Damage from a May 2, 2024, fire remains visible at the headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on May 21, 2024. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The workforces for three top-tier commands in Japan are working from alternate locations more than three weeks after a fire forced them to vacate their headquarters building at this airlift hub in western Tokyo.
The building on Davis Street that serves as headquarters for U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the United Nations Command Rear was damaged May 2 when a fire broke out on the second floor. The building has been mostly empty since then.
“Out of an abundance of caution for health and safety, personnel are working from alternate locations until an assessment of the facility is complete,” Master Sgt. Nathaniel Allen, spokesman for Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing, said by email Tuesday.
Agencies within the 374th Airlift Wing are testing and cleaning the building to ensure a safe return, Allen said in a follow-up email Friday.
“Since the fire, agencies are carefully evaluating the spread of smoke and other contaminants within the building,” he said without identifying the contaminants.
The timeline to return staff to the building will be based on test results and actions that need to be taken in response to them, he said. Allen said the blaze was accidental but did not state the cause.
“There is no evidence suggesting negligence or malicious intent in relation to this incident,” he said.
Blackened exterior walls indicate the fire began on the 5th Air Force side of the building.
“Due to the rapid response from emergency first responders, spread of the fire was minimal and the direct impact was contained to the northeast corner of the second floor where it originated,” Allen said.
The 5th Air Force is charged with supporting the defense of Japan and advancing U.S. interests and broader Indo-Pacific security through bilateral air, space and cyber cooperation.
U.N. Command Rear, a subordinate of South Korea-based U.N. Command, would help push reinforcements to the peninsula through Japanese ports in an emergency. It facilitates the missions of warships and aircraft that monitor North Korea’s efforts to evade U.N. sanctions.
The command includes U.S., Australian and Canadian servicemembers, Allen said.
The history of the 5th Air Force’s World War II and Korean War exploits features prominently throughout the headquarters building, which is off-limits to most personnel on Yokota.
There are trophies and awards won by members of 5th Air Force, patches that flew in the space shuttle Atlantis and medals worn by Col. Paul Irvin “Pappy” Gunn, a former naval aviator who flew for 5th Air Force in the Philippines during World War II.
Once staff returns to the facility in force, a full review of memorabilia will be assessed, Allen said.
USFJ serves as a liaison between the U.S. military throughout the country and the government of Japan.
The head of USFJ, Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, is a dual-hatted commander also in charge of 5th Air Force, which has authority over 15,000 airmen at three Air Force wings in Japan: the 374th at Yokota, the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa in northeastern Japan and the 18th Wing at Kadena on Okinawa.
The mission of USFJ and 5th Air Force continues despite the dispersed workforce, Allen said. Multiple systems and procedures allow operations to continue in the event of an emergency or conflict that affects the base, he said.
