Kadena Airmen gear up for mock war

  • Published
  • By 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Hundreds of Kadena Airmen donned chemical protective gear and prepared for a fictional conflict this week as the 18th Wing conducted its first local operational readiness exercise of the fiscal year. 

The first phase of the exercise began Oct. 19 and focused on testing the Wing's ability to deploy people and cargo around the region. On Oct. 21, Airmen transitioned into a fictional large-scale conflict and were evaluated on their ability to survive and operate in a combat environment. 

"The 18th Wing has been responding to an array of simulated conventional and chemical attacks, as well as various other mishaps such as vehicle, aircraft, and personnel injuries and accidents - all scenarios that Airmen could expect to see during wartime," explained Maj. Jeremy Fenceroy, 18th Wing Plans and Programs chief of inspections. 

Part of the largest combat air wing in the Pacific, Kadena Airmen are tasked with maintaining a constant state of mission readiness to provide for the defense of Japan and promote peace and stability within the region. One way of maintaining and evaluating the wing's readiness is through LOREs, which are conducted several times a year. 

"Kadena Air Base's strategic importance means that we need to be ready at any time to respond to a variety of situations in the region," said Brig. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, who took command of the 18th Wing July 7. "My goal was to evaluate the Wing's readiness to respond to a major contingency operation - to generate and launch airplanes, deploy people and aircraft around the region and survive and operate effectively in simulated combat conditions." 

The general said he's been impressed with the performance of the Airmen after several days of exercise evaluation, and urged participants to maintain their sense of urgency and mission focus. 

"I'm generally pleased with the 18th Wing's performance so far," said General Wilsbach. "Our Airmen are demonstrating a sense of urgency in carrying out their mission and the Wing is showing that it is prepared to get the job done under difficult circumstances. The exercise has allowed us to identify areas we need to work on as well."