US, Japanese athletes gather for Special Olympics at Air Force base in Tokyo

About 100 young athletes from across Japan gathered at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo over the weekend for the 45th Kanto Plains Special Olympics.

129th Rescue Wing saves Air Force veteran who experienced stroke-like symptoms on fishing trip

A team from California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing successfully saved a U.S. Air Force veteran who experienced stroke-like symptoms during a chartered fishing trip off the coast of San Diego early Friday morning.

Cherry blossom trees are being cut down for safety reasons at airlift hub in western Tokyo

Several of the iconic cherry blossom trees that make this airlift hub in western Tokyo a popular spot to visit during each spring have gone missing. 

Coral and oyster constructs to shield bases in Florida and Hawaii

A Pentagon agency that pioneered such technologies as four-legged robots is now giving rise to reefs made with coral and oyster colonies that it hopes will soon protect coastal military bases from deadly storm surges.

Utah-based F-35A stealth fighters arrive for rotational duty on Okinawa

Another contingent of stealth fighters has landed at Kadena Air Base as part of a temporary plan to fill in for retiring F-15 Eagles.

US, South Korean military drones carry out unprecedented live-fire training

Unmanned aerial vehicles from the United States and South Korea recently teamed up to improve their combat effectiveness via first-of-their-kind live-fire drills.

Italian AAFES workers plan walkout in protest of job cuts at US base in Aviano

Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees have the legal right to either show up on the job or walk out. Employees won’t notify supervisors of their choice until Monday, leaving AAFES in the dark about which areas of its operations will be affected and to what extent.

Okinawa left with no shortage of surveillance drones following Tritons’ departure

A pair of Navy surveillance drones has left Okinawa after working from the island for five months, but even with their departure, drones will continue to fly from Kadena Air Base courtesy of ongoing Air Force and Marine Corps deployments.

Air Force wasted nearly $1 million in overpay for C-17 soap dispensers and other items, IG says

The findings reveal procurement missteps that allowed Boeing to overcharge for various components of the C-17 Globemaster III. The Air Force paid over 80 times more than it should have for soap dispensers on the cargo planes, a significant part of nearly $1 million in wasteful spending.

Boeing is looking to jettison the space business. Why it might hold on to its Los Angeles satellite operation

The El Segundo, Ca., satellite plant makes large satellites for commercial, government and military customers. In 2018 Boeing acquired Millennium Space Systems, which is also based in El Segundo and has received defense contracts for satellites to detect new threats such as hypersonic missiles.

Another stateside F-16 squadron wraps up a fighter rotation on Okinawa

A squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcons recently became the latest to complete a fighter rotation on Okinawa as Kadena Air Base awaits a permanent contingent of advanced aircraft.

No NDA mandate on ‘privileged’ safety briefs for Air Force maintainers

Air Force aircraft maintainers are not required to sign nondisclosure agreements, but those who don’t sign them cannot hear quarterly, confidential briefs on aircraft mishaps and will not be privy to information that could help prevent further mishaps.

Ramstein provides ‘soft landing’ for US military spouses with unique Air Force hub

The Military Family Readiness Center spouse hub is the first facility of its kind in the Air Force. Among other things, it provides a venue for spouses to explore career advancements and to build lasting relationships.

Okinawa court hears final arguments in sexual assault case against US airman

A US airman should serve seven years for sexually assaulting an underage girl on Okinawa in December, a Japanese prosecutor argued.

Revised plan for Guam missile defense trims network sites by 6

A missile-defense system proposed for Guam has been narrowed down to 16 sites from 22, according to a draft environmental impact statement.

Air National Guard master sergeant hangs tough on ‘The Summit’ reality show

Straining to conquer a peak in the snowcapped Southern Alps of New Zealand with 16 strangers and $1 million at stake, Master Sgt. Ladeania Jackson felt right at home.

English speech therapist branches out to serve military families in western Tokyo

A company that provides hard-to-find English speech therapy services across Japan plans to open a clinic near Yokota Air Base.

Base commander shutters Burger King in Japan for ‘unsatisfactory health conditions’

The wing commander at this airlift hub in western Tokyo closed the on-base Burger King on Monday following “allegations of unsatisfactory health conditions.”

The F-35, world’s costliest weapons program, failed to hit readiness marks for 6 years, GAO says

All versions of the F-35, the world’s costliest weapons program, have failed to meet minimum combat readiness rates for six straight years, according to the watchdog agency for Congress.