KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans officially relinquished command of the 18th Wing to Brig. Gen. John Gallemore during a change of command ceremony at Kadena Air Base, July 14, 2025. The event was presided over by Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, commander of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force.
Simultaneously, Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang transferred responsibility as the 18th Wing command chief to Chief Master Sgt. William Cupp. As the wing's senior enlisted leader, Wolfgang served as the principal advisor to the commander and senior staff, guiding decisions on operational effectiveness, readiness, morale, welfare, safety, and the optimal employment of total force personnel.
Cupp now steps into the role, serving as the senior enlisted liaison between the 18th Wing and enlisted members from five other Air Force major commands and joint partner units.
“The 18th Wing’s mission is vital to our nation’s security and to maintaining stability in this crucial region. As the ‘Keystone of the Pacific’, this wing’s contributions are felt across the region,” said Jost. “Gen. Gallemore and Chief Cupp, your unique combination of operational expertise and strategic vision makes you the ideal team to guide the 18th Wing into the future.”
Since assuming command in July 2023, Evans and Wolfgang led Team Kadena through significant accomplishments, including securing critical infrastructure funding to modernize facilities, executing regular readiness training that demonstrated Kadena Air Base’s ability to project airpower anytime, and advancing quality of life initiatives that deepened trust and connection between Airmen, families, and the Okinawan community.
“It has been a privilege to serve alongside the men and women of Kadena who deter aggression, reassure our allies, and stand ready to defend Japan every day,” said Evans. “This wing has strengthened community ties, sharpened readiness, and deepened the bonds of our alliance, and I have no doubt Kadena will continue to excel in the vital mission it carries out for our nation and our allies.”
Selected for reassignment to the U.S. Air Force Academy as deputy superintendent, Evans passed the guidon to Gallemore, who then addressed the men and women of Team Kadena.
“It is an honor to join the incredible Airmen and families of Kadena,” said Gallemore. “This wing plays a critical role in safeguarding peace, strengthening our alliance with Japan, and standing ready to defend our shared interests in the region. I look forward to building on this legacy together.”
Gallemore brings a distinguished record, including key leadership roles as Inspector General for Air Combat Command, director of the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff’s Strategic Execution Group, and commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.
He now assumes responsibility for approximately 8,000 service members and their families, alongside over 4,000 Japanese employees and contractors at Kadena Air Base—the largest combat wing in the U.S. Air Force, providing air superiority, combat search and rescue, command and control, aeromedical evacuation, and global mobility to the U.S. Indo‑Pacific Command.
His recent tenure as Inspector General at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, has reinforced his appreciation of the critical role that readiness and collaboration play in attaining maximum efficiency and effectiveness.