MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan –
A large part of the U.S. – Japan alliance is the Defense Policy Review Initiative agreements. The DPRI redefines roles, missions and capabilities of alliance forces and outlines key realignment and transformation initiatives, including enhancing interoperability and communication between the two countries’ respective commands, broadening cooperation in the area of ballistic missile defense, and reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa, according to the U.S. Department of State’s website.
One of DPRI’s reduction efforts is the relocation of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, to MCAS Iwakuni, on mainland Japan.
With the arrival of VMGR-152, MCAS Iwakuni increased its capabilities, to include aerial refueling and assault support, and will also be able to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief support.
Iwakuni City Base Policy representatives, media and Government of Japan’s Ministry of Defense representatives were given an in-depth brief on the KC-130J Super Hercules in order to increase their knowledge of the squadron’s mission, capabilities and functions, and later flew in the aircraft during a familiarization flight, Aug. 28, 2014, aboard MCAS Iwakuni.
Mr.Yoshitaka Takebayshi, public affairs officer with the Chugoka-Shikoku Defense Bureau, said he wanted to witness first-hand what capabilities VMGR-152 brings to MCAS Iwakuni.
“This was a very safe aircraft and it operated in a safe manner,” said Takebayshi.
He also said he understands how efficiently the squadron operates in Iwakuni after his experience flying with them. His desire is for VMGR-152 to continue to fly in a safe manner in which the citizens of Iwakuni can understand.
For years now, the "Sumos" of VMGR-152 have been involved in both exercises and real-world operations throughout all of their area of responsibility, to include, but not limited to, Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and Mongolia.
Maj. William Smith, operations officer with VMGR-152, said despite the relocation to Iwakuni, the squadron will continue to accomplish its mission of supporting the Marine Air-Ground Task Force commander in air-to-air refueling, assault support and close air support, day or night, under all weather conditions, and during expeditionary, joint or combined operations.
“Our mission didn’t change from Okinawa to here. The location of Iwakuni gives us more access to the northern areas of our AOR,” said Smith. “We move Marines and allied troops and cargo all over the Pacific, however, that is not our primary mission. Our aircraft is called a KC-130. Anytime there is a ‘K’ in front of a U.S. aircraft, that means it’s a refuler, so our primary mission is aerial refueling.”
Smith continued, saying the KC-130J can fly faster, reach high altitudes and stay airborne longer than its predecessor, the KC-130F. With significant increases in operational capability and performance, the KC-130J super Hercules is both valuable as a forward-deployed asset and a versatile aircraft, “probably the most versatile aircraft in the U.S. inventory because of all the things it can do,” said Smith.
Norio Ooyama, Iwakuni Branch reporter of the Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper, said the aircraft is a lot quieter than he thought, and the flight was smoother than he expected. He continued, saying he did not have any concerns for safety while the aircraft was airborne.
“I recognized that in addition to the capabilities of refueling, the ability to transport large amounts of cargo and personnel is new to me,” said Ooyama. “I also recognized that this is a very reliable, trustworthy plane, since it has been in many operations in countries worldwide.”
Along with Ooyama’s understanding, Kenji Kuwabara, Iwakuni City Base Policy director, said he had the impression that VMGR-152 appeared confident, perhaps coming from its mishap-free operational safety record. At the briefing, he thought that the squadron provided a thorough explanation and he came to understand that VMGR-152 has one primary mission, but also has several other large functional capabilities.
“In the brief prior to the event, it was explained that the aircraft has a good safety record. The flight was stable and I had no apprehension during the familiarization flight,” said Kuwabara. “They've recently transferred from MCAS Futenma to MCAS Iwakuni. I hope that the transfer, as it was intended, offsets the burden on Okinawa. However, their areas of operation remain throughout the Pacific region. We've recognized that their mission has not changed from before.”
According to an official press release from MCAS Iwakuni Public Affairs, the C-130 transfer from MCAS Futenma to Iwakuni was complete effective Aug. 26. This transfer is one of many changes in the overarching DPRI plans to relocate and redistribute American Forces both in Japan and throughout the Pacific theater.