Photo By Matthew Bradley | Helicopters and airplanes line the tarmac at Naval Air facility Misawa as aviation...... read more read more
NAVAL AIR FACILITY MISAWA, Japan – Naval Air Facility Misawa welcomed more than a dozen aircraft from Naval Air Facility Atsugi and Kadena Air Base, March 18, in support of Operation Tomodachi.
Operation Tomodachi (Japanese for “friendship”) involves 14 U.S. Navy ships, more than 100 aircraft and thousands of U.S. service members either assisting or prepared to assist the Japanese people.
SH-60 helicopters from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 14 (HS-14) and Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 51 (HSL-51), as well as P-3 aircraft from Patrol Squadron 4 (VP-4), and two C-2A Greyhound aircraft from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30, converged on this northern-Japan base.
The aircraft will conduct humanitarian assistance and search-and-rescue operations in Japan's tsunami-impacted areas.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that devastated Japan's eastern seaboard.
In total, 13 helicopters and airplanes, along with more than 500 relocated Sailors have repositioned to NAF Misawa almost doubling the base's Navy population.
The repositioning, according to Cmdr. Kevin Long, executive officer of Patrol Squadron 4, could not have come soon enough.
“This is where we need to be,” he said. “Being on site for longer periods of time will allow us to do a more thorough search. Transiting from Kadena to the devastated areas required a total of six hours en route, coming here will dramatically decrease that.”
Naval Air Facility Misawa Commanding Officer Capt. James D. Haugen said Navy Misawa is ready to support these squadrons and their mission.
"We're grateful for the opportunity to play a role in assisting the people of Japan," said Haugen. "The Japanese are our friends and neighbors and we are standing by to lend a hand in aiding them anyway we can."
For more news from Naval Air Facility Misawa, visit https://www.cnic.navy.mil/misawa/index.htm or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nafmisawa.
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2011 10:26 |
| Story ID: | 67290 |
| Location: | MISAWA, AOMORI, JP |
| Web Views: | 1,082 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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