374 CES ensures Yokota's emergency readiness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Juan Torres
Yokota Air Base, Japan --  When emergency strikes, Yokota Air Base is ready to respond. Able to house families or military personnel from all across the West Pacific, the base has three towers reserved for contingency purposes. Each tower is able to accommodate 70 families or approximately eight military personnel per unit.

“These contingency towers allow the installation commander to temporarily open contingency quarters to accommodate large influxes of en-route, deployed or TDY personnel resulting from routine, emergency or wartime conditions,” said Staff Sgt. Lee R. Bocanegra, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron service contractor.

Built in 1981, the towers were deemed surplus units and identified for demolition in 2012, before their expected 50-60 year lifespan, possibly jeopardizing host country support for future construction.

“To effectively maximize Yokota Air Base resources, the 374 CES requested permanent conversion of these towers to contingency bed space in support of mission directives and contingency response plans,” said Bocanegra.

To ensure they are at optimum capacity, the 374 CES along with the 374th Force Support Squadron and Public Health, prepared a project to clean, inspect and maintain the towers and ensure they are always ready for use. Once activated, the 374 FSS would manage the day-to-day basis to support the on-going exercise or contingency operation.

Most recently, Yokota Air Base had to respond to an emergency when tropical storm Mindulle struck in August, 2016. More than 300 families were evacuated from their homes and placed in contingency housing. These towers have also been used for presidential support, Keen Edge exercises, rotator failures, and many natural disasters.

“These towers are key to the West Pacific mobility hub and vital in attaining U.S. and allied goals in the Pacific Air Force’s area of responsibility,” Bocanegra added.