Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness visits Yokota

Photo By Machiko Arita | A member of Yokota community asks Gilbert Cisneros Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, left, and Seileen Mullen, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, a question during a town hall at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Jan. 30, 2023. Cisneros and Mullen participated in the town hall to have a direct line of communication with the Yokota community. The event was hosted and moderated by Col Andrew Roddan, 374th AW commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Machiko Arita)  

FUSSA, TOKYO, JAPAN

02.01.2023

Story by Machiko Arita 

374th Airlift Wing

The Honorable Gilbert Cisneros Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, accompanied by Seileen Mullen, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, visited Yokota Air Base, Jan. 30, 2023 as part of a U.S. Forces Japan tour.

As the Under Secretary, Cisneros serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense for force readiness, force management, health affairs, National Guard and Reserve component affairs, education and training, and military and civilian personnel requirements and management.

This role includes direct influence on equal opportunity, morale, welfare, recreation, and quality of life matters.

While at Yokota, he met with USFJ, 5th Air Force, and 374th Airlift Wing leadership to discuss military and family readiness matters such as healthcare access, commissaries, housing, allowances, personnel issues, and education activity for military-connected children.

“We’re here to listen to you, to hear you,” said Cisneros.

Cisneros and Mullen spoke in an open town hall for the Yokota community, hosted and moderated by Col Andrew Roddan, 374th AW commander.

“This whole day today we’ve been hearing from the chain of command some of the challenges that are here in Japan, that are specific to Japan,” said Cisneros. “Now, I want to have this opportunity to hear from you directly how we can make things better, how we can continue to serve you all, and make sure that we’re taking care of our total force.”

The duo is scheduled to hold similar town halls at four other U.S. military installations in Japan with a mission to take back what they heard from the community and work to make improvements.

• Date Taken: 02.01.2023
• Date Posted: 02.01.2023 00:21
• Story ID: 437590
• Location: FUSSA, TOKYO, JP