Yokota hosts Pacific Global Air Mobility Seminar

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Veronica Pierce
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Japan Air Self Defense Force personnel gathered at Yokota Air Base May 17 and 18 to discuss the roles of air mobility and mission capabilities the countries provide to the Pacific region.

The Pacific Global Air Mobility Seminar is an office of the Secretary of Defense-directed, U.S. Pacific Command-supported, seminar with participation from logistics and defense experts from the U.S., Japan and Australia.

"Each of us Australians, Americans and Japanese live with the realities that the Pacific isn't an inherently tranquil part of the world and that air mobility is critical to any regional peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenario," said Lt. Gen. Bruce A. Wright, commander of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force.

"This seminar is an ideal venue to forge professional relationships and increase interoperability between our respective airlift communities that will make the strategic difference when our nations need us most," the general said.

The two-day seminar helped to develop shared concepts among the three countries on operations for responding to peacekeeping, humanitarian and disaster relief efforts in the Pacific. The seminar provided briefings, discussions and static displays to help in the idea development in multi-national air mobility operations.

"We were able to work together and share valuable information on coordination for humanitarian relief efforts which will enable us to provide better response time during times of disaster," said Air Commodore Brian Plenty, commander of RAAF's Air Lift Group. "We give thanks to the Americans and Japanese for their hospitality."

One of many topics of discussed was the most recent addition of a C-17 Globemaster III to the RAAF. It was one of four aircraft viewed at a static display. The other aircraft were an Air Force C-130 Hercules, a JASDF C-130 and a Japanese Ground Self Defense Force CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

The anticipated outcome for the PGAMS was to increase tri-lateral capabilities and build coordination for humanitarian relief efforts and prompt response time during natural disasters. All three nations worked together diligently to ensure successful planning of future missions during the PGAMS, planners said.