Kadena airfield operations flight 'tops in AF'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  There's never a dull day for the 18th Operations Support Squadron's airfield operations flight.

The flight responsible for providing air traffic control, radar approach control and airfield management operations at one of the busiest airfields in the Air Force was recently recognized as the best in the business by senior officials.

The 18th OSS was named the 2009 Airfield Operations Flight Complex of the Year during an awards banquet held in Las Vegas last month. Master Sgt. Travis Utz, the flight's training manager, said the award is a reflection of all the hard work the unit performs day in and day out.

"Kadena is one of the most dynamic and diverse operation's in the Air Force," he said. "There aren't too many airfields in the Department of Defense that project airpower from a platform like Kadena. We continually provide air traffic services to Air Force, Navy, Marines, JASDF, and commercial traffic."

On a typical day, more than 550 aircraft, ranging from diverted international airliners and Japan Self Defense Force alert missions to transient Navy aircraft from nearby aircraft carriers and deployed F-22 stealth fighters from stateside bases, are guided by the nearly 80 Airmen and civilian staff members as they pass through regional airspace.

"Kadena was the seventh busiest [airfield unit] out of 102 airfield units in the Air Force in terms of operations [last year]," said Sergeant Utz.

Last year, the unit safely orchestrated more than 1,000 alert missions, nearly 200 medical evacuations and 5,000 Air Mobility Command operations that delivered 57,000 passengers and 21,000 tons of cargo.

"Our flight had a great year, with impressive Air Traffic System Evaluation Program, unit compliance inspection, staff assistance visits and operational readiness inspection reports that have a long list of 'outstandings,' 'top performers,' 'benchmarks' and 'best to dates,'" explained Capt. Brooke Kelly, airfield operations flight commander. "Airfield operations provided seamless service during the first Air Force overseas Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System radar system cutover, managed more than $19 million in construction on Pacific Air Forces' largest airfield, and fielded first-ever equipment within the Defense Department."

Gary Brown, U.S./Japan air traffic control liaison, said this was all accomplished while the unit made preparations to revert control of the RAPCON back to Okinawan officials after 65 years of U.S. Air Force management.

"The airfield operations flight [trained] more than 60 Japan Civil Aviation Bureau Air Traffic Controllers in preparation for the airspace reversion," he said.

The historic milestone was commemorated March 30 with a formal transfer ceremony between the flight and Okinawan officials at Naha Airport. The event also marked the fiftieth anniversary of U.S. and Japanese security cooperation.