KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Two boats race through the water to a designated landing zone and begin to circle, the crew’s eyes search the sky, while their ears listen and wait for all too familiar sound. First a rumble can be heard and the an MC-130J Commando emerges on the horizon and tracks a steady...

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- A sunny afternoon turned tragic when - out of nowhere - a car sped off a busy road landing nose-down, its velocity flipping it upside-down before finally scraping to a halt off the side of the road.Senior Airman Ja’Mesha Pratt, 18th Operations Support Squadron airfield...

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Air traffic controllers have the extremely demanding task of clearing the path for pilots of multiple airframes; being their eyes on the ground as the pilots keep their eyes on the sky. The 18th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controllers provide quality air...

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – HH-60G Pave Hawk aircrews from the 33rd Rescue Squadron count on their maintainers for both their lives and the lives of those they rescue.Airmen of the 33rd Helicopter Maintenance Unit work day and night to ensure their aircraft are ready to launch at a moment’s notice for...

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- As weapons load crew team members wait for the competition to begin, a quiet, anxious calm hovers at their spots on the flightline.The call to attention rings out across their spots and suddenly there’s an organized frenzy of movement.The 67th and 44th AMU held the third...

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan -- The moment he enters a room, his top priority is shaking hands with any Airman he encounters.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein visited Kadena’s Airmen Nov. 4 and 5.Goldfein spoke with Airmen throughout his base tour and at an all call he hosted. He talked...

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Checking engine ports, ensuring high-tech equipment is always ready; the maintainers of the 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit are an integral part of dominating the battle in the sky.The 44th AMU participated alongside pilots from the 44th Fighter Squadron during a weeklong...

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen rush from one end of the hangar to the other, strapping down more than 70 pallets full of aircraft equipment as the mechanical whir of forklifts moving equipment can be heard throughout the hangar. The 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron prepared aircraft equipment...

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan -- Usually seeing a group of E-6 and E-7s coming your way strikes fear into young enlisted member, but in this case the group of joint enlisted leaders are here to learn. Enlisted leaders from across Okinawa joined forces for a week-long joint professional military...

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan -- Airmen and aircraft from Kadena's 67th Fighter Squadron, 909th Air Refueling Squadron, 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, and 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron returned to Kadena after participating in the 88th iteration of Exercise Cope North. The exercise...