More than 125 airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Group at Kadena AB, Japan, worked to clean up the base after a slow-moving typhoon ripped through the island last week. The tropical storm hit Okinawa on Aug. 4 and lasted through the morning of Aug. 6, requiring all military personnel to stay inside their homes for nearly 60 hours. “I couldn’t be more proud of the 18th CEG team and their can-do attitude,” said Maj. Justin Morrison, the 18th CEG Operations flight commander, in a release. “The base was back to full operation quickly following the storm.” Kadena received 42.19 inches of rainfall during the typhoon, the second highest amount of rainfall recorded, according to a base release. The storm also caused about $1 million in damages to homes, vehicles, and other property.
The Space Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request includes about $2.5 billion for commercial services like satellite communications and off-the-shelf capabilities, but officials say commercial components and technology are embedded throughout programs, making the true allocation much higher.