Space Force

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District’s (USACE JED) Misawa Resident Office (MRO), located in the wintery hinterlands of Japan’s Aomori prefecture, is home to a small, but tight-knit team of eight individuals – four Department of the Army Civilians, and four Japanese employees. Together they keep Misawa Air Base’s 35th Fighter Wing’s (FW) ‘tip of the spear’ fit to fight, and up to date with quality of life and mission-essential projects running the gamut.

Like many USACE branches in Japan (there are 13 in total), the MRO deals in both American construction for on-base projects, as well as Japanese construction for what’s referred to as “host-nation projects,” because Japan is the host of military Americans serving in the country and they fund that construction.

“The MRO plays a crucial role in supporting the 35th FW’s mission by ensuring that all infrastructure projects are completed efficiently and to the highest standards,” said MRO Resident Engineer, Ayse Gülce Büyük. “Our work directly contributes to maintaining the operational readiness of [Misawa Air base.]”

JED Commander Col. Patrick Biggs, who took the reins of the Pacific Region’s premier contracting agent just a hair over one month ago, describes a main mission priority as “People First.” With that in mind, getting to know his team within the Land of the Rising Sun and coming to Misawa was at the top of his to-do list.

“One of my goals is to get out to see every resident office within the first six months to meet the employees and get a firsthand look at the great work they are doing at the many projects they are working on,” Biggs said. “This is a small resident office, but it has a very important mission. Our support to the 35th Fighter Wing is just one way that the JED team helps to build readiness.”

During his visit, the MRO’s team guided Biggs to some of the ongoing project sites, including the soon-to-be-completed 35th Maintenance Group’s (MXG) administration building, which is a much-needed quality-of-life facility for the Wing’s Airmen, and the Airfield Damage Repair facility, which will support airfield activities for the Fighter Wing’s fleet of jets, who continue to protect the nation of Japan and the Pacific.

The administration building, a 1,672 sq. meter two-story reinforced concrete facility, will house the MXG’s Commander, a meeting and reception area, a space for ground maintenance equipment, and a training conference room. With a contracted total of over $9.5M and no safety issues from start to finish, it’s a project the MRO is especially proud of.

“The Administrative Building serves as the nerve center for the Maintenance Group, where strategic decisions and the daily operations of million-dollar fighter jet maintenance are coordinated,” explained Büyük. “Its role in maintaining organizational efficiency is vital to the success of the entire wing.”

But while JED’s Misawa Office’s direct support of the 35th FW serves as their bread and butter, working hand-in-hand with agencies like the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy, in addition to the Government of Japan and local prefectural construction companies, it’s the bond between this small team that highlights their mission commitment.

This close-working team is what keeps Misawa ready to ‘fight tonight,’ and maintains JED’s reputation as the premier construction agency in the Pacific.

“The strength of a cohesive team lies in its ability to work as one unit, where trust and shared goals unite us. This closeness enhances our effectiveness and ensures that we meet every challenge with unwavering determination,” said Ayse. “In a small, tight-knit team, every individual’s contribution is magnified, fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual support that drives our local mission forward. Together, we achieve more than we ever could alone.”

Located some 453 miles away from Japan Engineer District headquarters at Camp Zama, Japan, it can be easy for members of MRO’s tight team to feel isolated from the bigger picture of the U.S.-Japan Alliance.

However, Biggs is hoping his presence there serves as a reminder that is not the case. The Misawa team’s role is always on the District’s mind, but thanks to threats from Japan’s aggressive neighbors, they are more important than ever.

“The priority for all of JED is to deliver quality projects, on time, on budget, while building the alliance,” JED’s Commander pointed out. “Here at the MRO, they are providing outstanding service in support of the 35th Fighter Wing and are on the leading edge of building readiness for the nation.”

Aircrews and maintenance personnel with the 5th Battalion, 159th General Support Aviation (5th, 159th) Battalion of Fort Eustis, Va., brought four CH-47 Chinook helicopters to support training in the 86th Training Division’s Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) 86-24-02, and for two weeks those helicopters were busy.

CSTX took place from Aug. 3-17 at Fort McCoy. For the 5th, 159th Soldiers who were supporting the training, they set up shop at the Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport to conduct their operations, said Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS) officials.

Throughout the exercise, the four Chinook helicopters of the 5th, 159th could be seen soaring over the installation’s training spaces. The helicopters and their crews ferried troops all over Fort McCoy’s 60,000-acre space, and more. They even supported the 652nd Multi-Role Bridge Company with some of their training with building bridges at Big Sandy Lake on South Post.

Crews also carried troops and cargo between forward bases where thousands of troops were embedded in austere conditions for the exercise. The thousands of troops were set up for training at several installation training areas to include tactical training bases, Logistical Staging Area-Freedom, Young Air Assault Strip, and even training spaces within the woods throughout North Post and South Post, DPTMS officials said.

So what makes the Chinook a special support helicopter for Army aviation? According to the Army fact sheet for the CH-47available at https://www.army.mil/article/239332/chinook_cargo_helicopter_ch_47f, , the Chinook is the Army’s only heavy-lift cargo helicopter supporting combat and other critical operations.

“The CH-47F has a suite of improved features such as an upgraded digital cockpit featuring the Common Avionics Architecture System, a new monolithic airframe with vibration reduction, and the Digital Automatic Flight Control System, which provides coupled controllability for operations in adverse environments (reduced visibility, brown out, high winds),” the fact sheet states. “The CH-47F’s common cockpit enables multiservice digital compatibility and interoperability for improved situational awareness, mission performance and survivability, as well as future growth potential.”

Chinook aircraft are not new to Fort McCoy. They’ve been supporting training at Fort McCoy for decades. One of the more common scenes of training support on post has been supporting slingload training for 89B military occupational specialty training at the installation. That training currently is completed through the Fort McCoy Regional Training Site-Maintenance.

But there was a reason the Chinooks were at Fort McCoy for CSTX. Them and approximate eight UH-60 Black Hawks also from the 5th, 159th. It’s capabilities. The fact sheet further outlines those capabilities.

“The CH-47F tactically transports forces and associated equipment and provides routine aerial sustainment of maneuver forces,” the fact sheet states. “Secondary missions the Chinook executes to support Soldiers and commanders include: medical evacuation, search and rescue, parachute drops, disaster relief, and aircraft recovery. The CH-47F Block II program provides additional capability to the field with greater reach, increased payload capacity and an increase in maximum gross weight to 54,000 pounds.”

The helicopters and crews also supported the 2024 Global Medic Exercise at Fort McCoy which took place alongside CSTX.

Learn more about the battalion by visition their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064588582777.

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

Suwon Air Base, South Korea – On Friday, July 12, as the sun slowly began to set and cast the sky in a hazy orange hue, four F/A-18 Hornet aircraft with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA(AW)) 224, Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG), 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) touched down at Suwon Air Base, South Korea.

The next morning, the remaining aircraft would also make their arrival to Suwon AB, followed by the remaining members of the squadron the next day. VMFA(AW)-224’s arrival marked the start of a momentous exercise at Suwon.

“VMFA(AW)-224 came to Suwon Air Base to conduct a detachment for training as part of our unit deployment program,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Zachary Mills, a pilot with VMFA(AW)-224.

Over the course of the next month, the Marine F/A-18 squadron trained with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) to improve both their aviation capabilities.

Known as the Fighting Bengals, VMFA(AW)-224 deployed from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina, to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, in March 2024 as part of the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployed Program (UDP). The UDP is designed provide continental United States-based units with overseas training and familiarity with foreign areas. VMFA(AW)-224 currently augments the F-35B Lightning II and KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft squadrons of MAG-12, 1st Marine Air Wing at MCAS Iwakuni with the unique capabilities of the F/A-18 Hornet.

“One of the most impressive things in this whole exercise is that we flew roughly 80 palettes of gear into Osan Air Base and, within eight hours, had all that cargo unloaded in Suwon Air Base via Korean tractor trailer support,” said Mills. “In a three-day period, we moved the entire squadron from Iwakuni, Japan, a Marine Corps Air Station, to Suwon Air Base, a Republic of Korea Air Base, for the first time ever, and it worked flawlessly.”

Earlier in their deployment, VMFA(AW)-224 operated out of Anderson Air Base, Guam, during Cope North 24 and now out of Suwon AB, which provided them a diverse set of experiences of operating in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Our squadron coming out here to Suwon is a historic exercise. There’s never been a Marine F/A-18 squadron to come out to this airfield,” said Mills. “One of the missions of VMFA(AW)-224 coming out here is to assess the feasibility for follow-on detachments to Suwon Air Base.”

Suwon AB has an abundant history, having been established during the Korean War and U.S. Forces have been present on the base for years, including different units from the U.S. Air Force both during and after the war. However, in recent years, the air base has not seen a U.S. detachment of this size.

“For historical context, Suwon has an extremely rich past, it’s been around for 70 years so, when you look back all the way, there’s obviously been a larger American presence here in the past, but we don’t have all that data,” explained U.S. Air Force Capt. Austin Stamper, 607th Materiel Maintenance, Squadron Detachment 2 Commander, and one of the lead coordinators for lining up the space, time, and equipment to allow the air base to have the capabilities to support the Marines and their training. “So as far, as exercises go and specifically exercises for the coalition and the alliance, this is the largest one we’ve had.”

Over the past year, Suwon AB personnel have been working to participate in more integrated exercises and host different branches for training opportunities. “We started back in the fall of last year. We had a combined flying training exercise which included 25 additional Air Force personnel,” said Stamper. “Next, we worked with the Marines and were able to get participation in the Korean Marine Exchange Program in the springtime, having about 88 personnel out here, we then stair-stepped up to what we are doing today with a squadron of around 260 personnel operating out here.”

In hosting the Fighting Bengals, the U.S. Air Force 607th MMS in Suwon aimed to prove integration capabilities with the ROKAF.

“The Marines being able to accomplish their goal and deploying the entire squadron here proves our ability to host large scale contingents of personnel here on Suwon and our capacity to support inbound forces that integrate closely with the Koreans,” said Stamper.

“Being able to work with the ROKAF was one of the primary missions of us coming out here,” said Mills. “Another one was to foster and generate relationships with the South Koreans while simultaneously conducting joint air operations.”

Service members with VMFA(AW)-224, 607th MMS, and the ROKAF 10th Fighter Wing worked together to plan flight operations, training together, and work autonomously in the same spaces together.

“It is historic that we have conducted mission planning and joint flight operations with them,” explained Mills. “I think that the opportunity to come here to Suwon has fostered a greater understanding of the tactics, techniques and procedures that the American forces have and that the Korean forces have, and more insight into some of our capabilities as well. There’s a lot we have in common.”

“By executing the mission with U.S. F/A-18 pilots, we could advance to the next level of the ROK-U.S. Alliance’s operational capabilities,” said ROKAF Capt. Young Hyun Jo, a pilot with the 19 Fighter Wing 155 Squadron. “As a member of the storied ROK-US Alliance, we will continue to do our best to complete our mission with pride.”

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DETROIT (08/25/2024) — In a time of global uncertainty, the National Guard’s top officer, serving in an acting capacity, shared a message of strength and stability to attendees of the 146th National Guard Association of the United States General Conference here Saturday. 

“We’ve got an awesome job, y’all,” Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, acting chief of the National Guard Bureau said. “Be proud of who you are. The state of our world may be dangerous and dynamic, but the state of our Guard is strong.”

When Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson retired Aug. 1, he relinquished his role as the 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff without a Senate-confirmed successor. 

Enter Stubbs.

“In this role, I see myself as Snoop Dogg at the Olympics, someone carrying the torch for more talented people before the games begin,” he said. “I did not plan to be up here today. I had every intention of being down in the audience with you…to hear from the 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the direction of the next four years.”

Last month, Stubbs was in Little Rock, serving as the adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard. On July 31, he was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Army National Guard as its director, and was propelled into the acting CNGB role to helm the Guard Bureau during its transition between four-star leaders.

“The fact that I’m up here, facing the wrong way in the room, is a testament to the fact you can’t always count on things going as planned,” he said. “You have to be ready to take on any challenge, ready to look at the big picture, and ready to speak your truth and show people who you are.”

Stubbs told the audience that during his time as acting CNGB, the 430,000-member strong Guard will remain focused on people, readiness, modernization and reform. 

He outlined the challenges facing the United States and the Guard from his vantage point. He walked through the global environment, including the United States’ pacing challenge with the People’s Republic of China, Ukraine’s ongoing fight for its sovereignty against Russia’s unprovoked aggression, and violent contention in the Middle East. 

He encouraged Guardsmen to remain ready to support crises in the homeland. 

Today, there are about 40,000 Guardsmen engaged domestically and abroad. 

“We’re the National Guard! This is what we’re built for,” Stubbs said. “We are successful in times of crisis because of what we’re built for: the National Guard is built for combat. And if you’re ready for combat, you’re ready for anything.”

Stubbs brings considerable experience to the Guard Bureau. He enlisted in the Tennessee Army National Guard in 1993 and was commissioned as an Infantry officer two years later. He held every leadership position within the Arkansas Guard’s 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, from rifle platoon leader to brigade commander.

Speaking to a group of Michigan National Guardsmen, Stubbs outlined the cornerstones of his leadership philosophy: excellence, teamwork, accountability and trust.

“You have to develop, grow and guard that trust, inside and outside your organization,” he said. “When it comes time to do our job, whether here within the homeland supporting our citizens, or when the nation calls for us to deploy to go fight and win, that trust, that bond is born. 

“It’s unbreakable,” he said. “It’s unbeatable. And victory is assured. Our country is counting on us, and we will not let them down.”

The CNGB serves as a military adviser to the president, secretary of defense, National Security Council and is the Department of Defense’s official channel of communication to the governors and state adjutants general on all matters pertaining to the National Guard.

President Joe Biden nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus, currently the commander of U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and 1st Air Force (U.S. Air Forces Northern and U.S. Air Forces Space) to become the 30th CNGB. This nomination is pending Senate confirmation.