On the strategic island called Okinawa, in the middle of the entrance to the East China Sea and all of Asia, is one of the most powerful offensive air forces in the world, the United States Air Force 18th Wing and the United States Marines Amphibious force projection into this region. The island is home to the Japanese Southwestern Composite Air Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Junichi Araki that polices the Japanese air space over these multitude of islands that extend from the tip of mainland Japan to almost Taiwan.
The U.S. offensive force based in Okinawa is second to none in the region for air supremacy and superiority that has stabilized this region since the end of World War II in 1945. Today in 2016, with North Korea directly threatening the capability on this Island with its Musudan missiles and China directly challenging U.S. air supremacy with its air intrusions into Japanese Air Space and its anti-access and area-denial (A2/AD) capability on made up islands, building overmatch capacity to include development of maneuverable strike weapons (Article on Hypersonic missiles) to 360 degree strike cruise missile attack from standoff ranges, Okinawa has to have both air and missile defense capability deployed 24/7.
Enabling air supremacy for the region that encompasses the defense of 127 million people by putting the offenses in Okinawa in play, comes down to the collective excellence of leadership of the air and missile defense systems on the island operated by the United States Army of the 1-1 Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Patriot Battalion, the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, and the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) 5th Air Defense Missile Group.
We honored that excellence in Okinawa on November 22, 2016, with Lieutenant General Junichi Araki of Japan, Commander of the Japanese Southwestern Composite Air Division, Major General James Pasquarette, Commander of U.S. Army Japan and I Corps, Brigadier General Sean Gainey, Commander of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), and Lieutenant Colonel Scott Dellinger, Commander of the 1-1 ADA.
These 34 soldiers and airmen, the best of the best for this past year, from the United States and Japan overcome the unique environment conditions of an island that does havoc on equipment and can overcome the challenge to win with their equipment over one of the most complex and sophisticated air and ballistic missile threat in the world today.
Major General Pasquarette and Riki Ellison with soldiers of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment.
On behalf of our friends, members, the Japanese public and the American public, we give great appreciation and recognition to each for their outstanding service this past year in this critical mission.
United States Army 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Awardees
SGT Ruben Hernandez SGT John Gonzalez
2LT William Heida PFC Juan Mejia
SPC Charles Briggs PFC Raven Piper
SSG Melissa Smith SGT James Semiene
PFC Danielle Blackmond PFC Cameron Westfall
PFC Tyler Heim SSG Walter Smith
SPC Joseph Baranoski SPC Aaron Morris
1LT Patrick Rachel SPC Isaac Reid
SPC Mary Taylor SPC Carlos Flores
United States Air Force 18th Wing Awardees
SSgt James Anderson A1C Alexander Kadajski
TSgt Lauren Ducote A1C Nicholas Garcia
Japan Air Self Defense Force 5th Air Defense Missile Group Awardees
SSgt Tomohide Itarashiki SSgt Masakazu Ikeda
SSgt Yutaka Toguchi TSgt Shunsuke Suzuki
SSgt Shu Miyazaki SSgt Keito Suto
Japan Ground Self Defense Force 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment Awardees
SGt Yuya Tachibana SGT Takayuki Shingaki
SGT Ryotaro Kaku MSG Masaki Hitaka
SGT Tsuyoshi Oshiro SFC Manabu Higaonna
