Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, and his wife, Cindy, arrived at Yokota Air Base April 18 to meet with base leadership and counterparts at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

The visit helped strengthen friendships with the Japan Ministry of Defense and recognize superior performers at Yokota.

“It's always good to be able to visit base members and our Yokota community,” said Gen. Wilsbach. “Being here in person is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce a positive relationship and demonstrate how valuable our commitment to our Japanese counterparts is.”

Gen. Wilsbach and his wife took the opportunity to connect with Team Yokota families, spouses, and support staff at community support centers across the base.

“I am passionate about spouses volunteering; so much of the community support comes from their work,” said Cindy Wilsbach. “Spouses need more than a coin, they need a medal of appreciation, as I feel that they make such an important impact on so many lives here.”

Cindy held true to her words by presenting a spouse volunteer medal to Amber McClenney, Yokota Spouse's Club president, for putting in hundreds of hours of enthusiastic support toward base community events.

“Volunteering helped me find my people, my community, and that’s so very important to everyone,” said McClenney. “The spouses club has been my best way to stay connected.”

The couple’s visit is part of a progressive and ongoing effort to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Japan, as well as supporting the hard-working team members that keep Yokota’s community strong and capable.