KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, 18th Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief, flew their final sortie with the 33rd and 31st Rescue Squadrons on July 9, 2025, marking the end of their leadership at Kadena.
To commemorate his time at Kadena and honor the combat search and rescue mission in the Indo-Pacific, Evans chose to pilot an HH-60W Jolly Green II, an aircraft assigned to the 18th Wing.
The final sortie was a maritime personnel recovery training mission that showcased the strength and coordination of Kadena’s rescue squadrons. Brig. Gen. Evans piloted the HH-60W, picking up Chief Wolfgang and pararescuemen from the 31st RQS before heading out over the Pacific Ocean. The crew conducted formation aerial gunnery drills at the W-174 range near Tonaki Jima, followed by daytime water rescue operations in Nago Bay.
During the mission, Wolfgang actively participated alongside the 31st RQS pararescuemen—lowering 30 feet into the Pacific Ocean, hoisting 100 feet back into the aircraft, and executing a 10-foot helocast. He concluded the exercise by boarding the aircraft via a 15-foot rope ladder.
“I wanted my final flight with Wolf to be in a Wing aircraft,” said Evans. “The 33rd welcomed me in, and I’ve flown with them for the past two years. Seeing the 18th Wing tail on an HH-60W was incredible. It was a special day, made memorable by the outstanding professionals from the 31st, 33rd, and our maintenance teams.”
As commander of the largest combat wing in the U.S. Air Force, Evans led a dynamic force responsible for delivering tactical air superiority, combat search and rescue, command and control, aeromedical evacuation, and global mobility capabilities to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Since assuming command in July 2023, Evans and Wolfgang guided Team Kadena through major milestones. Their leadership helped secure critical infrastructure modernization funding, enhanced operational readiness through frequent exercises, and drove initiatives that improved quality of life and strengthened the connection between Airmen, families, and the local community.
For Chief Wolfgang, this tour was a return to familiar ground. From 2010 to 2014, he served at Kadena as the superintendent for standardization and evaluations, and flight operations superintendent for the 18th Security Forces Squadron. Since returning in 2023, he has served as the senior enlisted advisor to the commander, advocating for more than 8,000 total force personnel and advising on issues affecting morale, welfare, safety, compliance, and readiness.
“This moment brings together all the different mission sets we have here—each one of them something I’ve come to deeply appreciate,” Wolfgang reflected. “It’s a really special way to close out an incredible two years—watching what this Wing has accomplished, serving at Kadena, a place that means so much to me and my family, and being in a role that’s been truly unforgettable.”