Mother Nature storms exercise, Okinawa braces for Chaba

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Hundreds of Kadena Airmen participating in Exercise Beverly High 11-1 came into work Tuesday night expecting to soon don their gas masks, but instead got news to pack up their gear and prepare for incoming Typhoon Chaba.

After holding a meeting with Kadena's senior leaders, 18th Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach declared "ENDEX," or "end of exercise," in addition to implementing Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3. TCCOR-3 means that destructive sustained winds of 50 knots or greater are expected within 48 hours.

"The Joint Typhoon Warning Center calls for Typhoon Chaba to pick up strength and pass close by Okinawa, so I recently declared TCCOR-3," explained General Wilsbach. "While the exercise was important to ensure our readiness, it shouldn't compromise safety. We need to use this time to recover from the exercise and prepare our quarters for the typhoon. I expect everyone to assist their neighbors with cleanup, and also ensure they have the needed supplies in the event the storm continues toward Kadena."

Base officials urge military family housing residents to pick up and secure any loose items around their homes, as well as the homes of people they know are off-island at this time.

As of Wednesday morning, Typhoon Chaba was forecasted to come within about 50 miles east of Kadena with sustained winds of about 65 mph locally. According to the Kadena weather homepage, the worst of the storm is expected to arrive in the early morning hours Friday, but like always, residents should prepare for the worst as soon as possible.

People can get the latest storm updates by tuning to Armed Forces Network's 89.1 FM and 648 AM, or by visiting Kadena's weather, Facebook and Twitter sites. For more information about what to do during each of the TCCOR conditions, read Kadena's Emergency Actions Page.

As for Airmen disappointed by early demise of the exercise, General Wilsbach has some reassurance.

"This exercise has ended," he said. "We will schedule a full makeup readiness exercise in the near future."