Kadena airfield 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō
IATA: DNA - ICAO: RODN
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		United States Air Force (Fifth Air Force)
Serves		Naha
Elevation AMSL		ft (44 m)
Coordinates		26°21′20″N, 127°46′03″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
05R/23L		3688×61	Paved
05L/23R		3688×91	Paved

Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base located in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 461 pixel Image in higher resolution (1136 × 654 pixel, file size: 121 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kadena Air Base... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... The ICAO (IPA pronunciation: ) airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), with headquarters currently located at Yokota Air Base,Japan, is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ... Naha (那覇市; -shi) is the capital city of 沖縄県 Okinawa Prefecture (Okinawan Uchinā) in Japan. ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Kadena may refer to: Kadena Air Base Kadena, Okinawa, a town in Japan Reon Kadena, a Japanese model and actress Category: ... “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... Kadena (嘉手納町 -chō) is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan. ... Chatan (北谷町; -chou) is a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan. ... The location of Okinawa in Okinawa. ... “Okinawa” redirects here. ... The United States Air Forces 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. ...

Units

The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena AB. In addition, the base hosts associate units from five other Air Force major commands, the United States Navy, and numerous other Department of Defense agencies and direct reporting units. Associate units operate more than 20 permanently assigned, forward-based or deployed aircraft from the base on a daily basis. USN redirects here. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ...

• 18th Wing
  Kadena Air Base is the home to the Air Force’s largest combat wing—the 18th Wing—and a variety of associate units. Together they form “Team Kadena”—a world-class combat team ready to fly, fight and win from the Keystone of the Pacific. Nearly 18,000 Americans and more than 4,000 Japanese employees and contractors make up Team Kadena. .The wing is broken down into five groups, the 18th Operations Group, the 18th Maintenance Group, the 18th Misison Support Group, the 18th Civil Engineer Group and the 18th Medical Group. Kadena’s fleet of F-15C/D Eagles (the 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons); KC-135R/T Stratotankers (the 909th Air Refueling Squadron); [[E-3 Sentry|E-3B/C Sentries] (the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron)]; HH-60 Pave Hawks; MC-130H Combat Talon II’s; MC-130P Combat Shadows; RC- and WC- 135s; and Navy P-3 Orions project U.S. deterrence throughout the Western Pacific and South-East Asia, promoting regional peace and stability.

Associate units: The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the U.S. Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. ... The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling tanker aircraft, first manufactured in 1956 and expected to remain in service into the 2020s. ... United States Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter The primary function of the Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is to conduct day or night operations into hostile environments to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel during war. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ... The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft of numerous militaries around the world, used primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. ...

• 353rd Special Operations Group
  The 353rd Special Operations Group is an element of the Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. The 750 Airmen of the group are organized into three flying squadrons, a maintenance squadron, a special tactics squadron and an operations support squadron. The flying squadrons operate three separate and uniquely different airframes: the MC-130P Combat Shadow, MC-130H Combat Talon II and, at Osan, the MH-53J Pave Low III helicopter.

• 733rd Air Mobility Squadron
  The more than 320 people of the 733rd Air Mobility Squadron manage all passengers and cargo traveling by air in and out of Kadena. This Air Mobility Command unit supports about 650 aircraft arrivals and departures every month, moving more than 12,000 passengers and nearly 3,000 tons of cargo.

• 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron
  Air Combat Command's 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron maintains aircraft; prepares combat-ready aircrews; and analyzes, processes, and disseminates intelligence data launch in support of RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, RC-135U Combat Sent and WC-135 Constant Phoenix missions flown in the Pacific Theater. Of special value to the Pacific Command and national command authorities, information obtained is used at all levels of the Department of Defense and within other government agencies. The squadron works closely with the 390th Intelligence Squadron.

• 390th Intelligence Squadron
  Air Intelligence Agency's 390th Intelligence Squadron conducts information operations by providing tailored combat intelligence and assessing the security of friendly command, control, communication and computer systems to enhance warfighting survivability, situation awareness and targeting.

• U.S. Army
  1-1 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, assigned to the 94th AAMDC. This is a Patriot PAC-III battalion. It consists of four Patriot Missile batteries (Alpha through Delta), a maintenance company (Echo) and a headquarters element (HHB)

• 320th Special Tactics Squadron
• 1st Special Operations Squadron
• 17th Special Operations Squadron
• 733rd Air Mobility Squadron
• Det 1, 554th Red Horse Squadron
• American Forces Network Detachment 11, AFNEWS
• Det 3, Pacaf Air Postal Squadron
• Det 3, Air Force Institute for Operational Health
• Support Center Pacific, OO-ALC/Maly
• Det 3, Wr-Alc Air Force Petroleum Office
• Det 624, AF Office of Special investigations
• Det 233, Air Force Audit Agency
• Field Training Detachment Det 15, 372nd Training Squadron
• Defense Commissary Agency
• DoDDS Pacific Director's Office
• DoD Dependents Schools Pacific-Okinawa District
• U.S. Consulate Naha
• Marine Wing Liaison Kadena
• Red Cross

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) was established May 22, 1990, with headquarters at Hurlburt Field, Fla. ... Hurlburt Field is a base of the United States Air Force located in Okaloosa County, Florida on the Eglin Air Force Base reservation immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. ... Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, and the air force component of United States Transportation Command. ... Air Combat Command (ACC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... Emblem of the United States Pacific Command The United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), led by the Commander, Pacific Command (CDRUSPACOM), is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving within its area of responsibility (AOR). ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... The AIA emblem Air Intelligence Agency (AIA), an agency of the United States Air Force, with headquarters at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was activated 1 October 1993. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols This article is about the military unit. ... Four Patriot missiles like the one shown here can be fired from this mobile launcher between loadings. ... Remains of a battery of English cannon from Youghal, County Cork. ... Marine Wing Liaison Kadena (MWLK) is a United States Marine Corps logistics and liaison unit based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan. ...

United States Navy Use

The Korean War emphasized the need for maintaining a naval presence in Okinawa. On February 15, 1951, the US Naval Facility, Naha, was activated and later became commissioned on April 18th. Commander Fleet Activities, Ryukyus was commissioned on March 8, 1957. On May 15, 1972, upon reversion of Okinawa to Japanese administration, the two organizations were combined to form Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa. With the relocations of Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa to Kadena Air Base on May 7, 1975, the title then became Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa/US Naval Air Facility, Kadena. Combatants  United Nations:  Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium  Canada  Colombia  Ethiopia  France Greece  Luxembourg  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom  United States Medical staff:  Denmark  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist: Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea  Peoples Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung...

The mission of NAVCOMM Det Okinawa is to provide communications support for SEVENTH Fleet and supporting units, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, Defense Information Systems Agency and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. The detachment has four work centers: 1) TSCCOMM provides telecommunications support for Patrol Wing ONE Det Kadena, deployed patrol squadrons and Marine Wing Detachment; 2) CMS provides communications security (COMSEC) materials and cryptographic equipment to Patrol Squadrons and detachments, and to Commander Amphibious Group One/CTF76, located at White Beach; 3) Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Awase provides HF transmitter support to the fleet and area commanders and LF transmitter support for submarines operating in the Pacific and Indian Oceans; and 4) SURTASS supports command and control functions to SURTASS ships operating in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.

Notable areas

Kadena High School is on Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan and is administered by DoDEA. It opened in 1981. ... Kadena Middle School is the only middle school on Kadena Air Base, an American base on Japans Okinawa Island. ...

History

World War II

Kadena Air Base history dates back to just before the April 1, 1945, US invasion of Okinawa, when a local construction firm completed a small airfield named Yara Hikojo near the island's village of Kadena. The airfield, used by Japanese warplanes, was one of the first targets of the Tenth United States Army and was captured from the Japanese by American forces early in the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Combatants  United States  United Kingdom  Canada  Australia  New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner â€  Joseph W. Stilwell Ray Spruance Mitsuru Ushijima â€  Isamu Cho â€  Strength 548,000 soldiers, 1,300 ships,  ? aircraft 100,000 regulars and militia,  ? ships,  ? aircraft Casualties 12,513 dead or missing, 38,916 wounded, 33... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... The Tenth United States Army was the last army level command established in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... Combatants  United States  United Kingdom  Canada  Australia  New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner â€  Joseph W. Stilwell Ray Spruance Mitsuru Ushijima â€  Isamu Cho â€  Strength 548,000 soldiers, 1,300 ships,  ? aircraft 100,000 regulars and militia,  ? ships,  ? aircraft Casualties 12,513 dead or missing, 38,916 wounded, 33... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

What the Americans captured was nothing more than a 4,600 foot strip of badly-damaged coral runway. Army engineers from the 13th Combat Battalion, 7th U.S. Infantry Division quickly made repairs and, by nightfall the same day, the runway could accept emergency landings. Eight days later, and after some six inches of coral were added, the airfield was declared operational and put into immediate service by artillery spotting aircraft when the runway became serviceable on 6 April. Additional construction was performed by the 807th Engineering Aviation Battalion to improve the airfield for USAAF fighter and bomber use with fuel tank farms, a new 6,500-ft bituminous runway, and a 7,500-ft runway for bomber aircraft by August. The 7th Infantry Division (Light), nicknamed Lightfighters and sometimes referred to as the The Bayonet Division is a reserve combat division of the United States Army currently made up of National Guard units. ... USAAF recruitment poster. ...

Kadena airfield was initially under the control of Seventh Air Force, however on 16 July 1945, Headquarters Eighth Air Force was transferred, without personnel, equipment, or combat elements to Kadena from RAF High Wycombe England. Eighth Air Force was reassigned to the U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces to train new bomber groups for combat missions against Japan. In the planned invasion of Japan, the mission of Eighth Air Force would be to conduct B-29 Superfortress raids from Okinawa. However, the atomic bombings of Japan led to the Japanese surrender before Eighth Air Force saw action in the Pacific theater. The Seventh Air Force (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) under the Pacific Air Forces major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, outside High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Operation Downfall was the overall Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet Unions declaration of war against Japan. ... The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and other military organizations afterwards. ... The mushroom cloud over Hiroshima after the dropping of Little Boy. ... The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) is the term used in the United States for all military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, in World War II. Pacific War is a more common name, around the world, for the broader conflict between the Allies and Japan...

The surrender of Japanese forces in the Ryukyu Islands came on 7 September. General Joseph Stilwell accepted the surrender in an area that would later become Kadena's Stearley Heights housing area. Location of Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands ) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Joseph Warren Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army four-star general best-known for his service in China. ...

Known World War II units assigned to Kadena were:

• 319th Bombardment Group (Light) (July - November 1945) (A-26)
  Assigned to Seventh Air Force and flew missions to Japan and China, attacking airdromes, shipping, marshalling yards, industrial centers, and other objectives.

• 317th Troop Carrier Group (August - September 1945) (C-46, C-47)
  Assigned to Seventh Air Force in the Phillipines. Deployed aircraft to Kadena and flew courier and passenger routes to Japan, Guam, Korea, and the Philippines, and transported freight and personnel in the area.

• 333d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) (August 1945 - May 1946) (B-29)
  Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter combat. For a time after the war the group ferried Allied prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippine Islands. Inactivated May 1946.

• 346th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) (August 1945 - June 1946) (B-29)
  Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter combat. After the war the group participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan and for a time ferried Allied prisoners of war from Okinawa to the Philippine Islands. Inactivated June 1946.

• 316th Bombardment Wing (September 1945 - June 1948)
  Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter combat. Reassigned to U.S. Far East Air Forces January 1946. Redesignated as 316th Composite Wing in January 1946, and 316th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in May 1946. Inactivated June 1948.

• 413th Fighter Group (November 1945 - October 1946) (P-47N)
  Assigned to Eighth Air Force and served as a part of the air defense and occupation force for the Ryukyu Islands after the war. Inactivated October 1946.

On June 7, 1946, Headquarters Eighth Air Force moved without personnel or equipment to MacDill AAF, Florida. It was replaced by the 1st Air Division which directed fighter reconnaissance, and bomber organizations and provided air defense for the Ryukyu Islands until December 1948. The 319th Airlift Wing (319 ARW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. ... The Seventh Air Force (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) under the Pacific Air Forces major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... // Provided airlift service in the Far East, 1948. ... The Seventh Air Force (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) under the Pacific Air Forces major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... The Philippine islands is a commonly mistaken description for the Philippines. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... The 316th Wing was activated on 22 June 2006 as part of the Air Force District of Washington. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... Emblem of the U.S. Air Forces Pacific The United States Pacific Air Forces (USPACAF or PACAF) is one of nine major U.S. Air Force commands and one of two located outside the continental United States, the other being U.S. Air Forces Europe. ... The 413th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... Location of Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands ) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Florida, 8 miles south of Tampa at the tip of the Interbay Peninsula. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Activated 30 August 1943, the 1st Strategic Aerospace Division (1 SAD) supervised and directed heavy bombardment serving in this role until 31 October 1945. ...

Twentieth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena on May 16, 1949. Twentieth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). ...

Postwar Years/Korean War

Twentieth Air Force was inactivated in March 1955. Fifth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena. Known major postwar USAAF/USAF units assigned to Kadena have been: Twentieth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), with headquarters currently located at Yokota Air Base,Japan, is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ...

• 6th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) (June 1947 - October 1948) (B-29)
  Participated in show-of-force flights over Japan and dropped food and other relief supplies to newly freed Allied prisoners of war. Inactivated October 1948.

• 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (August 1948 - October 1948) (F-5, F-6, RF-51, RF-61)
  Equipped with reconnaissance aircraft, flew aerial photographing missions over Japan and southern Korea. Inactivated October 1948. The 71st Air Base Group Provided base host unit support for organizations assigned to Kadena.

• 32d Composite Wing (August 1948 - April 1949) (RB/SB-17G, C-46, RB/SB-29)
  Replaced 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. Provided photographic reconnaissance and search and rescue support. The 32d Air Base Group Provided base host unit support for organizations assigned to Kadena.

• 6332d Air Base Group (April 1949 - January 1950)
  6332d Air Base Wing (January 1950 - May 1955)
  6313th Air Base Wing (October 1957 - December 1964)
  Provided base host unit support for organizations assigned to Kadena.

• 19th Bombardment Group (Medium) (July 1950 - May 1954) (B-29)
  Deployed from Andersen AFB, Guam. Flew combat missions against the North Korean forces that had invaded the Republic of Korea. Targets included troops, supply dumps, airfields, steel mills, hydro-electric plants, and light metal industries. Reassigned May 1954 to Pinecastle AFB, Florida.

• 22d Bombardment Group (Medium) (July 1950 - October 1950) (B-29)
  Deployed from March AFB, California. Flew combat missions over North Korea and attacked enemy marshalling yards, bridges, highways, airfields, and industries and supported United Nations ground forces.

• 307th Bombardment Group (Medium) (September 1950 - February 1951) (B-29)
  Deployed from MacDill AFB Florida to engage in combat operations during the Korean War. From Kadena, the 307th staged attacks against the rapidly advancing communist forces in South Korea. While in Okinawa, the 307th was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for its air strikes against enemy forces in Korea. It was also awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation and several campaign streamers. The 307th BG returned from deployment during February 1951, however elements of the group remained deployed in Okinawa on a semi-permanent basis until 1954.

• 581st Air Resupply Group (October 1954 - September 1956) (B-29)
  Deployed from 581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing at Clark AB. Performed unconventional warfare and counterinsurgency psychological operations. Deactivated and mission transferred to U.S. Navy.

// Conducted strategic bombardment training from activation in 1951 until 1 September 1959, with air refueling as additional mission in 1951-1952, and again from Apr 1958 until Jan 1967. ... The 71st Flying Training Wing (71 FTW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. ... The 32d Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. ... 19th Air Refueling Wing emblem The 19th Bomb Wing was a flying wing of the United States Air Force from the early 1950s to 1983, when it became the 19th Air Refueling Wing. ... Andersen Air Force Base, is a base of the United States Air Force located on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, on the north end of the island approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the capital, Agana. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... “MCO” redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... // Air Mobility Command (???- Air Combat Command (???- Strategic Air Command (???- McConnell AFB, Kansas (DATE UNKNOWN-Present) KC-135 (DATE UNKNOWN-DATE UNKNOWN) Joes USAF Blue Book Categories: | | ... March Air Reserve Base is a base of the U.S. Air Force Reserve located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The 307th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1975. ... MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Florida, 8 miles south of Tampa at the tip of the Interbay Peninsula. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Combatants  United Nations:  Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium  Canada  Colombia  Ethiopia  France Greece  Luxembourg  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom  United States Medical staff:  Denmark  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist: Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea  Peoples Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... Korean P.U.C. The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is issued by the government of South Korea to both Korean military and foreign units. ... USA and USAF Presidential Unit Citation Please see Presidential Unit Citation for other versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941... Clark Air Base, 1975. ...

18th Wing

Since November 1954, the 18th Wing under various designations has been the main United States Air Force operational unit at Kadena. Over the past 50 years, the 18th has maintained assigned aircraft, crews, and supporting personnel in a high state of readiness for tactical air requirements of Fifth Air Force and the Pacific Air Forces. The United States Air Forces 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), with headquarters currently located at Yokota Air Base,Japan, is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ... Emblem of the U.S. Air Forces Pacific The United States Pacific Air Forces (USPACAF or PACAF) is one of nine major U.S. Air Force commands and one of two located outside the continental United States, the other being U.S. Air Forces Europe. ...

The 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to Kadena from Osan-ni AB (K-55), South Korea on 1 November 1954, flying three squadrons (12th, 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons) of North American F-86 Sabres. Initially the wing supported tactical fighter operations in Okinawa, as well as in South Korea, Japan, Formosa, and the Philippines with frequent deployments. In 1957, the wing upgraded to the North American F-100 Super Sabre and the designation was changed to the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing. In 1960, a tactical reconnaissance mission was added to the wing with the arrival of the McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo and the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. The first proposals for the North American Aviation F-86 Sabre were made in 1944, but construction was not begun until after World War II. Many elements of German jet design were implemented in the Sabre, after the American liberation troops captured a number of working Messerschmitt Me 262 experimental... This article is about the history, geography, and people of the island known as Taiwan. ... F-100A Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a jet fighter aircraft that served with the USAF from 1954 to 1971 and with the ANG until 1979. ... The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military aircraft flown by the USAF and the RCAF. Initially designed as a long-range bomber escort (known as a penetration fighter) for the Strategic Air Command, the Voodoo served in a variety of other roles, including the fighter bomber, all-weather...

Beginning in 1961, the 18th was sending its tactical squadrons frequently to South Vietnam and Thailand, initially with its RF-101 reconnaissance forces, and beginning in 1964 with its tactical fighter forces supporting USAF combat missions in the Vietnam War. In 1963, the Republic F-105 Thunderchief replaced the Super Sabres. The McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II replaced the RF-101 in the reconnaissance role in 1967. The deployments to Southeast Asia continued until the end of United States involvement in the conflict. An electronic warfare capability was added to the wing in late 1968 with the attachment of the 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron from Shaw AFB South Carolina flying the Douglas EB-66 Destroyer. The B-66s remained until 1970, flying daily over the skies of Southeast Asia. Anthem Thanh niên Hành Khúc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last President¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War  - Regime change June 14, 1955  - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area  - 1973 173,809 km² 67,108... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a single-seat, supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. ... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... F-16 CJ Fighting Falcon taking off from Shaw AFB as part of enforcing the northern no fly zone in Iraq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was a Strategic Air Command light bomber based on the United States Navys A3D Skywarrior, and intended to replace the Douglas B-26 Invader. ...

During the 1968 Pueblo crisis, the 18th deployed between January and June to Osan Air Base, South Korea following the North Korean seizure of the vessel. Frequent deployments to South Korea have been performed ever since to maintain the air defense alert mission there. The McDonnell Douglas F-4D/E Phantom II replaced the F-105s in 1971, and a further upgrade to the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle was made in 1979. USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on 23 January 1968 in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis. ... Osan Air Base, a base of the United States Air Force, is located 4. ... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the U.S. Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. ...

In 1972, the 1st Special Operations Squadron was assigned, bringing their specialized Lockheed C/MC-130 Hercules aircraft to the wing. The squadron was reassigned in 1978. The reconnaissance mission ended in 1989 with the retirement of the RF-4Cs, and the deactivation of the 15th TRS. The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ...

The designation of the wing changed on 1 October 1991 to the 18th Wing with the implementation of the Objective Wing concept. With the objective wing, the mission of the 18th expanded to the Composite Air Wing concept of multiple different wing missions with different aircraft. The mission of the 18th was expanded to include aerial refueling with Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft; and surveillance, warning, command and control Boeing E-3 Sentry, and communications. Added airlift mission in June 1992 with the Beech C-12 Huron, transporting mission critical personnel, high-priority cargo and distinguished visitors. In February 1993, the 18th Wing gained responsibility for coordinating rescue operations in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling tanker aircraft, first manufactured in 1956 and expected to remain in service into the 2020s. ... rolling out of the Boeing factory in the 1970s A Sentry AEW1 of the RAF takes off USAF E-3 Sentry prepared for flight at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Canada The NATO E-3s have the Coat of arms of Luxembourg and the registration LX on the tail. ... The C-12F Huron provides logistics support between Navy air stations. ... Pacific redirects here. ...

BRAC 2005

In November 2006, the U.S. Army's 1-1 ADA Battalion, a Patriot PAC-III unit, deployed to Kadena from Fort Bliss Texas^[1]. They are assigned to the 94th AAMDC, PACOM, they were assigned to 31st ADA Brigade at Fort Bliss. The move was part of the BRAC consolidation of U.S. Army bases and security agreements between the U.S. and Japan. The battalion's mission is to defend the base against tactical ballistic missiles from North Korea. The deployment was controversial in Okinawa. The unit was greeted by protests.^[2] Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols This article is about the military unit. ... Four Patriot missiles like the one shown here can be fired from this mobile launcher between loadings. ... Fort Bliss is a census-designated place and US Army post located in El Paso County, Texas. ... The United States Pacific Command operates from suburban Honolulu in south central Oahu at the Nimitz-MacArthur Pacific Command Center. ... Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the US Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save... A tactical ballistic missile is a ballistic missile designed for short-range battlefield use. ... This article is about the prefecture. ...

In 2006, the U.S. Air Force announced that Kadena will transition to the F-35 Lightning II airframe from the current F-15 Eagle. The base is currently undergoing environmental testing to find the environmental footprint the F-35 would cause. The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable military strike fighter, a multi-role aircraft that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air-to-air combat. ...

Other Units

Other major units assigned to Kadena since 1954 have been:

• 313th Air Division (March 1955 - October 1991)
  Assumed responsibility for air defense of the Ryukyu Islands and tactical operations in the Far East, maintaining assigned forces at the highest possible degree of combat readiness. In addition, it supported Fifth Air Force in the development, planning, and coordination of requirements for future Air Force operations in the Ryukyu Islands. The division also supported numerous exercises such as Cope Thunder, Cope Diamond, Team Spirit, and Cope North. Provided base host unit support for organizations assigned to Kadena (May 1955 - October 1957, December 1964 - October 1974). The Air Division was incorporated into the 18th Composite Wing in 1991.

• Kadena Task Force (Provisional) (SAC) (May 1955 - May 1958) (RB/ERB-47H)
  Performed Electronic Reconnaissance and Countermeasures activiies.

• 498th Tactical Missile Group (February 1961 - October 1969) (TM-76B / CGM-13B)
  Equipped with the TM-76B, renumbered in 1963 to CGM-13B Mace guided cruise missile, four hard site launch sites.

• 4252nd Strategic Wing (SAC) (January 1965 - April 1970)
  376th Strategic Wing (SAC) (April 1970 - August 1973) (B-52, KC-135, EC-135)
  Activated by Strategic Air Command at Kadena. Replaced 4252nd Strategic Wing. Conducted B-52 combat operations in Southeast Asia from January 1965 to September 1970, when Arc Light Missions from the base were terminated. Conducted KC-135 air refueling and EC-135 electronic reconnaissance from April 1970 to April 1973. Conducted airborne radio relay operations, April - Nov 1970, Feb- Jun 1971 and March 1972 - August 1973.

• 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SAC) (1968 - 1974) (A-12, SR-71)
  Deployed from Beale Air Force Base, California, Performed strategic reconnaissance over Southeast Asian enemy territory (North Vietnam, Laos). The SR-71s averaged approximately one sortie a week for nearly two years. By 1970, the SR-71s were averaging two sorties per week. By 1972, the Blackbird was flying nearly one sortie every day. While deployed in Okinawa, the SR-71s and their aircrew members gained the nickname Habu (as did the A-12s preceding them) after a southeast Asian pit viper which the Okinawans thought the plane resembled.

Location of Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands ) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), with headquarters currently located at Yokota Air Base,Japan, is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ... For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film) The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992. ... B-52 can refer to the following: The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber aircraft A hairstyle popular in the 1950s and 1960s, named after the aircraft A rock band, The B-52s, named after the hairstyle A cocktail This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... A Techno-Thriller, Arc Light is set towards the end of the 1990s and depicts a warp between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. ... The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling tanker aircraft, first manufactured in 1956 and expected to remain in service into the 2020s. ... Beale Air Force Base is a base located in Yuba County, California. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Species T. okinavensis T. elegans T. flavoviridis T. tokarensis A Habu is any of four species of venomous snakes found in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. ...

Air traffic control

The U.S. air force (the 5th air force) takes charge of control.

In addition, the airspace control of Okinawa Island and the circumference of it are not under Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but under the OKINAWA approach control (the common name is Kadena Rapcon(嘉手納ラプコン,Kadena rapukon)Radar APproach CONtrol) of U.S. air force in the Kadena base.

The management of control charge is due to be transferred to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in the near future, and the air traffic controllers belonging to the ministry are training it towards change of jurisdiction as of December, 2006.

Okinawa Island heads up the Ryukyu islands chain, a part of Japan. ... The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (国土交通省; Kokudo-kōtsū-shō) is one of ministries of the Japanese government. ... The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (国土交通省; Kokudo-kōtsū-shō) is one of ministries of the Japanese government. ...

Beacon

The U.S. air force takes charge of maintenance.

See also

• United States Pacific Air Forces

Emblem of the U.S. Air Forces Pacific The United States Pacific Air Forces (USPACAF or PACAF) is one of nine major U.S. Air Force commands and one of two located outside the continental United States, the other being U.S. Air Forces Europe. ...

Notes

is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

This article incorporates text from 18th Wing Public Affairs Office's and 18th Wing secure socketed Wing Staff page., a public domain work of the United States Government.

• Fletcher, Harry R. (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799536
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.

The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... A work of the United States government, as defined by United States copyright law, is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. government as part of that persons official duties. ...

External links and references

• Kadena's official site
• globalsecurity.org on Kadena
• 498th Tactical Missile Group at Kadena

	Pacific Air Forces v • d • e
BASES:	Andersen Air Force Base • Eielson Air Force Base • Elmendorf Air Force Base • Hickam Air Force Base • Kadena Air Base • Kunsan Air Base • Misawa Air Base • Osan Air Base • Yokota Air Base
NUMBERED AIR FORCES:	5th Air Force • 7th Air Force • 11th Air Force • 13th Air Force
WINGS:	3d Wing • 8th Fighter Wing • 15th Airlift Wing • 18th Wing • 35th Fighter Wing • 36th Wing • 51st Fighter Wing • 354th Fighter Wing • 374th Airlift Wing