Tuesday after declaring an in-flight emergency The runway — shared with commercial flights at Misawa Airport and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force — was closed for about 90 minutes as a precaution before reopening around 7:30 p.m. Japanese media footage showed the bomber immobilized on the runway surrounded by emergency vehicles with flashing lights Japan Airlines said a flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was forced to return without landing “The B-1B paused on the runway as a precautionary measure to allow first responders to inspect the aircraft before clearing it to taxi off the runway,” Stark said The incident prompted protests from Misawa city and Aomori prefecture leaders who on Wednesday issued formal requests for preventative action to both the base commander and Japan’s defense ministry “We believe that the incident causes anxiety to the people of the prefecture where Misawa Air Base is located,” the Aomori prefectural government wrote in the letter “We deeply regret that it occurred despite our request for civil stability and safety measures made on April 18.” urging the base and the Tohoku Defense Bureau — an arm of the defense ministry — to determine the cause disclose further details and implement measures to prevent a recurrence A city base affairs official told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday that the incident caused “great concern” among residents The April 18 safety request followed the arrival of at least two Lancers at Misawa for a bomber task force deployment part of the Air Force’s ongoing mission to bolster regional security Stark confirmed the aircraft involved in Tuesday’s emergency was part of that mission “Bomber Task Force deployments support the larger Indo-Pacific strategy to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said Misawa Air Base is dedicated to ensuring safe and effective flight operations.” While the Air Force has not disclosed the number of bombers or personnel deployed Stark said the base works closely with Misawa Airport to balance military and civilian operations “Conducting successful and safe operations is a top priority of the U.S Stay in the know with The National Interest newsletter © Copyright 2025 Center for the National Interest We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this 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Association The cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee welcomed delegates from Misawa Japan Wednesday afternoon at Wenatchee City Hall known for the "Miss Veedol" airplane landing in Pangborn Airport in 1931 celebrates its 44th year the cities of Misawa and the Wenatchee Valley have recognized their relationship Wenatchee Valley will send a delegation to Misawa in September East Wenatchee Mayor Jerrilea Crawford says the visit from Misawa is like having a family member visit the valley She says Misawa came through in a big way in 2015 when wildfires ravaged the valley "When we had the fires here in Wenatchee when we lost a lot of homes and their news station was broadcasting our fires on the news and raising money," Mayor Crawford said "They came together to raise money for us because they cared about us Wenatchee Mayor Mike Poirer said this is a joint effort between the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee "It's a continuation because Mayor Crawford brought me in and said 'here's how we do this this is the right thing to do,'" Mayor Poirer said you get these students that stay at other people's houses and when we go over there and we have delegates over there we experience the culture so we bring that back to each community." including Queen Ella Johnson and Princesses Yasmin Perez and Daeja Carlson They also performed a special rendition of "Sweet Caroline" re-vamped into an Apple Blossom theme Mayor Crawford said there were no plans for the Royal Court to do so but that it was a special addition to the ceremony A large delegation of North Central Washington residents first flew to Misawa in 1981 to attend the official signing of the Sister City agreement The delegation spent a week in Misawa and returned to Wenatchee with a better understanding of the relationship between the two cities it landed on the East Wenatchee side of the river that's why we take a little extra pride it was such a historical event," Mayor Crawford said "It gives us some identity and some moments to be proud of and then the Sister City relationship because of that flight to keep it going and be so successful." the two cities have exchanged annual visits by dignitaries and representatives at their respective festivals will be a total of 558 guests that we've welcomed from Japan," Mayor Crawford said "It's significant when you look at how many people over time that we have a connection with and have touched." Mayor Crawford credits former East Wenatchee Mayor Steve Lacey for making huge strides in the program The Misawa delegates will spend the week celebrating the Apple Blossom festival before returning home to share their experience with their home town The Sister City, known for the \"Miss Veedol\" airplane landing in Pangborn Airport in 1931, celebrates its 44th year the cities of Misawa and the Wenatchee Valley have recognized their relationship...\nRead More Two United States Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers arrived at Misawa Air Base in April 2025 as part of a rotational Bomber Task Force deployment marking the first time B-1s operated out of Misawa strategy to maintain a forward-based presence in the Indo-Pacific Officials highlighted the mission’s operational rationale force readiness and interoperability with regional partners commitment to deterring threats and maintaining regional stability,” said Lt operations director for the deployed squadron “These missions in the Indo-Pacific ensure our B-1 crews are highly trained and ready to respond anytime a supersonic heavy bomber introduced in the 1980s Air Force’s long-range strike capabilities Its variable-sweep wing configuration and advanced avionics enable the bomber to adapt to a wide range of missions the B-1B is equipped with electronic warfare systems and precision-guided munitions capabilities making it suitable for high-value target strikes and broader area bombardments Bomber Task Force deployments provide operational flexibility and a platform for extensive By rotating bombers into forward-deployed locations Air Force can expose aircrews to various operational environments enhancing mission planning and improving joint operational capabilities with allied forces Forward deployment of the B-1B also supports a broader U.S strategy to maintain a rotating presence in critical regions Proximity to potential areas of conflict enables U.S ensuring deterrence measures remain credible and timely The deployment comes amid heightened security challenges in the Indo-Pacific is contributing to an increasingly complex geopolitical environment freedom of navigation and the strategic balance of power have driven the U.S and its Allies and Partners to bolster their offensive and defensive postures bombers’ arrival at Misawa Air Base reaffirms the nations’ long-standing defense commitment Alliance has been a cornerstone of regional security for decades and coordinated deployments such as the Bomber Task Force reflect comprehensive measures to ensure both nations are prepared to address evolving threats Sentry is a professional military magazine published by U.S Strategic Command to provide a forum for national security personnel the FORUM staff will only use it to communicate with you We will not share your email address or publish it Only your name and website will appear on your comment and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM is a professional military magazine published quarterly by the commander of the U.S Indo-Pacific Command to provide an international forum for military personnel of the Indo-Pacific area The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the policies or points of view of this command or any other agency of the U.S All articles are written by FORUM staff unless otherwise noted The secretary of defense has determined that the publication of this magazine is necessary for conducting public business as required by the Department of Defense This work, Industry Day: Misawa Air Base Strengthens Local Ties, by SrA William Rodriguez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Two commercial flights were canceled Tuesday evening after a U.S Air Force strategic bomber blocked a shared runway in northeastern Japan Trouble with a B-1B Lancer at Misawa Air Base in Aomori prefecture prompted the runway closure from about 6 p.m The Air Force shares the runway with commercial flights at Misawa Airport and military flights by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Footage posted Wednesday by RAB Aomori Broadcasting shows a stationary Lancer on what appears to be Misawa’s runway with emergency vehicles with flashing lights parked nearby A spokesman for the Tohoku Defense Bureau — an arm of Japan’s Ministry of Defense — confirmed by phone Wednesday that a U.S military aircraft was involved in the runway closure and that two commercial flights were affected The bureau is seeking further details from the Air Force Japan Airlines confirmed that a flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo was unable to land at Misawa Airport and returned to Haneda That aircraft’s scheduled return to Haneda was also canceled A Japan Air Self-Defense spokesman referred all questions about the incident to the Air Force Stars and Stripes has reached out to Misawa’s 35th Fighter Wing for comment and more information B-52 Stratofortress bombers and B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to the Indo-Pacific Such task force missions began in January 2018 and have continued regularly since 2020 The Air Force has not disclosed the number of bombers or airmen deployed to Misawa It’s customary in Japan that some government and company officials speak to media without identifying themselves High levels of chemicals used in firefighting foam have been detected near a U.S PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — was found at five places near Misawa Air Base during a December survey according to data posted on the Aomori Prefectural Office website The Air Force’s 35th Fighter Wing and Japan Air Self-Defense Force operate from the base from stainproof and waterproof fabric to nonstick cookware They are linked to an increased risk of certain tumors of the liver Forces Japan announced in November that the U.S military had destroyed its last supplies of firefighting foam containing the chemicals at installations in the country conducted by local and central government officials detected the highest chemical levels at one location since testing began in 2022 an official at Misawa city’s environment protection section told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday Some Japanese government officials may speak to the press only on condition of anonymity the wing reported that water had leaked through a cracked pipe that once held firefighting foam in a hardened aircraft shelter on Misawa and flowed into the wastewater treatment system a water quality survey at the Itsukawametsutsumi reservoir found 14 times more PFAS than Japan’s national provisional target value of 50 nanograms per liter The December survey found 760 nanograms of PFAS per liter in water from the reservoir Seawater just over a half-mile offshore contained 0.8 nanograms of PFAS per liter Tests found 180 nanograms of PFAS per liter of water in drains connected to a reservoir in Tengumori Water in those reservoirs has not been used for drinking and the city will continue to monitor the situation had between 2.2 to 2.7 nanograms of PFAS per liter Air Force officials at Misawa did not respond to emailed requests for information Thursday morning and did not answer phone calls that afternoon Air Force will begin deploying F-35A Lightning II fighters to northeast Japan in spring 2026 according to a Misawa city base affairs official The Pentagon in July announced plans to send 48 of the fifth-generation fighters to Misawa Air Base to replace 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons The announcement gave no date for the arrival of the F-35As the variant built for conventional takeoffs and landings provided the deployment timeline to the local government last month the city official told Stars and Stripes on Monday Misawa’s F-16s are scheduled to begin departing Misawa in summer The base will build infrastructure to support the new aircraft but the city government hasn’t been told about any change to the number of airmen at Misawa A spokesman for Misawa’s 35th Fighter Wing said by phone Monday that he was awaiting clearance from U.S The wing’s two F-16 squadrons train to destroy enemy radar and missile launchers via precision bombing It’s a mission that would see them cross the Korean Demilitarized Zone to suppress North Korean air defenses if war broke out on the peninsula which the Air Force shares with the Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force has been home to Japanese F-35As since 2018 stealth jet deployment is part of a force modernization program in Japan that includes stationing 36 F-15EX Eagles on Okinawa as replacements for 48 F-15C/Ds and swapping a squadron of Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni with F-35C Lightning IIs “reflects over $10 billion of capability investments to enhance the U.S.-Japan Alliance and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Defense Department announced July 3 7th Air Force is upgrading its F-16s with improved avionics closer to fifth-generation capabilities and retiring its A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft and shifting its role onto Lightning IIs The Pentagon in the 2022 National Defense Strategy identified China as a global “pacing challenge” and an aggressive presence in the East and South China seas “The Department’s plan to station the Joint Force’s most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan demonstrates the ironclad U.S commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries’ shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said Aomori — An annual presentation of Japanese traditions and culture was recently held at the U.S please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent About 400 people in 48 groups showed traditional performing arts or offered opportunities to experience Japanese traditions and culture deepening an exchange with about 3,000 U.S The 37th Japan Day was hosted by Misawa International Club a Misawa-based international exchange organization Aomori University’s ninja club and Aomori Prefectural Sanbongi High School’s naginata team staged demonstrations Chances also were offered to families and other visitors to try calligraphy kimono dressing or origami paper folding with the help of volunteers military personnel Seth Harris tried playing “Sakura Sakura” (Cherry blossom as he usually does not play musical instruments Harris said he found the koto produced beautiful sounds Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun A park near Misawa Air base will radiate brightly again this winter season Misawa Nakayoshi Park’s Phantasia Winter Illumination starts Nov This year’s theme is “Forest of Illumination” and features over 100,000 LED lights an illuminted reindeer and a 16-meter-tall Christmas tree as a centerpiece so there’s plenty of time to enjoy this holiday treat The park is a 6-minute drive from Misawa Air Base Don’t miss the beautiful lights this holiday season (a 6-minute drive from Misawa AB Main Gate) Tel: 0176-53-2175 (Misawa Chamber of Commerce) Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan Japan Day returned to Misawa Air Base offering the military and local communities to enjoy a cultural exchange Misawa’s Japan Day started in 1988 to uphold the strong tradition of sharing cultures and blending the Misawa on-base and off-base communities One Community,” this year’s Japan Day featured traditional performances live music and other great activities at the Misawa Club Food vendors outside the building served up some delicious Japanese festival foods like yakitori and ramen Traditional rickshaws were also available for fun rides in the club and eventgoers also tried calligraphy While about 400 of 48 groups performed or displayed various traditional Japanese arts about 3,000 participants enjoyed the event according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper a lot of visitors in family enjoyed performances and festive foods,” Yoshihito Morita “Demonstrations of ninja and sumo wrestling by local college and high schoolers were some of the most popular attractions during the event and I saw many adult visitors enjoyed the event more than children.” The event marks the start of spring for the area so now the community has the upcoming cherry blossom season to look forward to MISAWA AB – Military shoppers can come early and gobble up the savings as the Misawa Exchange will open its doors worldwide at 8 a.m