Story by Senior Airman Melany Bermudez | 18th Wing | 07.09.2025
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, 18th Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief, flew their final sortie with the 33rd and 31st Rescue Squadrons on July 9, 2025, marking the end of their leadership at Kadena. To commemorate his time at Kadena and honor the combat search and rescue mission in the Indo-Pacific, Evans chose to pilot an HH-60W Jolly......
Story by Senior Airman James Johnson | 18th Wing | 06.25.2025
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 33rd and 31st Rescue Squadrons partnered with Japan Air Self-Defense Force members from the Naha Air Rescue Squadron for exercise Cope Angel 25-1, June 23-27, 2025 at Kadena and Naha Air Bases. Cope Angel is the 33rd RQS’s primary, annual bilateral personnel recovery exercise with Naha Air Rescue Squadron, designed to......
Story by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell | 18th Wing | 09.25.2019
The 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, train, plan and execute every day to ensure they have what it takes to help when someone’s life is on the line....
Story by Sgt. Laura Gauna and Staff Sgt. Jesse Stence | III Marine Expeditionary Force | 02.16.2017
KADENA AIR FORCE BASE, Okinawa, Japan -- The minute combat rescue Airmen heard about what appeared to be the beginning of a disaster, they took action. An MV-22 Osprey made a forced landing off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 13, while conducting an aerial refueling operation at night....
Story by 1st Lt. Brianna French | III Marine Expeditionary Force | 12.14.2016
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, Okinawa, Japan – The Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force, Lt Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, held a press conference here following the landing of an MV-22 Osprey in the shallow waters off the coast of Okinawa....
Story by Airman 1st Class Corey Pettis | 18th Wing | 11.15.2016
U.S. and Japan Air Self-Defense Force Rescue Squadrons participated in Exercise Keen Sword 17, which started Oct. 30. Keen Sword is the largest joint, bilateral field training exercise between the U.S. military and the Japan Self-Defense Force and involves U.S. forces and the JSDF from all components of both militaries....
Story by Senior Airman Omari Bernard | 18th Wing | 11.07.2016
Imagine the shell of a classic car. Each door is taken off and every part of the interior removed. Each part of the vehicle endures cataloging and inspection before the vehicle comes back together restored. Just like that classic car, every time an HH-60G Pavehawk reaches 600 flight hours at Kadena Air Base, it has to be dismantled, inspected and then put back together to keep it in pristine......
Story by Airman 1st Class Hailey Staker | 18th Wing | 11.12.2012
It’s a cool November morning on Okinawa, Japan, and as the rest of the Island stirs around them, it seems as though time stands still as airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and even veterans from wars long ago gather for a ceremony at the 18th Wing headquarters building to observe Veterans Day, Nov. 12....
