Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō
IATA: MSJ - ICAO: RJSM
Summary
Airport type		public
Elevation AMSL		119 ft (36.3 m)
Coordinates		40°42′19″N, 141°22′19″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
10/28	10,000	3,048	Paved

Aerial photo of Security Hill

American and Japanese air traffic controllers work together in Misawa's busy control tower.

Miss Veedol Marker

Emburi festival in Misawa, off base

Misawa Air Base (三沢飛行場, Misawa Hikōjō^?) (IATA: MSJ, ICAO: RJSM) is a United States air base located on the northeastern shores of Honshū, in the city of Misawa in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku Region of Japan. The base is home to 5,200 US military personnel, as well as 350 US civilian employees and 900 Japanese national employees. Misawa is the only combined, joint service installation in the western Pacific. It houses all four US military services (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines) as well as the Japan Air Self Defense Force. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (806x1238, 70 KB) Summary FAA diagram of Misawa Air Base. ... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier 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 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. ... The or meter (see spelling differences) is a measure 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. ... The or meter (see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Inside the control tower at Misawa Air Base, taken from [1] and uploaded by me. ... Inside the control tower at Misawa Air Base, taken from [1] and uploaded by me. ... Controllers survey the field at Misawa Air Base, Japan. ... The control tower at Schiphol airport. ... Miss Veedol Marker I took this photo in Misawa, Aomori, Japan (date unrecorded). ... Miss Veedol Marker I took this photo in Misawa, Aomori, Japan (date unrecorded). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 2. ... Miss Veedol Marker Misawa (三沢市; -shi) is a city located in Aomori prefecture in Tohoku region of Japan. ... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier 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. ... For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation). ... HonshÅ« (本州 Literally Main State) is the largest island of Japan, called the Mainland; it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait. ... Miss Veedol Marker Misawa (三沢市; -shi) is a city located in Aomori Prefecture in Tohoku region of Japan. ... Aomori Prefecture (青森県 Aomoriken or frequently Aomori-ken) is located in the Tōhoku Region of Japan. ... Tohoku region, Japan The Tōhoku region (東北地方; Tōhoku-chihō) is a geographical area of Japan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... The Japan Self-Defense Forces ), or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of World War II. The force has not been engaged in real combat but has been engaged in some international peacekeeping operations. ...

Misawa also has scheduled civilian flights operated by Japan Airlines to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Osaka International Airport (Itami) and New Chitose Airport, making it one of the few joint civilian-military airports in the U.S. defense grid. JAL Boeing 747-400 in 1989-2002 colour scheme JAL Cargo Boeing 747-400 (JA402J) waiting for take-off A JAL Boeing 767 in NAIA. JAL Boeing 747-400 Japan Airlines Corporation ) (TYO: 9205 ), or JAL, is the largest airline operator in Asia. ... Tokyo International Airport ) (IATA: HND, ICAO: RJTT), located in Ota, Tokyo, Japan, is one of the two primary airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area. ... Osaka International Airport ) (IATA: ITM, ICAO: RJOO) is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. ... New Chitose Airport ) (IATA: CTS, ICAO: RJCC), is an airport located in Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. ...

The Misawa Passive Radio Frequency space surveillance site is used for tracking satellites using the signals they transmit. It also provides coverage of geosynchronous satellites using the Deep Space Tracking System (DSTS). It is one of the largest ECHELON ground stations. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Radio waves. ... An Earth observation satellite, ERS 2 For other uses, see Satellite (disambiguation). ... A radome at RAF Menwith Hill, a site with satellite downlink capabilities that some believe to be used by ECHELON. ECHELON is a name used to describe a highly secretive world-wide signals intelligence and analysis network said to be run by the UKUSA Community (composed of intelligence agencies of...

History

What is now called Misawa Air Base has been used by the military since the Meiji period, when it was used as a cavalry training center for the Imperial Army. The Meiji period ) denotes the 45-year reign of Emperor Meiji, running from 8 September 1868 (in the Gregorian calendar, 23 October 1868) to 30 July 1912. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was in existence from the Meiji Reformation to the end of World War II. It was created to replace the traditional Japanese samurai with a modern Western-style conscript army. ...

Misawa was the take-off site of the world’s first non-stop trans-Pacific flight in 1931. Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon took off from Misawa on the “Miss Veedol” and landing 41 hours later in Wenatchee, Washington – successfully crossing the Pacific Ocean non-stop. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Clyde Upside-Down Pangborn was the first person to fly non-stop across the Pacific Ocean. ... The Miss Veedol was the name of the plane carrying the first pilot to fly non-stop across the Pacific Ocean. ... Wenatchee (IPA: ) is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountain range in the U.S. State of Washington. ...

The Imperial Army transformed Misawa into an air base in 1938 when it was used as a base for long-range bombers. The base was taken over by the Imperial Navy Air Corps in 1942 and the base's mission changed to research and development. In 1944, facilities were built for Kamikaze Special Attack forces. At the end of World War II, U. S. fighters and bombers all but destroyed the base. Nearby Lake Ogawara was reportedly one of the lakes used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to practice for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in December, 1941. The lake was reportedly used because it somewhat resembled Pearl Harbor, and its shallow depth made it an ideal place to practice torpedo attacks. Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service or Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koku Hombu was a major force in the Pacific War during World War II. The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 and followed the development of air combat during World War I with great interest. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... USS Bunker Hill was hit by Ogawa (see picture left) and another kamikaze near Kyūshū on May 11, 1945. ... 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...

The American occupation of Misawa began in September 1945. Later, Army engineers restored the base for future use by the United States Army Air Forces. During the Korean War and Vietnam War Misawa supported fighter missions. The base was the launching point for clandestine surveillance overflights into China and the USSR during the 1950s. 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was a part of the U.S. Army during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... 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...

Misawa's fighters departed in 1972. In 1983 it was a major deployment site for rescue and recovery operations, following the downing of Korean Air Flight 007. On July 4, 1985, fighters returned to Misawa. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Korean Air Lines Flight 007, also known as KAL 007 or KE007, was a Korean Air Lines civilian airliner shot down by Soviet jet interceptors on September 1, 1983 just west of Sakhalin island. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Near the 1995 new year, Misawa experienced two earthquakes--7.5 and 7.9 on the Richter scale at the epicenter off the coast of Hachinohe. On September 25, 2003 a magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurred off the east coast of Hokkaidō which was strongly felt in Misawa and all of Aomori Prefecture. Damage to Misawa Air Base was limited to burst water mains, cosmetic cracks in walls and personal property damage. There were no reports of damage to the base runway. This was the strongest earthquake reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for 2003. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ... Hachinohe (八戸市; -shi) is a city located in Aomori, Japan. ...   literally North Sea Circuit, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is the second largest island and largest prefecture of Japan. ... Aomori Prefecture (青森県 Aomoriken or frequently Aomori-ken) is located in the Tōhoku Region of Japan. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ...

In recent years, Misawa Air Base and the Misawa Airport which connects directly to the base has experienced flight delays to both military and civilian aircraft. Since the base has only one runway, city planning officials and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have been researching new runway proposals to relieve the congestion a single, high traffic runway causes. Alpha and Bravo taxiways lay parallel to the runway and both are nearly the same length as the runway. Bravo taxiway has been the prime candidate for reconstruction into a second runway in recent years. Misawa Airport is an airport in Misawa, Aomori, Japan (IATA: MSJ, ICAO: RJSM). ... The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (国土交通省; Kokudo-kōtsū-shō) is one of ministries of the Japanese government. ...

Units

The 35th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Misawa Air Base. The wing flies two squadrons, the 13th (Panthers) and 14th (Fighting Samurai) FS, of the Block 50 model F-16CJ and F-16DJ Fighting Falcon. The wing conducts daily F-16 flight training to maintain its combat readiness edge. Its pilots fly air-to-air weapons delivery exercises over water and sharpen their air-to-ground skills using the Ripsaw Gunnery Range located 12 miles north of Misawa. The 35th Fighter Wing (35 FW) is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ...

Five groups are assigned to the 35th Fighter Wing: the 35th Maintenance Group, the 35th Logistics Group, 35th Medical Group, 35th Operations Group and 35th Support Group. The 35th Fighter Wing also serves as the host unit to a variety of associate units representing all four U.S. military services and those of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. These units include: The Japan Air Self-Defense Force ), or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. ...

• COMFARWESTPAC AIMD MISAWA U.S. NAVY
• Naval Air Facility Misawa (U.S. Navy)
  • Detachment VP
  • Detachment VP
• Navy Information Operations Command Misawa, formerly known as Naval Security Group Activity Misawa (USN)
• 301st Intelligence Squadron (USAF)
• 750th Military Intelligence Company (U.S. Army)
• JASDF Northern Air Defense Force Headquarters
• JASDF 3rd Air Wing.

The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Former Units

• 3rd Space Surveillance Squadron (USAF) (Ceased operations in 2001)
• Detachment 3, 18th Intelligence Squadron (USAF) (Ceased operations in 2001)
• Company E Marine Support Battalion (USMC) (Ceased operations in 2000)

United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ...

Education

The Department of Defense operates several schools that serve the children of the American military and civilian personnel stationed at the base [1].

• Cummings Elementary School home of the Swans
• Sollars Elementary School home of the Dragons
• Robert D. Edgren High School home of the Eagles [2]

Higher educational opportunities for those in the military and working for the Department of Defense, as well as for family members at Misawa are available through several contracted academic institutions. For example: [3]

• The Asian Division of University of Maryland University College (UMUC)

Other places

There are also places to go on Misawa Air base to relax and have fun. Such as:

• Cafe Mokuteki
• Lunney youth center (ages 5-13 only)
• Wasaka Teen center (13-19)
• Wamsley Bowling center
• The Tori Building
• Weasles Den

There are also buses called shuttle buses to transport people from one place to another if other transportation is not available. There is also a Inn to stay at on Main base until suitable housing is found.

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. ...

External links

• NIOC Misawa
• Misawa Air Base
• GlobalSecurity.org
• Misawa Airport Terminal Company (civilian passenger terminal)