Yokota Air Base

is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.

It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa.

The base houses about 14,000 personnel. It occupies a total area of and has a runway.

It features the JASDF Air Defense Command Headquarters (ADC headquarters) since 26 March 2012. The headquarters of United States Forces Japan is also located there. Other base facilities are the broadcast center for the American Forces Network Tokyo radio service and a detachment of Pacific Air Forces' Band of the Pacific.

History

Tama Airfield

The facility that houses Yokota Air Base was built during World War II by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) in 1940. It became the center of Japanese Army Air Forces flight test activities. The base was also the site of the first meeting between Japanese officials and their Italian wartime allies.

Tama was first spotted by the United States Army Air Forces in November 1944 by a 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron F-13 Superfortress photo-reconnaissance aircraft, flying from Tinian in the Mariana Islands. USAAF intelligence connected it with the aircraft manufacturing plant of Nakajima Aircraft Company in the nearby town of Musashino. Along with Tachikawa Air Base to the east and the factory of Showa Aircraft Industry to the south, it was compared to the USAAF's own aircraft-development complex at Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio. The two bases conducted all IJA flight testing. In spring 1945, XXI Bomber Command launched eight missions against the base and the aircraft manufacturing plant, but each time heavy clouds forced the bombers to attack secondary targets. The Nakajima plant was finally attacked in April 1945, but the Tama airfield never was bombed.

Postwar years

Two days after the surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945, a detachment of the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division arrived at the base. The airfield's buildings were largely intact, and some 280 of the IJA's most modern aircraft were discovered in hangars.

The 1st Cavalry named the facility Fussa Army Airfield, then at the end of September renamed it Yokota Army Airfield after a nearby village (now incorporated in Musashimurayama) that appeared on a 1944 US map.

The name was to have been changed to Wilkins Army Air Base (WAAB) after Medal of Honor recipient Raymond "Ray" Wilkins, but orders for this never arrived. Still, some metal manhole covers stamped "WAAB" remained in use around the base in 2017.

The USAAF initially used the base for airlift operations. The 2d Combat Cargo Group arrived with four C-47 Skytrain squadrons. The runway deteriorated under heavy use and was repaired. Yokota supported operations of the A-26 Invader-equipped 3d Bombardment Group by August 1946.

When the USAAF became the USAF in 1947, it was renamed Yokota Air Base. More construction during the 1940s and 1950s brought the base to its current size around 1960.

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On the occasion of extension, the course of Hachiko Line and National Route 16 was changed, and Itsukaichi Kaidō was divided.

During the postwar occupation years, Yokota hosted these USAAF/USAF units:

20th Combat Mapping Group (October 1945 – April 1946) (F-7 Liberator)
8th Reconnaissance Group (June 1946 – October 1947) (F-7)
71st Reconnaissance Group (February 1947 – April 1949) (RB-17, RB-29, RF-51, RF-61 and RF-80)

These units performed photographic reconnaissance and mapping of Japan and South Korea.

6th Night Fighter Squadron (1946–47) (P-61A/B) Inactivated and personnel, mission and equipment transferred to 339th Fighter Squadron (347th Fighter Group) with F-82F/G Twin Mustangs at Nagoya Air Base.
82nd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (1947–48) (FP-80)
3d Emergency Rescue Squadron (July 1947 – April 1950) (SB-17G) Flew modified B-17G bombers equipped to carry a 27-foot A-1 lifeboat under their bellies; the boat could be dropped by parachute with enough food, water, and clothing to enable 12 survivors to last for about 20 days in the ocean.

Korean War

During the Korean War, Yokota was used for combat missions over North and South Korea. Known units based there were:

Fighter units
27th Fighter-Escort Wing (November – December 1950) Flew F-84E Thunderjets on armed reconnaissance, interdiction, fighter escort, and close air support missions.
35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (April - August 1950) A broad agreement on civil-military use of the base was agreed on in 2005.

In November 2009, the base was attacked by Kakurōkyō members using improvised mortar barrages.

thumb|Tents used to house U.S. Pacific Command's (USPACOM) Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) system during Operation Tomodachi

In April 2010 Colonel Frank Eppich, the USAF commander of base, banned screenings of the film The Cove at the base theater. A base spokesman said that The Cove was banned because using a base venue to display the film could be seen as an endorsement of the film. The spokesman added, "We have a lot of issues with Japan... and anything done on an American base would be seen as an approval of that event."

Personnel and aircraft from the base assisted with Operation Tomodachi following and during the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima I nuclear accidents. The base also served as an important hub for airlifted assistance during the disaster recovery efforts. During the crisis, around 600 American family members voluntarily departed the base for locations outside Japan.

thumb|JASDF Air Defense Command Headquarters

On 21 March 2012 JASDF units completed moving from Fuchū Air Base (Tokyo). On 26 March, JASDF Yokota Air Base started operations.

In 2013, the air base was again attacked by Kakurokyo members by improvised mortar barrages.

On 5 April 2018 five CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft deployed to the base. They had originally been scheduled to deploy to Yokota in 2020, but the deployment was brought forward. As the first permanent deployment of the aircraft outside of Okinawa, the move sparked local protests. The number of aircraft will eventually reach 10.

Major commands to which assigned

1st Cavalry Division, United States Army Forces Pacific, (September 1945)
Pacific Air Command, US Army, (September 1945 – January 1947)
Far East Air Forces (January 1947 – July 1957)
Pacific Air Forces (July 1957 – present)

Role and operations

United States Air Force

thumb|A C-130H Hercules taxis to park on the east side of the flightline at Yokota Air Base, Japan, 25 March 2011.The host unit at Yokota is the 374th Airlift Wing and is currently used for airlift missions throughout East Asia. The 374th includes four groups: operations, mission support, maintenance and medical. Each group manages a various number of squadrons in order to carry out the wing's mission.

374th Operations Group (Tail Code: YJ) The 374th Operations Group maintains a forward presence by providing rapid responsive movement of personnel, equipment and operational support in the Asia-Pacific region. The group consists of:
374th Operations Support Squadron
36th Airlift Squadron (C-130J Super Hercules)
459th Airlift Squadron (UH-1N Iroquois (Huey), C-12J Huron)

It is not uncommon to see a KC-135 Stratotanker, C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-130, C-17, or civilian charter (Omni Air International, Air Transport International etc. mostly Boeing 757 or 767) and cargo (Atlas Air, Kalitta Air etc. mostly Boeing 747) airline aircraft on military charters on the Transient Aircraft ramp.

374th Maintenance Group The 374th Maintenance Group maintains C-130J, C-12 and UH-1N aircraft supporting intratheater airlift and distinguished visitor transport for Pacific Air Forces.
374th Mission Support Group The 374th Mission Support Group is responsible to the 374th Airlift Wing Commander for the command, control, and direction of support activities to 374 AW and 32 tenant units including Headquarters US Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force.
374th Medical Group The 374th Medical Group ensures medical readiness of 374 AW, 5 AF, and US Forces Japan personnel. They also maintain 64 War Reserve Materiel projects, including the USAF's largest Patient Movement Item inventory.

RQ-4B Global Hawks of Detachment 1, 319th Operations Group deploy to Yokota from Andersen AFB in Guam during the typhoon season, normally between June and December.

AMC passenger terminal

The newly renovated Air Mobility Command (AMC) Passenger Terminal is on the main part of the base next to the flightline. It is a 5 to 7-minute walk from the Kanto Lodge (see below) and offers Space-Available flights to various destinations in PACAF such as Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Korea, Okinawa, Singapore, as well as the Continental United States.

Based units

Flying and notable non-flying units based at Yokota Air Base.

Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Yokota, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.

United States Air Force

Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)

Fifth Air Force
Headquarters Fifth Air Force
374th Airlift Wing (Host Wing)
Headquarters 374th Airlift Wing
374th Operations Group
36th Airlift Squadron – C-130J Hercules
374th Operations Support Squadron
1403 Military Airlift Squadron [C-21A Learjet]
459th Airlift Squadron – UH-1N Iroquois and C-12J Huron
374th Maintenance Group
374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
374th Maintenance Operations Squadron
374th Maintenance Squadron
374th Medical Group
374th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
374th Dental Squadron
374th Medical Operations Squadron
374th Medical Support Squadron
374th Surgical Operations Squadron
374th Mission Support Group
374th Civil Engineer Squadron
374th Communications Squadron
374th Contracting Squadron
374th Force Support Squadron
374th Logistics Readiness Squadron
374th Security Forces Squadron
USAF Band of the Pacific - Asia

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

353rd Special Operations Wing
21st Special Operations Squadron (GSU) – CV-22B Osprey
753rd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (GSU)

Air Combat Command (ACC)

Sixteenth Air Force
319th Reconnaissance Wing
319th Operations Group
4th Reconnaissance Squadron (seasonal) – RQ-4B Global Hawk

Air Mobility Command (AMC)

United States Air Force Expeditionary Center
515th Air Mobility Operations Wing
515th Air Mobility Operations Group (GSU)
730th Air Mobility Squadron

United States Coast Guard

Coast Guard Pacific Area (PACAREA)

Fourteenth District
US Coast Guard Activities Far East (FEACT)

United States Department of Defense

United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)

United States Forces Japan
Headquarters United States Forces Japan

Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Air Defense Command

Air Defense Command Headquarters
Air Tactics Development Wing Headquarters
Air Intelligence Wing
Operations Support Wing
Yokota Regional Air Police Squadron
Yokota Weather Squadron

Lawsuits

Resistance to the air base immediately followed the end of US occupation. Gravel used in the construction of the airfields was taken from the Tama River, lowering the riverbed and affecting the traditional irrigation system (Fuchū-yōsui), which had provided water to local communities since the early Edo period. The base also caused great stress to nearby inhabitants in a number of other ways, such as fuel leaks and spills that contaminated groundwater and well water, foul odors and fires, deafening noise pollution, and repeated plane crashes. Although local leaders succeeded in bringing about the return of land that had been taken for the base in Tachikawa, at Yokota, the number of departures and landings per year reached 20,000. Pilot training that simulated landing jets on aircraft carriers was also held several times each year, often throughout the night. Because such training, together with the engine testing and daily flights, created a level of noise pollution that local inhabitants found unbearable, numerous lawsuits were filed against the Japanese and U.S. governments, calling for a halt in flights and compensation for damages caused by the noise pollution. At present, a small fraction of the compensation demanded for past damages appears likely to be awarded. "Yokota Airbase Pollution Lawsuit No. 9", filed on 12 December 2012 and "New Yokota Airbase Pollution Lawsuit No. 2", filed on 26 March 2013, are currently being disputed.

Base amenities

The 374th Force Support Squadron

The 374th Force Support Squadron is responsible for providing an enhanced quality of life, facilities and programs for 11,000 military, civilian and dependents as well as 150,000 transient personnel per year. The 374th Force Support Squadron provides manpower and personnel support, membership clubs, child development, youth programs, food service, lodging, sports/fitness, recreation/leisure activities, comprehensive readiness program, marketing/publicity, linen exchange, and mortuary operations for Yokota AB.

Friendship Festival

thumb|Friendship Festival – Local Japanese entering a C-130

Each year in May, Yokota Air Base opens the gates to the Japanese community for its annual Friendship Festival. For two days, local residents can learn about Yokota Air Base. Food and events are provided for all ages. Roughly 200,000 visitors show up each year, although non-Japanese visitors may be turned away from the gates for security reasons.

For those two days, visitors are able to examine many types of aircraft and tour some of the large cargo planes from inside. Each year, service member volunteers base-wide form "D Squadron" for the event, offering some visitors an enhanced on-base experience.

In 2020 and 2021, it was canceled due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 festival was held on 21 and 22 May, three months earlier than usual. On 22 May, the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, visited Japan with the arrival of related equipment, including the dedicated Air Force One, but the Friendship Festival was held as scheduled.

Education

thumb|[[Yokota High School]]

The Department of Defense Education Activity operates schools at Yokota for children of personnel assigned to the base.

Joan K. Mendel Elementary School (formerly known as Yokota East Elementary School)
Yokota West Elementary School
Yokota Middle School: School Dedication Ceremony took place on 13 June 2000. YMS initial year began with only grades 7 and 8, with the upstairs specialty wing housing High School classes until construction modifications to YHS were completed. Class officially began August 2000.
Yokota High School: The Home of the Yokota Panthers. The school was constructed in 1973. A new "21st century" school started construction in 2015 and finished in 2017. The new school replaced the old Yokota High School.

Higher educational opportunities for those in the military and working for the Department of Defense, as well as for family members at Yokota are available through several contracted academic institutions. For example:

The Asian Division of University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) (known as the University of Maryland University College until July 1, 2019)

Tama Hills Recreation Area

The Tama Hills Recreation Area comprises about one-half of the 500-acre Tama Services Division Annex, the other half being the Tama Hills Golf Course.

In popular culture

The base was the setting of Almost Transparent Blue, a best-selling novel written by Ryu Murakami and published in 1976, as well as the anime Blood the Last Vampire and the short film Baby Blue from Genius Party, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Yokota Air Base and its surrounding area were the central location for the 2006 movie Sugar and Spice and mentioned briefly in Patlabor 2: The Movie. It is also the setting of parts of The Yokota Officers Club : A Novel by Sarah Bird. The base is also the birthplace of US Marine Captain, former UFC fighter and Fox Sports analyst Brian Stann. The base was also briefly featured in the 2016 biopic Snowden as one of Edward Snowden's workplaces.

References

Some of the text in this article was taken from pages on the Yokota Air Base website, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource. That information was supplemented by:

Bibliography

Fletcher, Harry R. (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. .

External links

Official website
JASDF Yokota Air Base (in Japanese)
610th Military Airlift Support Squadron Alumni