OKOTA AIR BASE, Japan- U.S. Air Force aircrew from the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron and the 36th Airlift Squadron loaded cargo into a Yokota Air Base C-130J Super Hercules as part of a unit relocation mission at Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kanoya Air Base, Japan, Oct. 18, 2023.

The Yokota aircraft and crew flew to Kanoya to support the 319th ERS move to Kadena Air Base, Japan. Kadena’s strategic position makes it an invaluable location to stage intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, enabling access to numerous potential flashpoints across the Indo-Pacific region.

The event was also incorporated into Exercise Beverly Morning 24-1, Yokota’s annual, full-scale readiness exercise designed to prepare the installation for maintaining operations in a contested environment. The mission became part of a realistic scenario within the exercise, featuring cargo and forces movement across the region.