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  • USSOCOM vice commander tours Kadena

    U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Steven Marks, vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and director of the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, tour Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 23, 2026. Marks visited Kadena to engage with 18th Wing

  • BB26-1: Strengthens military assisted departure readiness

    Long before passengers board an aircraft during an emergency, a carefully coordinated process is already underway. During readiness exercise Beverly Beach 26-1, service members, dependents and Airmen rehearsed that process through a simulated military assisted departure exercise at Kadena Air Base,

  • BB26-1: Hot-gas refueling strengthens HH-60 readiness

    U.S. Air Force special mission aviators assigned to the 33rd Rescue Squadron refuel a U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II during a hot-gas refueling operation as part of readiness exercise Beverly Beach 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 4, 2026. BB26-1 provides Airmen opportunities to refine

  • BB26-1: Serving Around-the-Clock Readiness

    As readiness exercise Beverly Beach 26-1 unfolds across Kadena Air Base each day, the 18th Force Support Squadron dining facility is already hard at work. Ovens heat, serving lines fill and food service specialists prepare hundreds of meals, ensuring Airmen and joint partners have the fuel they need

  • ​​​​BB26-1: Forward refueling keeps combat airpower in the fight​

    An F-22 Raptor rolls to a stop as U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron quickly moved into position. Within moments, fuel flowed from an MC-130J to the Raptor during a forward arming and refueling point operation, reducing ground time and returning the aircraft to

  • BB26-1: Kadena Airmen Strengthen Medical Response

    Seconds can determine the outcome of a medical emergency. During readiness exercise Beverly Beach 26-1, U.S. Airmen assigned to the 18th Medical Group and 18th Civil Engineer Squadron responded to a simulated mass casualty event, practicing the rapid assessment, treatment and movement of patients

  • BB26-1: 33rd RQS Sharpens agile rescue operations

    Dust settled around an HH-60W Jolly Green II as Airmen assigned to the 33rd Rescue Squadron unloaded mission-essential equipment and established operations from a simulated austere location during readiness exercise Beverly Beach 26-1, Aug. 4, at Kadena Air Base, Japan.

  • BB26-1: Simulated Ground Ammunition Emergency

    U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 18th Security Forces Squadron and the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron collaborated in a simulated emergency response during exercise Beverly Beach 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 5, 2026. Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians assessed a simulated missile

  • BB26-1: 18th MDG tests En-Route Patient Staging System

    Airmen assigned to the 18th Medical Group established and operated an En-Route Patient Staging System (ERPSS) during Beverly Beach 26-1, strengthening the 18th Wing's ability to rapidly receive, stabilize and prepare patients for aeromedical evacuation during contingency operations.

  • BB26-1: Airmen respond to simulated grounded drone

    U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 18th Security Forces Squadron, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters and explosive ordnance disposal team collaborated in a simulated emergency response during exercise Beverly Beach 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 3, 2026. The scenario involved a

  • BB26-1: 718th AMXS sustains readiness as Typhoon Dolphin approaches

    Airmen assigned to the 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepared HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters and KC-135 Stratotankers for typhoon operations at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 3, 2026, as Typhoon Dolphin approached Okinawa. The preparations took place while the 18th Wing conducted exercise

  • 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

  • F-15E to EX: the 909th ARS refuels the future

    The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, supported the arrival of the F-15EX to Kadena with a refueling mission between a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, a F-15EX Eagle II, and F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 85th TES. The refueling

  • F-15EX returns to Kadena, advances transition to next-generation airpower

    The F-15EX Eagle II returned to Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 29, 2026, accompanied by two F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft, all assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Building on the aircraft's inaugural visit last year, the deployment gives Airmen another