KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- On an island chain that defines the front lines of deterrence, U.S. Airmen and Marines are refining the skills that keep the Indo-Pacific secure.
Airmen from the 18th Wing joined U.S. Marines at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and Iejima Island to complete a Landing Zone Safety Officer course; advanced training designed to prepare Airmen to assess, establish, and operate landing zones in austere environments.
The LZSO course equips participants with the skills to project airpower from remote locations, ensuring the joint force can respond anywhere, anytime.
“One of the hardest parts about setting up a landing zone is adapting to the realities of the situation once you actually arrive on the ground,” said Master Sgt. Scott Formiller, 18th Operations Support Squadron air traffic control noncommissioned officer in charge. “This course will prepare these Airmen to bring some of the capabilities that we have here at Kadena to remote and austere environments.”
Futenma provides premier aviation support for the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, and regularly hosts joint, bilateral and allied operations, like the LZSO course; strengthening U.S.-Japan interoperability and reinforcing stability across the region.
The 18th wing practices ACE principles at locations such as Futenma, training Airmen and aircrews to operate under varying levels of support to maintain flexibility and readiness across the spectrum of conflict.
During the course, Airmen controlled a variety of aircraft — including C-130s, C-17s, fighters, and both U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps helicopters — conducting more than 100 live, joint, day and night operations across both Futenma and Iejima Island.
“The goal is to prepare these Airmen to operate with a light footprint in a small team,” said Formiller. “LZSO is really the embodiment of ACE, being able to pick up a couple people with just the bare essentials, and go out and still get the mission done.”
The skills honed in the course enable Airmen and Marines to rapidly generate airpower from alternate locations, an essential element of the 18th Wing’s ability to project strength and sustain operations across the Indo-Pacific.
Each mission challenged participants to operate under pressure while maintaining precision, safety, and speed — proving that readiness depends on flexibility as much as capability.
The LZSO course reflects the core of agile combat employment: developing adaptable Airmen capable of generating airpower anytime, anywhere. Training alongside Marine counterparts strengthens the joint force’s ability to move, communicate, and fight from dispersed locations, ensuring the United States and its allies can deter aggression, defend peace, and respond decisively across the Indo-Pacific.