Photo By Staff Sgt. Natalie Doan | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Taylor, 459th Airlift Squadron special mission...... read more read more
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Members of the 374th Airlift Wing and the Japan Self-Defense Force gathered in a hangar for a ceremony hosted by the wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Sept. 5, 2025, to witness the final flight of the UH-1N Huey at the installation and commemorate the aircraft’s retirement from the 459th Airlift Squadron.
During the ceremony, Senior Airman Kayli Rodriguez, 459th AS instructor flight engineer, spoke to over 100 attendees about the history of the UH-1N, specifically highlighting tail number 69-6614. She traced the aircraft’s service from the Vietnam War to the present, reflecting on its legacy in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Tail one-four is a blast from the past,” said Rodriguez. “It is a symbol of resiliency and the ever-evolving world around us, yet it remains the same and just as reliable as the day it became operational.”
Since the UH-1N’s arrival at Yokota in 1980, the aircraft has supported a wide range of missions across the region, including aeromedical evacuations and the transport of senior government officials. It also played a critical role in Operation Tomodachi following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, conducting reconnaissance flights and low-level radiation mapping in the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant disaster.
Lt. Col. Samuel Shamburg, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force executive officer to the commander, served as a UH-1N pilot during the Tomodachi mission.
“Flying over Fukushima after the earthquake and tsunami was a really heartfelt moment,” said Shamburg. “Just seeing all the damage — you could only assume people’s lives had been completely wrecked. It really hit you hard. It made you want to help in every way possible, and the 12-, 16-, even 20-hour days became easier, because you knew there were people facing a much harder situation than you were, especially after seeing the extent of the devastation.”
Although the 459th AS is retiring the Huey from Yokota, the aircraft will continue operating in the United States in support of Air Force Global Strike Command. The UH-1N training schoolhouse at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, also remains open to prepare incoming and future aircrews.
For Rodriguez, who will soon begin an instructor assignment at Kirtland, that means the Huey will remain a part of her career.
“Thankfully, I don’t have to say goodbye to the UH-1N altogether,” she said. “I’ll still be flying Hueys in the States, teaching the next generation of Huey flight engineers.”
Closing the ceremony, Lt. Col. Thomas Nolta, 459th AS commander, reflected on the impact of both the aircraft and the Airmen who operated it.
“As has been said before, the Hueys at Yokota had an understated mission, which the Centaurs of the 459th executed with unassuming, quiet professionalism,” said Nolta. “And yet, not unlike the aircraft itself, their consistent success and outsized impact spoke louder than words. They provided unmatched agility to strategic decision-making and rescued service members and their families at their most vulnerable.”
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2025 02:30 |
| Story ID: | 548122 |
| Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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