YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Twenty-nine Airmen from the 194th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 194th Force Support Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, enhanced combat readiness by integrating with active-duty counterparts during Exercise BEVERLY MIDNIGHT 2026 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 9-16.
BM26 was the first exercise of its kind in Japan, merging annual exercises at Misawa, Yokota and Kadena Air Bases into a single event designed to strengthen interoperability, command and control and readiness.
For the 194th Wing, the exercise provided high-tempo, real-world experience they simply cannot replicate at home.
“This whole thing is more than just the exercise,” said Maj. LeRoi Edwards, 194th LRS commander, WAANG. “Yokota is where stuff happens. This is where our squadron and our functions can get the sets and reps at a volume of work that we just can’t get at home.”
Within 48 hours of arrival, the 194th team was fully integrated into the 374th LRS and FSS supporting 24/7 operations. The 194th served as follow-on forces, replicating the reserve components’ role during a real-world time-phased force deployment.
“Day one, we had our in-brief,” said Lt. Col. Jae Kim, 374th LRS commander. “There was no delay in operations. The 194th integrated seamlessly.”
The 194th LRS augmented the exercise across four functions: logistics plans, individual protective equipment, vehicle management, and cargo and passenger deployment functions. The 194th FSS augmented two functions: the unit control center and the mortuary affairs processing center.
For 194th Wing Airmen, BM26 was an opportunity to validate their training while also stepping into roles they do not typically perform — in a much larger and far more demanding operational environment than they experience at home. With operations on a much larger and more demanding scale, the integrated 194th and 374th teams delivered impressive results.
The LRS deployed 443.8 tons of cargo, 13 bundles for airdrops and 118 personnel; issued 2,909 Joint First Aid Kits; completed 53 vehicle maintenance actions and 13 limited technical inspections; and conducted 440 ground transportation runs — all while simultaneously completing real-world taskings.
Though their contributions weren’t measured in cargo tonnage or maintenance actions, the FSS’ work in the unit control center and mortuary affairs processing center was vital to ensure accountability and personnel tracking.
The 194th LRS and FSS’ support didn’t go unnoticed by their active-duty counterparts.
“Your team helped with all of this and made it all possible,” said Kim. “Integrating with us really helped us make sure that we can successfully go through the exercise, participate in this exercise and train, but also actually do real world requirements.”
Kim emphasized that the support from the 194th Wing Airmen mirrored the mindset they brought from the moment they arrived.
“The 194th came with the mindset of actually training with us and taking this seriously,” said Kim. “The Airmen were very motivated to help where they could. They were asking for more. They were asking, ‘Hey, how can I help out? What can I do?’ Having that mindset from the beginning really helped us set the tone and the stage for what we went through.”
Though small in number, the 29-person 194th Wing team had an impact. They return to Camp Murray with skills validated, new experience gained, and tactics, techniques, and procedures refined. Their efforts make them more lethal and combat-ready.
“I am so proud that we were able to just hit the ground running,” said Edwards. “We asked them to do hard things. They said absolutely, and then they were able to integrate and did not miss a beat.”