YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan –
U.S. Forces Japan leadership held a town hall for augmentees supporting the command's deliberate, multi-year transformation at Yokota Air Base, Oct. 3, 2025.
The town hall focused on the augmentees and their role in USFJ's ongoing initiative to modernize its command-and-control capabilities and drive deep interoperability. Participants discussed issues, gathered feedback, and reinforced the importance of augmentees’ s contributions to strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance.
"USFJ deeply appreciates the dedication and expertise of all personnel supporting this critical transformation," said U.S. Army Col. Adam Lowmaster, USFJ chief of staff. "Your efforts are vital as we work to enhance our agility, resilience, and readiness, and contribute to peace, prosperity, and security across a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
Leaders addressed potential areas for improvement and reinforced the crucial role these personnel play in USFJ's current and future mission.
Some of the improvements include improving quality of life in their housing, providing additional transportation options and creating more social events to build morale.
“I'm happy for this opportunity to be laying down the groundwork for a historical organizational change going from alliance management to a more operational unit," said U.S. Army Sgt. Marcos De Los Angeles, an augmentee supporting the J13 Planning and Operations section. "I'm looking forward to the improvements that will be made to the quality of life coming out of the conversations during the town hall.”
The augmentees arrived in August in support of the command’s transformation into a Joint Force Headquarters. The USFJ transformation will involve a growth in personnel to support enhanced headquarters functions.
The town hall meeting underscores USFJ's commitment to its personnel and its strategic vision for the future. By fostering open communication and addressing concerns, USFJ is ensuring that its team is fully supported and aligned in its mission to strengthen the U.S.-Japan Alliance and maintain regional security.