Photo By Senior Airman Mason Hargrove | Mrs. Melissa Conley, right, spouse of U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Conley, commander...... read more read more
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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Conley, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, his spouse, and U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Courtney Freeman, command chief of AFSOC, visited Okinawa, Japan, June 23-24, 2026, to engage with 18th Wing and 353rd Special Operations Wing leaders and Airmen. The visit highlighted Kadena’s role as the Keystone of the Pacific and the 353rd SOW’s ability to project special operations airpower across the region with support from the 18th Wing and joint partners.
“AFSOC’s ability to operate in this theater depends on forward-stationed Air Commandos who understand the region, the mission and the partners they support,” Conley said. “Kadena gives us a critical position to generate specialized airpower when and where it is needed.”
Throughout the immersion, Conley and Freeman received mission briefs, discussed day-to-day operational challenges with Airmen and recognized several members for their contributions to the mission.
The command team visited mission areas across Okinawa that support AFSOC operations, including Kadena’s air traffic control tower, Joint Special Operations Task Force-FIC at Camp Foster, the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the 1st Special Operations Squadron, the 320th Special Tactics Squadron and the Special Operations Command and Control Squadron.
During the visit, Melissa Conley, spouse of Lt. Gen. Mike Conley, also met with Airmen, families and installation support personnel to learn about quality-of-life and resilience programs at Kadena. She participated in an Integrated Resilience Operations Network lunch and workshop, highlighting how family support, community connection and installation resources contribute to the resilience of forward-stationed forces.
“Our advantage starts with our people,” said Col. Stewart Parker, 353rd Special Operations Wing commander. “The Airmen at Kadena are solving complex problems every day while operating in one of the most strategically important regions in the world.”
The visit underscored how Kadena’s Airmen, mission areas, family support systems and joint relationships enable AFSOC to sustain forward-stationed special operations capabilities and respond to operational demands across the Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2026 21:32 |
| Story ID: | 568985 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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