Typhoon Chaba has brought an abrupt end to a base-wide exercise at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Airmen were several days into the week-long Exercise Beverly High 11-1 earlier this week when Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Kadena’s 18th Wing, ordered a halt to the exercise to assume a heightened state of readiness for the approaching storm, which weather officials expected to pass to the east of Okinawa, within 50 miles of the base. “While the exercise was important to ensure readiness, it shouldn’t compromise safety,” explained Wilsbach. Kadena officials anticipated sustained winds up to 65 miles per hour during a 48-hour period running through Thursday, with the worst of the storm’s effects reaching the base on Friday. In the meantime, airmen are stockpiling reserves and securing the base. (Kadena report by TSgt. Jason Lake)
The Space Force is finalizing its first contracts for the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve and plans to award them early in 2025—giving the service access to commercial satellites and other space systems in times of conflict or crisis—officials said Nov. 21.