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The following table is posting and translation from (Kadena airfield)(Jan.21.2007 12:42) {Link without Title} . -->
Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base located immediately adjacent to and SE of the town of Kadena, 1 mi S of Koza, and 12 mi NNE of Naha , in Okinawa Prefecture , Japan . Kadena Air Base is the hub of airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's ''' 18th Wing ''' and a variety of associate units. 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.
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. 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
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 . 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. 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 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. Known World War II units assigned to Kadena were:
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. Twentieth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena on May 16, 1949. 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:
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 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 (later Taiwan), 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'''. 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. 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. 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 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 . BRAC 2005 In November 2006, the U.S. Army's 1-1 ADA , 2006 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. OTHER UNITS Other major units assigned to Kadena since 1954 have been:
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. BEACON
: The U.S. air force takes charge of maintenance. SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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