U.S. Forces Japan commander reviews troops

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher Marasky
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) --  The commander of both U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force spoke about the importance of meeting the men and women stationed on Okinawa as he toured Kadena Air Base and other local American bases June 18 through 20.

Lt. Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr. said seeing the servicemembers stationed here with his own eyes helped him gain a better understanding of the mission American forces here play in the defense of Japan and the strategic importance of Okinawa to peace and security in the region.

"There is nothing like getting the information firsthand," he said. "It's important to get your eyes on the people who are doing the job."

After talking with Airmen and Marines over his three-day visit, General Rice noted the high morale of servicemembers stationed on Okinawa, something he attributed to a strong understanding of the importance of the mission in Japan.

"It's important for us to understand what we are engaged in and the importance of it to our country and our nation," General Rice said. "I think the people I came in contact with on this trip have a very high level of morale, because they understand what they are doing here, and how important it is."

General Rice also stressed the importance of U.S. military bases on Okinawa and emphasized that the crucial role they play in the region will continue even as U.S. forces in Japan undergo realignment and transformation.

"There's nothing that can make up for the geographic location of a certain area," he said. "In this case, Okinawa has a proximity to some of the key areas in the Pacific that is hard for us to replicate in other areas.

"The geography of Okinawa is going to continue to make it very important, not only to the defense of Japan, but to the stability of the region," he said. "It's going to continue to be important to us, even as we adjust the footprint of our forces here and try to make less of an impact on the local communities while still allowing us to continue our alliance with Japan."

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