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  • Airmen and community come together to save a U.S. service member

    When seconds mattered most, training, teamwork and quick thinking became the difference between life and death as U.S. Air Force Capt. Zach Siefken, 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron E-3 Sentry pilot and 2nd Lt. Holly Siefken, 18th Medical Group officer in charge of quality assurance, alongside

  • USSOCOM vice commander tours Kadena

    U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Steven Marks, vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and director of the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, visits Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 23, 2026. Marks visited Kadena to engage with 18th Wing leadership, discuss DAWG initiatives and observe the installation's

  • BB26-1 demonstrates combat readiness at Kadena

    Before the first U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors assigned to the 27th and 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadrons, deployed to Kadena, lifted off the runway, hundreds of Airmen had already set the mission in motion. Maintainers completed final inspections, pilots reviewed mission objectives and support

  • Kadena Air Base chief induction ceremony 2026

    Kadena Air Base inducted its newest chief master sergeants during a ceremony March 28, 2026, recognizing their promotion to the highest enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force. The event honored their years of leadership, dedication and commitment to the mission.

  • Practice makes perfect: 909th ARS refuels F-16Cs and F-35As

    U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers assigned the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, F-16C Fighting Falcons assigned to the 120th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, and F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron conduct aerial refueling operations over the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 29,

  • Combat Logistic Challenge: 18th LRS stays ready

    The 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron recently hosted its first-ever Combat Logistics Challenge, an event designed to test the physical and mental resilience of the Airmen who keep vital missions going at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 10, 2025.

  • U.S. and Japan sister flights team up for bilateral flight

    U.S. Air Force Maj. Jesse Ruter, a weapons systems officer assigned to the 18th Operations Group, joined Japan Air Self-Defense Force pilots from the 204th Fighter Squadron for a bilateral flight at Naha Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19, 2025, strengthening the partnership between two allied air forces.

  • German officials gain firsthand look at Kadena’s Indo-Pacific mission

    U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, welcomed Petra Sigmund, Director General for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the Federal Foreign Office, for a hands-on look at Kadena’s mission. From the flight line to the briefings, the visit strengthened cooperation with

  • F-15Es complete historic forward operations from Diego Garcia

    F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron have rotated out of Kadena Air Base, Japan, concluding a six-month deployment that included a groundbreaking three-month forward operation to U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia.

  • BH 26-1: 18th CES EOD clear the way

    U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal Airmen assigned to the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron conducted a mass mechanical clearance training exercise in support of base-wide operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 4, 2025.