YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Yokota Air Base, Japan, hosted the Military Personnel Exchange Program (MPEP) Strategic Engagement forum for the first time in their more than 45 year history, on July 11-12.

The MPEP offers active duty personnel the chance to become part of the International Affairs team; embedded as a member of an international military.

“The program allows us to temporarily exchange personnel in a one-on-one basis,” said Thomas N. Hasebe, chief of operations Indo-Pacific Military Personnel Exchange Program, Overseas Developmental Education. “This way we can learn how they operate and they can learn our ways of doing things.”

Some of the exchange personnel include instructor pilots, Air Staff College instructors, engineers, aircraft maintainers and logisticians.

Over 30 Indo-Pacific MPEP members are assigned to partner countries in the region, building stronger partnerships and promoting mutual understanding throughout the Indo-Pacific.

“The purpose of The Military Personnel Exchange Program is to build stronger military-to-military relationships with coalition partners and our allies,” said Hasebe. “We work around the idea that we are stronger together.”

While participating in the program, in addition to performing primary career field duties, exchange officers support U.S. national security goals by promoting mutual understanding and trust between the U.S. Air Force and allied forces.

The forum allows MPEP members to interact and familiarize themselves with the latest policy and program changes and well as discuss new developments in the U.S. Air Force.