Yokota Air Base, Japan -- Team Yokota members participated in a week-long Samurai Readiness Inspection exercise, Oct. 26-30.
The full-scale exercise is designed to enhance base readiness through training and practicing skillsets, ensuring the base is ready to respond to potential real-world contingencies in the area.
Through the combined effort of approximately 180 Wing Inspection Team members from all squadrons and groups assigned to Yokota, the 374th Airlift Wing was able to evaluate their Airmen and processes.
“We want to understand what we are good at, where the shortcomings are, and what we can improve on,” said Maj. David Simon, 374th Inspector General office deputy IG.
During the exercise, Airmen accomplished a variety of mock emergency response operations to include intra-theater airdrops, search and rescues, perimeter breaches, and Rapid Airfield Damage Repair. Each scenario was aimed at testing Team Yokota’s rapid-response capabilities.
“We developed scenarios based upon credible threats to Yokota,” said Tech. Sgt. Karya Hargrove, 374th Security Forces Squadron standardizations and evaluations NCOIC and exercise WIT member. “I wanted to challenge the wing’s integrated defense capabilities and practice scenarios that would be difficult to execute outside of a wing-level exercise. Additionally, we evaluate how the participants preform based on desired learning objectives, Air Force Instructions and higher headquarters regulations.”
Overall, the unique exercise tested Yokota's ability to provide effective and immediate response to any possible contingency situations.
“Yokota is a central hub for airlift operations and we need to be ready to support the national defense of Japan as well as accomplish our peacetime roles,” said Simon.