Photo By Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell | A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II, assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron, takes off...... read more read more
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MATSUSHIMA AIR BASE, Japan. – During exercise Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025, U.S. Forces worked with Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) airmen at Matsushima Air Base, Japan, to demonstrate the power of integrated operations and bilateral readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
This marked the first time the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs from the 421st Fighter Squadron (FS) conducted flight operations from Matsushima. The JASDF and U.S. forces provided fuel support - enabling quick-turn airpower operations in a simulated contested environment.
“This massive effort with both U.S. and Japanese forces helped us to practice while working together in stressful situations,” said Capt. Trey Elletson, 35th Air Expeditionary Wing Base Operating Support–Integration lead. “With Japan’s support, we have even more effective strategies to withstand an attack at home base, spread out, and then respond to threats against our allies in this region. Matsushima is just one of the locations we tested during REFORPAC, and the success of this fighter integration proved our collective ability to defend Japan during a real-world contingency.”
Throughout REFORPAC, 421st Fighter Generation Squadron (FGS) and 721st Crisis Response Team (CRT) Airmen unloaded critical cargo from Misawa Air Base to support the site’s contingency response footprint. The 721st CRT also provided command and control, communications, and sustainment support, enabling the location to function as a forward-operating spoke.
“We’ve trained for this kind of mobility, but REFORPAC was the real proving ground,” said Airman 1st Class Jacob Olin, a 421st FGS F-35 Lightning II crew chief. “We brought in gear, established connectivity, and sustained ops in an unfamiliar location—all while coordinating with our JASDF counterparts.”
Outside of direct mission sets, U.S. and Japanese personnel further strengthened ties through cultural and morale engagements, including a bilateral immersion tour hosted by JASDF, a beach cleanup involving local civilians, and a shared barbeque.
The Department Level Exercise REFORPAC 2025, the Air Force’s largest-ever Pacific contingency exercise, involves nearly 400 aircraft across 50 locations and is designed to push U.S. and partner forces into realistic scenarios simulating degraded logistics, dispersed basing, and contested environments. The Matsushima spoke tested rapid maneuvering, multinational refueling, and combined command and control under dynamic conditions.
As regional security challenges evolve, exercises like REFORPAC ensure U.S. and allied forces remain agile, connected, and ready to respond together—anytime, anywhere.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2025 18:27 |
| Story ID: | 544727 |
| Location: | MATSUSHIMA, MIYAGI, MIYAGI, JP |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S., JASDF Forces keep Lightning engaged in REFORPAC 2025, by A1C Koby Mitchell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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