professional and disciplined in their particular specialty codes than ever before."

General North, who said his favorite thing about Okinawa is the engagement with the local populace, also thanked the Japanese partners for their hospitality and opportunities they give to Airmen stationed here. He also expressed his belief that Airmen should seize every opportunity for interaction with the local culture.

"I think one of the most important aspects of being stationed in another nation is the relationship that you build with the host nation people, and how well you take the cultural aspects and grow in the community of which you're living," said North. "You gain so much from engaging with the local community, and ensuring you learn something other than your strict military mission. Make part of your 2012 New Year's resolution to get off base and become engaged and involved in the community, and the return on your investment of time will pay huge dividends to you over the future years. "