MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, and Col. Joel Malone, 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, perform a safety inspection on an F-16 Fighting Falcon prior to a familiarization flight here on April 15. General Irizawa and Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, 3rd Air Wing commander, both received F-16 familiarization flights to help promote understanding between U.S. and Japanese forces.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chad Strohmeyer)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, is driven onto the runway for a F-16 familiarization flight here April 15. Col. Joel Malone, 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, was his pilot for the flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chad Strohmeyer)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, and Col. Joel Malone, 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, discuss elements of the F-16 Fighting Falcon on April 15. General Irizawa was familiarizing himself with the F-16 as part of an exchange between the U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Defense Force at Misawa Air Base to better understand each other's capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chad Strohmeyer)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, and Col. Joel Malone, 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, settle into the cockpit of an F-16 Fighting Falcon before taxiing onto the runway during a familiarization flight here on April 15. The familiarization flight was intended to help build understanding between the American and Japanese forces in Japan.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chad Strohmeyer)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon prepares to taxi on to the runway here on April 15. Col. Joel Malone, 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, piloted the aircraft with Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, as a passenger. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Chad Strohmeyer)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, is greeted by Col. T.J. O'Shaughnessy, 35th Fighter Wing commander, after a familiarization flight in the F-16 Fighting Falcon on April 15. General Irizawa was provided the flight as an opportunity to familiarize himself with the aircraft and the 35th FW mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Robert Barnett)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Col. Stephen Williams, 13th Fighter Squadron commander, pilots an F-16 with Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, Japan Air Self Defense Force 3rd Air Wing commander, as a passenger as part of a familiarization flight here on April 15. General Wakabayashi and Lt. Gen. Shigeru Irizawa, Northern Air Defense Force commander, both received F-16 familiarization flights to help promote understanding between U.S. and Japanese forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Robert Barnett)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, Japan Air Self Defense Force 3rd Air Wing commander, walks around an F-16 fighter jet during preflight checks on April 15. General Wakabayashi was familiarizing himself with the F-16 as part of an exchange between the U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Defense Force at Misawa Air Base to better understand each other's capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Morse)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Lt. Col. Stephen Williams, 13th Fighter Squadron commander, explains the various aspects of the F-16 fighter jet to Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, Japan Air Self Defense Force 3rd Air Wing commander, during a preflight walk-around on April 15. Colonel Williams was familiarizing General Wakabayashi with the aircraft to promote understanding between the U.S. and Japanese Forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Morse)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, Japan Air Self Defense Force 3rd Air Wing commander, awaits takeoff in and F-16 fighter jet on April 15. General Wakabayashi rode in the F-16 to familiarize himself with American aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Morse)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, Japan Air Self Defense Force 3rd Air Wing commander, and Lt. Col. Stephen Williams, 13th Fighter Squadron commander, walk to their F-16 fighter jet on April 15. Colonel Williams gave General Wakabayashi a familiarlization flight to help build understanding between the American and Japanese forces in Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Morse)

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MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- An F-16, piloted by Lt. Col. Stephen Williams, 13th Fighter Squadron commander, exits the hangar on April 15. Colonel Williams was giving a familiarization flight to Maj. Gen. Hideo Wakabayashi, Japan Air Self Defense Force 3rd Air Wing commander, to promote understanding between American and Japanese forces in Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Morse)

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Japanese, U.S. strengthen ties

Published May 1, 2008