Photo By Senior Airman Cesar Navarro | U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, front-left, Pacific Air Forces commander, laughs...... read more read more
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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) commander, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe, PACAF command chief, visited Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 3 - 4, 2021.
The visit provided Wilsbach and Wolfe an opportunity to familiarize themselves with Team Kadena’s contributions to the PACAF mission, and to brief Airmen on their role to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
During the visit Wilsbach met with Japan Air Self-Defense Force Lt. Gen. Yoshinori Ozaki, Southwestern Air Defense Force commander, and U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David S. Eaglin, 18th Wing commander, to discuss bilateral cooperation amid an increasingly challenging security environment.
“When you combine our allies and partners with our joint mission, that’s something our adversaries in this region can’t do,” said Wilsbach. “We train with them frequently and that gives us an advantage against those that would try to stop us from having a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Wilsbach and Wolfe emphasized readiness during an all-call event to base Airmen, emphasizing the significance of Airmen embracing Agile Combat Employment to leverage flexible basing and agile operation concepts to deter near-peer adversary aggression.
“When you think about the role of Kadena, it’s obviously very important as a force projection platform,” said Wilsbach. “When you incorporate Agile Combat Employment with multi-capable Airmen and you disperse those forces, then the targeting problem for the adversary becomes a lot more difficult and we can keep airpower in the air creating the effects we need for our national defense.”
The leadership team also took an in-depth look at the base’s infrastructure and toured the Innovation Lab.
“Our Airmen are the ones who are going to come up with the best ideas,” said Wolfe. “My message to them would be to keep pushing. Don’t get discouraged. Keep asking, keep innovating and keep coming up with new ways to get the mission done.”
Wolfe also addressed the important role frontline supervisor’s play in the Air Force.
“When people talk about the mission, a lot of times they want to focus on our aircraft, our weapons and our capabilities. That certainly is why we are here but the mission is taking care of our Airmen and growing them,” added Wolfe.
The leadership team ended their visit by thanking Airmen for their dedication and contribution to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and for their continued efforts to drive the PACAF mission.
“It’s been great for the Chief and I to be here, we are so incredibly grateful for the servicemen and women that are serving with our allies here in Japan,” Wilsbach concluded. “Thank you for looking out for America’s interest in the Western Pacific.”
| Date Taken: | 11.09.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.09.2021 00:53 |
| Story ID: | 408954 |
| Location: | KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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