YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan –
Just over one year ago, with strong support from both the American and Japanese governments, U.S. Forces Japan began a major shift in how our headquarters at Yokota Air Base operates.
We began this transformation for a simple reason: to plan sooner, decide better, and act quicker with our Japanese allies, no matter the situation. Today, that vision is no longer theoretical. It is an actual, ongoing transformation of how the Alliance defends Japan and responds to events in an increasing uncertain world.
Until last year, USFJ’s role was to manage the critical U.S.-Japan alliance, a security bulwark that has served as the backbone of stability in the Indo-Pacific region for decades.
The close partnership between U.S. forces in Japan and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) is the heart of this alliance. Every day, the Alliance is built by U.S. service members training alongside our Japanese friends to secure freedom and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region.
The security we’ve guarded for generations is becoming more tenuous. Other powers seek to impose hegemony and unravel the regional balance of power. In response, both Japan and the United States are decisively transforming their command-and-control capabilities.
For Japan, this led to the establishment of the JSDF Joint Operations Command (JJOC) and a move toward a more unified command structure. For USFJ, it initiated a fundamental transformation in how our headquarters operates and how we coordinate operations with our Japanese partners.
Immediately following Japan’s establishment of the JJOC last spring, I created a dedicated cooperation team to lay the foundation for a new Bilateral Operations Coordination Center (BOCC). Functioning as the true nerve center for our operational integration, the BOCC is where our forces share real-time information, develop plans, and execute synchronized decisions.
We recently put this framework to the test during Joint Exercise Rescue 2026. Simulating a catastrophic Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake, U.S. and Japanese experts worked side by side in the BOCC to coordinate life-saving medical care, emergency supplies, and complex evacuation capabilities.
This realistic training ensures that when the next real-world disaster strikes, our combined response will be rapid, seamless, and focused entirely on protecting human life.
Even as our operational capabilities expand, nurturing the U.S.-Japan Alliance remains the core of the USFJ mission. To ensure this vital work receives the attention it deserves, we have established a dedicated Alliance Management Division.
Rather than focusing solely on future contingencies, this team is laser-focused on the daily work of partnership—facilitating bilateral decisions, ensuring we remain good neighbors in our host communities, and collaboratively resolving everyday challenges.
By building deep mutual trust and open communication day by day, we ensure our foundation is unbreakable when an actual crisis strikes.
To ensure these changes take root, we have established a concrete road map to guide our evolution into a modern operational headquarters.
A cornerstone of this step-by-step plan is expanding our role in designing and executing major bilateral exercises with the JSDF.
These large-scale training events are not just rehearsals; they are our most powerful tools to deter aggression and ensure we can operate seamlessly with our Japanese partners during any crisis.
By meticulously planning each phase of our growth, this road map guarantees that USFJ is fully prepared to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Japan, transforming shared plans into unified action.
The results of this transformation are tangible. We now share information faster, develop bilateral plans earlier, test our operational readiness through more rigorous and varied exercises, and share lessons to grow stronger.
This past January, the U.S. and Japan put our new partnership to the test in a strenuous joint exercise that challenged our ability to coordinate during a crisis.
And with the recent conclusion of Joint Exercise Rescue 2026, we have successfully demonstrated our ability to work seamlessly alongside the JJOC during a major disaster response.
While Japan strengthens its own defense capabilities, the United States is matching that commitment by bringing our most advanced equipment to the region and training to use it seamlessly with our Japanese allies.
We have also streamlined our own structure. By separating the Fifth Air Force and USFJ Headquarters in March, we ensured each command now has a dedicated three-star commander to focus exclusively on preparing their respective units to succeed during any operation they are given.
USFJ’s transformation efforts are real and progressing steadily. Collectively, these efforts will enhance our operational readiness, streamline our forces in Japan, and strongly bolster deterrence.
In concert with our Japanese allies, we are stronger, more connected, and better prepared than we were a year ago thanks to the vision, strength, and courage of so many to adapt in the face of ever-growing security challenges.
USFJ remains fully devoted to doing our part in securing peace through strength. Grounded in integrity, commitment, and selfless service, we will continue to deeply value our Japanese allies, joint warfighters, and our noble purpose.
USFJ will remain unwavering as we serve to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance to help deter and, if necessary, defeat threats against Japan.