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Kadena Air Base (嘉手納飛行場, Kadena Hikōjō
?), (IATA:
DNA, ICAO:
RODN) is a United States Air Force base
located in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in
Okinawa
Prefecture, Japan. Kadena
Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to
the USAF's 18th
Wing and a variety of associate units.
Units
The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena AB. In addition, the
base hosts associate units from five other Air Force major
commands, the United States Navy, and numerous
other Department of
Defense agencies and direct reporting units. Associate units
operate more than 20 permanently assigned, forward-based or
deployed aircraft from the base on a daily basis.
Associate units:
- 733rd Air Mobility Squadron
The more than 320 people of the 733rd Air Mobility Squadron manage
all passengers and cargo traveling by air in and out of Kadena.
This Air Mobility Command unit supports
about 650 aircraft arrivals and departures every month, moving more
than 12,000 passengers and nearly 3,000 tons of cargo.
- 82d Reconnaissance
Squadron
Air Combat
Command's 82d Reconnaissance Squadron maintains aircraft;
prepares combat-ready aircrews; and analyzes, processes, and
disseminates intelligence data launch in support of RC-135V/W Rivet
Joint, RC-135U Combat Sent and WC-135 Constant Phoenix missions
flown in the Pacific Theater. Of special value to the Pacific Command
and national command authorities, information obtained is used at
all levels of the Department of
Defense and within other government agencies. The squadron
works closely with the 390th Intelligence Squadron.
- 390th Intelligence Squadron
Air Intelligence Agency's 390th
Intelligence Squadron conducts information operations by providing
tailored combat intelligence and assessing the security of friendly
command, control, communication and computer systems to enhance
warfighting survivability, situation awareness and targeting.
- U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, assigned to the
94th AAMDC. This is a Patriot PAC-3 battalion. It consists of
four Patriot missile batteries (Alpha through Delta), a
maintenance company (Echo) and a headquarters battery (HHB).
Other units:
- 320th Special Tactics Squadron
- 1st Special Operations
Squadron
- 17th Special Operations Squadron
- 733rd Air Mobility Squadron
- Det 1, 554th Red Horse Squadron
- American Forces Network Detachment 11, AFNEWS
- Det 3, Pacaf Air Postal Squadron
- Det 3, United States Air Force School of Aerospace
Medicine
- Support Center Pacific, OO-ALC/Maly
- Det 3, Wr-Alc Air Force Petroleum Office
- Det 624, AF Office of Special investigations
- Det 233, Air Force Audit Agency
- Field Training Detachment Det 15, 372nd Training Squadron
- Defense Commissary Agency
- DoDDS Pacific Director's Office
- DoD Dependents Schools Pacific-Okinawa District
- U.S. Consulate Naha
- Marine Wing Liaison
Kadena
- Red Cross
- 18th Force Support Squadron
United
States Navy Use
The Korean War
emphasized the need for maintaining a naval presence in Okinawa. On
February 15, 1951, the US Naval Facility, Naha, was activated and
later became commissioned on April 18. Commander Fleet Activities,
Ryukyus was commissioned on March 8, 1957. On May 15, 1972, upon
reversion of Okinawa to Japanese administration, the two
organizations were combined to form Commander Fleet Activities,
Okinawa. With the relocations of Commander Fleet Activities,
Okinawa to Kadena Air Base on May 7, 1975, the title then became
Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa/US Naval Air Facility,
Kadena.
The mission of NAVCOMM Det Okinawa is to provide communications
support for SEVENTH Fleet and supporting units, U.S. Naval Forces
Japan, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, Defense Information Systems Agency
and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. The detachment has
four work centers: 1) TSCCOMM provides telecommunications support
for Patrol Wing ONE Det Kadena, deployed patrol squadrons and
Marine Wing Detachment; 2) CMS provides communications security
(COMSEC) materials and cryptographic equipment to Patrol Squadrons
and detachments, and to Commander Amphibious Group One/CTF76,
located at White Beach; 3) Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF)
Awase provides HF transmitter support to the fleet and area
commanders and LF transmitter support for submarines operating in
the Pacific and Indian Oceans; and 4) SURTASS supports command and
control functions to SURTASS ships operating in the Indian Ocean
and Western Pacific.
Notable
areas
- Main Street (The Tiki)
- Gate 2 Street
- Kadena Tarmac
- Kadena BX
- Schilling Community Center
- Airmans Club
- NCO Club
- Officers Club
- Jack’s Place Restaurant (originally Skoshi Kume)
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- Kadena
High School
- Kadena Middle School
- Kadena Elementary School
- Bob Hope Primary School
- Ryukyu Middle School
- Amelia Earhart Intermediate School
- Stearley Heights Elementary School
- The Asian Division of University of Maryland University College
(UMUC)[1]
- Kadena Bomb Dump
- Kadena Commisary
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History
Kadena Air Base's history dates back to just before the April 1,
1945, Battle
of Okinawa, when a local construction firm completed a small
airfield named Yara Hikojo near the island's
village of Kadena. The airfield, used by Imperial Japanese warplanes, was
one of the first targets of the Tenth United States Army 7th Infantry
Division and was seized from the Japanese by the United States.
Major commands to which
assigned
- Redesignated: Far East Air Force, January 1, 1947
- Redesignated: Pacific Air Forces, July 1, 1957
Major units
assigned
- (7th AF), July 2 – July 21, 1945
- 437th Bomb Squadron, July 2, 1945 – July 21, 1945
- 438th Bomb Squadron, July 3, 1945 – July 21, 1945
- 439th Bomb Squadron, July 2, 1945 – July 21, 1945
- 440th Bomb Squadron, July 2, 1945 – July 21, 1945
- (8th AF) August 5, 1945 – May 28, 1946
- 460th Bomb Squadron, August 5, 1945 – May 28, 1946
- 507th Bomb Squadron, August 5, 1945 – May 28, 1946
- 435th Bomb Squadron, August 5, 1945 – May 28, 1946
- 507th Bomb Squadron, August 5, 1945 – May 28, 1946
- (8th AF) August 7, 1945 – June 30, 1946
- 461st Bomb Squadron, August 13, 1945 – June 30, 1946
- 462d Bomb Squadron, August 13, 1945 – June 30, 1946
- 463d Bomb Squadron, August 13, 1945 – June 30, 1946
- 46th Troop Carrier Squadron, August 18, 1945 – September 21,
1945
- 1st Fighter Squadron, November 17,
1945 – January 29, 1946
- 34th Fighter Squadron, November
17, 1945 – January 29, 1946
- 21st Fighter Squadron, November
21, 1945 – January 29, 1946
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- 6th Bombardment Group, June 1,
1947 – October 18, 1948
- 71st Tactical Reconnaissance
Wing, August 18 – October 25, 1948
- 32d Composite
Wing, August 24, 1948 – April 1, 1949
- Thirteenth Air Force December 1,
1948 – May 16, 1949
- 6332d Composite Group April 1, 1949 – June 1, 1953
- 6332d Air Base Wing September 1, 1953 – May 1, 1955
- 19th Bombardment Group July 5, 1950 – June 1, 1953
- 19th
Bombardment Wing June 1, 1953 – June 5, 1954
- 18th Tactical Fighter Wing July 1, 1958 – October 1, 1991
- 18th Wing October 1,
1991 – Present
- 313th
Air Division March 1, 1955 – October 1, 1991
- Kadena Task Force (Provisional) May 1955 – May 1958
- 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
July 17, 1956 – August 1, 1957
- 6313th Air Base Wing September 1, 1957 – April 15, 1959
- 498th Tactical Missile
Group February 8, 1961 – July 8, 1965
- 824th Combat Support Group December 8, 1964 – September 30,
1974
- 4252nd Strategic Wing January 1965 – April 1970
- 376th Strategic Wing April
1, 1970 – October 1, 1991
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Operational
history
What the Americans captured was nothing more than a 4,600 foot
strip of badly-damaged coral runway. Army engineers from the
13th Combat Battalion, 7th U.S. Infantry
Division quickly made repairs and, by nightfall the
same day, the runway could accept emergency landings. Eight days
later, and after some six inches of coral were added, the airfield
was declared operational and put into immediate service by
artillery spotting aircraft when the runway became serviceable on
April 6. Additional construction was performed by the 807th
Engineering Aviation Battalion to improve the airfield for
USAAF
fighter and bomber use with fuel tank farms, a new 6,500-ft
bituminous runway, and a 7,500-ft runway for bomber aircraft by
August.
Kadena airfield was initially under the control of Seventh Air
Force, however on July 16, 1945, Headquarters Eighth Air
Force was transferred, without personnel, equipment, or combat
elements to the town of Sakugawa, near Kadena from RAF High
Wycombe England. Upon
reassignment, its headquarters element absorbed the command staff
of the inactivated XX Bomber Command. Kadena was used by
the headquarters staff for administrative flying requirements.
Upon its reassignment to the Pacific Theater, Eighth Air Force
was assigned to the U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces with a mission
to train new B-29 Superfortress bomber groups
arriving from the United States for combat missions against Japan. In the planned invasion of
Japan, the mission of Eighth Air Force would be to conduct
strategic bombing raids from Okinawa. However, the atomic bombings
of Japan led to the Japanese surrender before Eighth Air Force
saw action in the Pacific
theater.
The surrender of Japanese forces in the Ryukyu Islands
came on September 7. General Joseph Stilwell accepted the surrender
in an area that would later become Kadena's Stearley Heights
housing area.
Known World War II units assigned to Kadena were:
- 317th Troop Carrier Group
(August–September 1945) (C-46, C-47)
Assigned to Seventh Air Force in the Philippines.
Deployed aircraft to Kadena and flew courier and passenger routes
to Japan, Guam, Korea, and the Philippines, and transported
freight and personnel in the area.
- 333d Bombardment Group (Very
Heavy) (August 1945 – May 1946) (B-29)
Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion
of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter
combat. For a time after the war the group ferried Allied prisoners
of war from Japan to the Philippine Islands. Inactivated May
1946.
- 346th Bombardment Group (Very
Heavy) (August 1945 – June 1946) (B-29)
Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion
of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter
combat. After the war the group participated in several
show-of-force missions over Japan and for a time ferried Allied
prisoners of war from Okinawa to the Philippine Islands.
Inactivated June 1946.
- 316th
Bombardment Wing (September 1945 – June 1948)
Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion
of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter
combat. Reassigned to U.S. Far East Air Forces January 1946.
Redesignated as 316th Composite Wing in January
1946, and 316th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in
May 1946. Inactivated June 1948.
On June 7, 1946, Headquarters Eighth Air Force moved without
personnel or equipment to MacDill AAF, Florida. It was replaced by the
1st Air Division which
directed fighter reconnaissance, and bomber organizations and
provided air defense for the Ryukyu Islands until December
1948.
Twentieth Air Force became the
command and control organization for Kadena on May 16, 1949.
Postwar Years and the Korean
War
Twentieth Air Force was inactivated
in March 1955. Fifth Air Force became the command and
control organization for Kadena. Known major postwar USAAF/USAF
units assigned to Kadena have been:
- 6th Bombardment Group (Very
Heavy) (June 1947 – October 1948) (B-29)
Participated in show-of-force flights over Japan and dropped food
and other relief supplies to newly freed Allied prisoners of war.
Inactivated October 1948.
- 71st Tactical Reconnaissance
Wing (August 1948 – October 1948) (F-5, F-6, RF-51,
RF-61)
Equipped with reconnaissance aircraft, flew aerial photographing
missions over Japan and southern Korea. Inactivated October 1948.
The 71st Air Base Group Provided base host unit
support for organizations assigned to Kadena.
- 32d Composite
Wing (August 1948 – April 1949) (RB/SB-17G, C-46,
RB/SB-29)
Replaced 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. Provided photographic
reconnaissance and search and rescue support. The 32d Air
Base Group Provided base host unit support for
organizations assigned to Kadena.
- 6332d Air Base Group (April 1949 – January
1950)
6332d Air Base Wing (January 1950 – May
1955)
6313th Air Base Wing (October 1957 – December
1964)
Provided base host unit support for organizations assigned to
Kadena.
- 22d Bombardment Group
(Medium) (July 1950 – October 1950) (B-29)
Deployed from March AFB, California. Flew combat missions over North
Korea and attacked enemy marshalling yards, bridges, highways,
airfields, and industries and supported United Nations ground
forces.
- 581st Air
Resupply Group (September 1953 – September 1956)
(B-29)
reassigned from the inactivating 581st Air Resupply and
Communications Wing at Clark AB, Philippines. Performed unconventional
warfare and counterinsurgency psychological operations. Deactivated
and mission transferred to U.S. Navy.
18th Wing
Since November 1954, the 18th Wing under various designations
has been the main United States Air Force operational unit at
Kadena. Over the past 50 years, the 18th has maintained assigned
aircraft, crews, and supporting personnel in a high state of
readiness for tactical air requirements of Fifth Air Force
and the Pacific Air Forces.
The 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to
Kadena from Osan-ni AB (K-55), South Korea on November 1, 1954, flying
three squadrons (12th, 44th and 67th Fighter
Squadrons) of North American F-86 Sabres. Initially the
wing supported tactical fighter operations in Okinawa, as well as
in South Korea, Japan, Formosa, and the Philippines with
frequent deployments. In 1957, the wing upgraded to the North American
F-100 Super Sabre and the designation was changed to the
18th Tactical Fighter Wing. In 1960, a tactical
reconnaissance mission was added to the wing with the arrival of
the McDonnell RF-101
Voodoo and the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron.
On June 30, 1959 an F-100 from the wing crashed on Okinawa during
a training flight after suffering an engine fire. The pilot
successfully ejected and suffered no harm, but the aircraft crashed
into a local elementary school, killing 11 students plus six
residents of the nearby neighborhood.[2]
Beginning in 1961, the 18th was sending its tactical squadrons
frequently to South
Vietnam and Thailand,
initially with its RF-101 reconnaissance forces, and beginning in
1964 with its tactical fighter forces supporting USAF combat
missions in the Vietnam
War. In 1963, the Republic F-105 Thunderchief replaced the
Super Sabres. During the TDY deployments to Southeast Asia, the
12th TFS lost four aircraft, the 44th TFS lost one F-105D, and the
67th TFS lost nine aircraft, including three on the first day of
the Rolling Thunder operations. Aircraft markings on natural
metal/silver F-105D/F aircraft included a PACAF badge on both sides
of the vertical fin, and a coloured band around the nose directly
behind the radome. The deployments to Southeast Asia continued
until the end of United States involvement in the conflict.
The McDonnell
Douglas RF-4C Phantom II replaced the RF-101 in the
reconnaissance role in 1967 An electronic warfare capability was
added to the wing in late 1968 with the attachment of the
19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron from Shaw AFB
South Carolina
flying the Douglas
EB-66 Destroyer. The B-66s remained until 1970, flying daily
over the skies of Southeast Asia.
During the 1968 Pueblo crisis, the 18th
deployed between January and June to Osan Air Base, South Korea following the
North Korean seizure of the vessel. Frequent deployments to South
Korea have been performed ever since to maintain the air defense
alert mission there. The McDonnell Douglas F/RF-4C Phantom II
replaced the F-105s in 1971, and a further upgrade to the McDonnell Douglas
F-15 Eagle was made in 1979.
In 1972, the 1st Special Operations Squadron
was assigned, bringing their specialized Lockheed C/MC-130 Hercules
aircraft to the wing. The squadron was reassigned in 1978. The
reconnaissance mission ended in 1989 with the retirement of the
RF-4Cs, and the deactivation of the 15th TRS.
The designation of the wing changed on October 1, 1991 to the
18th Wing with the implementation of the Objective
Wing concept. With the objective wing, the mission of the 18th
expanded to the Composite Air Wing concept of
multiple different wing missions with different aircraft. The
mission of the 18th was expanded to include aerial refueling with
Boeing KC-135
Stratotanker tanker aircraft; and surveillance, warning,
command and control Boeing
E-3 Sentry, and communications. Added airlift mission in June
1992 with the Beech C-12
Huron, transporting mission critical personnel, high-priority
cargo and distinguished visitors. In February 1993, the 18th Wing
gained responsibility for coordinating rescue operations in the Western Pacific and
Indian Ocean.
BRAC 2005
In November 2006, the U.S. Army's 1-1 ADA Battalion, a Patriot PAC-III unit, deployed to
Kadena from Fort Bliss
Texas[3].
They are assigned to the 94th AAMDC, PACOM, they were assigned to 31st ADA Brigade at
Fort Bliss. The move was part of the BRAC consolidation of U.S.
Army bases and security agreements between the U.S. and Japan. The
battalion's mission is to defend the base against tactical
ballistic missiles from North Korea. The deployment was
controversial in Okinawa. The unit was greeted by
protests.[4]
Other
Units
Other major units assigned to Kadena since 1954 have been:
- 313th Air Division (March 1955 – October
1991)
Assumed responsibility for air defense of the Ryukyu Islands
and tactical operations in the Far East, maintaining assigned
forces at the highest possible degree of combat readiness. In
addition, it supported Fifth Air Force in the development,
planning, and coordination of requirements for future Air Force
operations in the Ryukyu Islands. The division also supported
numerous exercises such as Cope Thunder, Cope Diamond, Team Spirit,
and Cope North. Provided base host unit support for organizations
assigned to Kadena (May 1955 – October 1957, December 1964 –
October 1974). The Air Division was incorporated into the 18th
Composite Wing in 1991.
- Kadena Task Force (Provisional) (SAC) (May
1955 – May 1958) (RB/ERB-47H)
Performed Electronic Reconnaissance and Countermeasures
activities.
- 498th Tactical Missile Group (February 1961 –
October 1969) (TM-76B / CGM-13B)
Equipped with the TM-76B, renumbered in 1963 to CGM-13B Mace guided
cruise missile, four hard site launch sites.
- 4252nd Strategic Wing (SAC) (January 1965 –
April 1970)
376th Strategic
Wing (SAC) (April 1970 – August 1973) (B-52, KC-135,
EC-135)
Activated by Strategic Air Command at Kadena.
Replaced 4252nd Strategic Wing. Conducted B-52 combat operations in Southeast Asia
from January 1965 to September 1970, when Arc Light Missions from the base were
terminated. Conducted KC-135 air refueling and EC-135 electronic
reconnaissance from April 1970 to April 1973. Conducted airborne
radio relay operations, April–November 1970, February–June 1971 and
March 1972 – August 1973. Until 1991, the wing controlled the 909th
Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135A/Q/R) and supported rotational
reconnaissance aircraft (TR-1, SR-71) after the deactivation of the
9th SRW in 1974. The Wing was deactivated at Kadena on October 30,
1991 with the drawdown of strategic forces. Its mission was
absorbed by the host 18th Wing.
- 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SAC)
(1968–1974) (A-12, SR-71)
Deployed from Beale Air Force Base, California, Performed
strategic reconnaissance over Southeast Asian enemy territory (North Vietnam, Laos). The SR-71s averaged
approximately one sortie a week for nearly two years. By 1970, the
SR-71s were averaging two sorties per week. By 1972, the Blackbird
was flying nearly one sortie every day. While deployed in Okinawa,
the SR-71s and their aircrew members gained the nickname Habu (as did the A-12s preceding
them) after a southeast Asian pit viper which the Okinawans thought
the plane resembled.
Beacon
| Name |
type |
Call sign |
Frequency |
Operating time |
| Kadena |
VOR |
KAD |
112.000 |
24hour |
| TACAN |
- |
1018.000 |
- The U.S. air force takes charge of maintenance.
See also
Notes
References
This article incorporates public
domain material from the United States
Government document "18th Wing Public Affairs
Office's and 18th Wing secure socketed Wing Staff page".
- Fletcher, Harry R. (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air
Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September
1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN
0912799536
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II.
Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN
0892010924.
- Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF
Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation
History. ISBN 0887405134.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage
and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air
Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations
Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN
1-85780-197-0.
External links and
references
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Bases
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Units
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Divisions
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Air
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Strategic Aerospace
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Strategic Missile
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USAAF
Groups
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Bombardment
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Fighter
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Reconnaissance
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Major weapon
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Bombers
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Command
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Fighters
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Missiles
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Reconnaissance
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Tankers
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Transport
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