KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --
“This is a complex operation with a lot of coordination involved,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kyle Turgeon, 18th MUNS storage supervisor. “We have to be fully prepared — knowing when the shipments arrive, having the right equipment in place, and ensuring we have the right personnel to execute each step.”
Once the shipment docks, the 18th MUNS team springs into action: coordinating with the U.S. Army’s Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command for port operations, unloading the munitions cargo, transporting it back to the Munitions Storage Area, inspecting every item to verify quantity and type, and ensuring everything meets strict quality and safety standards.
Call Forwards are necessary for ensuring the stockpile at Kadena remains properly supplied, and they are just one of the many things the 18th Munitions Squadron is tasked with. The squadron is responsible for properly storing, inspecting, issuing and transporting munitions for units across the installation.
“These munitions are vital to the 18th Wing’s mission,” said Turgeon. “If we don’t do our job right, others can’t do theirs. We’re a critical link in the chain of events to project Airpower.”
Through munitions resupply, like Call Forwards, and day-to-day operations, the 18th Munitions Squadron ensures the base remains equipped to support joint and allied missions, deter adversaries, and demonstrates the 18th Wing’s ongoing commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.