KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - Airman 1st Class Daniel Davis, 18th Component Maintenance Squadron, and Airman 1st Class Jordan Arnold, 353rd Special Operations Group, raise state flags at 18th Wing headquarters April 5. Airmen Davis and Arnold are part of the Kadena Pride Team responsible for cleaning up the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen)

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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - Airman 1st Class James Fotakis, 353rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, walks down the road scanning for trash, April 5. Airman Fotakis is part of the Kadena Pride Team that helps keep the base clean. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen)

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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - Airman 1st Class Venessa Brown, 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron, and Airman 1st Class James Fotakis, 353rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, removes trash from a trash can April 5. Airmen Brown and Fotakis are first-term Airmen and part of the Kadena Pride Team responsible for cleaning up the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen)

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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - Airman 1st Class James Fotakis, 353rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and Airman 1st Class Venessa Brown, 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron, carries trash that they collected back to their vehicle April 5. Airmen Brown and Fotakis are first-term Airmen and part of the Kadena Pride Team responsible for cleaning up the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen)

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Kadena Pride Team

Published April 7, 2011
By Master Sgt. Jason Putt
18th Civil Engineer Squadron

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- You may have seen Airmen in their reflective vests walking around the base picking up litter, tree limbs and leaves, and wondered ... What they did to deserve this type of punishment? The answer is .... absolutely nothing. These Airmen are part of Kadena Pride Team.

The 18th CES takes brand-new first-term Airmen after they graduate from the First Term Airmen's Class and continue instilling that pride in being part of the Air Force team and that pride in being part of Team Kadena. They take in an astounding 125 pounds of trash, 80 pounds of green waste and 40 pounds of recyclables per week along with various other details when needed.

The next time you see these Airmen out and about, stop and thank them for what they do; they are not in trouble, they are just showing their pride in being part of Team Kadena. Without them the rest of us wouldn't be able to concentrate on the mission.