Typhoon Chaba has brought an abrupt end to a base-wide exercise at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Airmen were several days into the week-long Exercise Beverly High 11-1 earlier this week when Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Kadena’s 18th Wing, ordered a halt to the exercise to assume a heightened state of readiness for the approaching storm, which weather officials expected to pass to the east of Okinawa, within 50 miles of the base. “While the exercise was important to ensure readiness, it shouldn’t compromise safety,” explained Wilsbach. Kadena officials anticipated sustained winds up to 65 miles per hour during a 48-hour period running through Thursday, with the worst of the storm’s effects reaching the base on Friday. In the meantime, airmen are stockpiling reserves and securing the base. (Kadena report by TSgt. Jason Lake)
As the Air Force readied for its June 21-22 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the service was also putting its Agile Combat Employment strategy into action, dispersing combat aircraft and Airmen from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in preparation for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack. Some defense experts say…
