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  • U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Robert Miller, 909th Aircraft Maintenance Unit superintendant, embraces Tech. Sgt. Makoto Mizuguchi, a Japan Air Self-Defense medical technologist from Naha Hospital during the 14th annual Kadena Special Olympics on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 2, 2013. Mizuguchi volunteered his medical ambulance services during the KSO event in the event of a medical emergency. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amber E. N. Jacobs)

    Kadena senior NCO model of KSO volunteerism

    As rain clouds began to dissipate and the sun began to shine, the sound of cheers could be heard blocks away from Kadena's Risner Fitness Center Nov. 2. The day had finally come--the 14th Annual Kadena Special Olympics was about to begin. Armed with a hand radio and a cell phone, Senior Master Sgt. Robert Miller, 909th Aircraft Maintenance Unit

  • Kadena's 14 years of Special Olympics

    Kadena has been hosting Special Olympics for more than a decade, bringing athletes, families and the community together annually.Nov. 2 will be the 14th Kadena Special Olympics where approximately 846 athletes, 500 artists, and 1,700 volunteers are anticipated to participate in a day dedicated to competition and special recognition.KSO was
  • Shane Anderson, 18th Maintenance Group Air Force Engineering and Technical Services member, and Tech. Sgt. Hector Schunior, 961st Aircraft Maintenance Unit aircraft electrical and environmental technician, troubleshoot a generator of an E-3 Sentry Air Warning and Control System aircraft on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 24, 2013. During inclement weather, one of the two E-3 Sentry aircraft on island must be evacuated in order to protect the jet. The other AWACS aircraft is put in a hangar, unless the weather is forecasted to cause significant damage to the hangar, in which case the second aircraft will evacuate. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hailey R. Davis)

    18th OSS keeps aircraft safe during typhoon season

    In the Pacific Theater, typhoons come and go between the months of May and November, causing aircraft to be evacuated to minimize damage and still support Kadena's mission. The 18th Operations Support Squadron works with other flying squadrons in order to coordinate locations and evacuation procedures for aircraft during inclement weather.

  • Energy Action Month: I am Air Force Energy

    Summer has left and autumn has come, marking the beginning of the Air Force's Energy Action Month, "I am Air Force Energy." Similar to years prior, the Air Force is aiming to become more environmentally and economically efficient, each year improving from the last.Fuel and electricity now make up approximately 10 percent of the Air Force's budget

  • Fire Prevention Week: Prevent Kitchen Fires

    Fire Prevention Week is observed nation-wide, as well as Pacific Air Forces, from Oct. 6-12.We all have busy schedules and many demands on our time. When cooking, these various demands can collide. How often have you been interrupted by a child, a pet or something else while cooking and had to step away from the stove for only a minute only to be
  • Maintainers from the 33rd Expeditionary Helicopter Maintenance Unit perform routine maintenance on a U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 25, 2012. The high operational tempo and austere environment of Afghanistan presents a unique challenge for the maintainers, who work around the clock to keep the Pave Hawks ready to fly. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Raymond Geoffroy)

    Turning wrenches 'so that others may live'

    "Nothing makes me happier than when I see these blades spin and the helicopter take off," said Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Kopplin, 33rd Expeditionary Helicopter Maintenance Unit lead flying helicopter crew chief. "Knowing I worked on it. Knowing that Airmen that I lead have worked on it. Knowing that we have done everything that we were supposed to do,
  • Eberle Funches, wife of Senior Airman Neal Funches, 320th Special Tactics Squadron, displays the medals she earned from various Ironman triathlons. She is the only triathlete on Okinawa to compete in 10 Ironman races. Her latest race was Ironman Louisville in Kentucky. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Nestor Cruz)

    X marks the spot for Kadena's Ironman

    The petite, blonde woman raised her hands and gave a victorious shout as she crossed the finish line for another grueling triathlon. The inaugural Ironman triathlon in Louisville, Ky. - "Ironman Louisville" - is a 140.6 mile race that included a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run. More than 2,000 athletes from around the

  • Kadena baseball team comes out swinging

    There was a time on Kadena Air Base when watching a "ball game" meant supporting the squadron's softball team or watching youth games. That cultural aspect is about to change as Kadena's first varsity baseball team prepares to make a name for itself as it competes against others in Okinawa and the mainland. The Kadena AB Eagles, composed of Airmen,
  • Tech. Sgt. James Thompson, a Det. 3, Air Force Institute for Operational Health lab technician, prepares a solution to determine if heavy metal toxins may be released from waste material before it is sent to a landfill. U.S. Air Force photo/Scott Hallford

    Keeping Pacific warriors fit for the fight

    Performing environmental, safety and occupational health risk assessments and consultations, one Kadena unit's job is to keep Air Force warriors mission-ready by keeping them healthy. Detachment 3 Air Force Institute for Operational Health, the only unit of its type in the Pacific Command area, provides a full-service ESOH analytical laboratory
  • Staff Sgt. Crystal Sheffield, weapons director, and Airman 1st Class Amber Hoedebeck, weapons director technician, 623rd Air Control Flight, on the job at Naha Air Base, Japan. They control the mission by using a Base Air Defense Ground Environment system (BADGE), providing command and control over aircraft with a 360-degree radius. They communicate with pilots, providing time-critical information in order to accomplish the mission. U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Steven Nabor

    Small Kadena unit has big Air Force job

    When it comes to supporting the 18th Wing's flight training mission, one small Kadena unit has a big job. With only 30 members and comprised mostly of weapons directors and radar technicians, the 623rd Air Control Flight is headquartered on Kadena under the 18th Operations Group, but conducts its business from Naha Air Base at the southern part of
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