Yokota AB 459th Airlift Squadron aids in local exercise

The 459th Airlift Squadron assisted the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with a disaster preparedness and response drill at Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, Japan, Sept. 3.

Disaster preparedness and response drills maintain readiness for both Yokota Air Base and the local community in the event of an unexpected event like a natural disaster. For the exercise, a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter, assigned to the 459th AS, took off from the base to deliver mock humanitarian aid for a simulated environmental catastrophe.

“We wanted to make sure that we have the capabilities to deliver humanitarian aid to the downtown metropolitan area,” said Tech. Sgt. Alexandra Vidato, 459th Airlift Squadron instructor flight engineer. “One of the main tenants here of us being at Yokota, is to ensure that we have a good relationship with our host nation partner which includes disaster relief. We want to be prepared to quickly respond and make sure all facets of relief are met.”

The U.S. Army and Navy, as well as the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, participated alongside the 459th AS to ensure mission readiness for a real-world event. To further build upon these skills and enhance the partnership with the TMG, the 459th plans to participate in more disaster relief training in the future.