KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez, U.S. Forces, Japan, and 5th Air Force commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Terrence Greene, USFJ and 5th AF command chief, visited here to observe the 18th Wing mission and engage the Airmen, spouses and families of Team Kadena Oct. 16, 2018.

During the visit, Martinez and Greene assessed the operational readiness of Team Kadena’s processes, such as Rapid Airfield Damage Repair, Medical War Reserves readiness, and F-15 Eagle operations.

“Kadena Air Base is the power projection platform of the Pacific,” Martinez said. “It’s a crown jewel as part of our Air Force fleet out there, and as the threats in this region are evolving and becoming more and more concerning, it’s important for Airmen here to know we are going to rely on Kadena right away if we ever have to go into any type of contingency, or display our combat operations capability.”

With about 54,000 U.S. men and women serving in Japan, the U.S. - Japan alliance acts as the anchor for peace and stability in the Pacific, Martinez said, and the strength of the alliance is underpinned by the readiness of the US military members stationed here.

“The men and women of Kadena need to know that their training, readiness, safety, wellness and security have to be at the top and ready for any potential adversary,” Martinez said.

Martinez stressed the importance of working alongside the Japan Air Self Defense Force to enhance security in the region.

“Having interoperability between our forces gives us great power in the Indo-Pacific region,” Martinez said.

In closing, Martinez thanked the members of Team Kadena for their service and for sharing their perspectives on operations in the Indo-Pacific.

“My visit to Kadena has been exceptional,” Martinez said. “It was really helpful for me to see the issues faced by the men and women in uniform, to understand what they do in support of the mission, and what their challenges are as well as their successes.”