Yokota Air Base

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Yokota Community Center, housing shopping and dining facilities

Yokota Air Base (横田空軍基地, Yokota Kūgun Kichi^?), a base of the United States Air Force, is located in the city of Fussa and nearby communities in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan. The base serves as the headquarters for United States Forces Japan, and is currently used for airlift missions throughout East Asia. It houses 14,000 personnel. The base occupies a total area of 136,413 m² and has a 3,350 m runway. It is the home of the Fifth Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing. Among its facilities are the broadcast center for the American Forces Network Tokyo radio service and a detachment of PACAF's Band of the Pacific.

1 History
2 Friendship Festival
3 AMC Passenger Terminal
4 Hotels And Lodging
5 Dialing Directions
6 Education
7 Units
8 Aircraft
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] History

The facility which houses Yokota Air Base was originally constructed by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1940 as Tama Airfield, and used as a flight test center. It was taken over by U.S. forces on September 4, 1945 and later expanded, reaching its current size around 1960. On the occasion of extension, the course of Hachiko Line and national highway Route 16 was changed, and Itsukaichi highway was divided.

Yokota housed combat aircraft for many years. During the Korean War it was used for B-29 missions, and during the Vietnam War it was used for ferrying B-52s to Southeast Asia. In 1971 all combat squadrons were transferred to Kadena and Misawa Air Bases. The base was the setting of Almost Transparent Blue, a best-selling novel written by Ryu Murakami and published in 1976. It is also the setting of parts of The Yokota Officers Club : A Novel by Sarah Bird. In 2005, the Japanese government announced that the headquarters of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force would be moved to Yokota.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has advocated opening Yokota to civilian flights, as a method of relieving traffic at Haneda and Narita Airport.

[edit] Friendship Festival

Friendship Festival - Local Japanese entering a C-130

Friendship Festival - Picture of Flightline

Each year in August, Yokota Air Base opens the gates to the Japanese community for its annual Friendship Festival. For two days, local residents can learn about Yokota Air Base. Food and events are provided for all ages. Roughly 200,000 visitors show-up each year, although non-Japanese visitors may be turned-away from the gates for security reasons.

For those 2 short days, visitors are able to examine many types of aircraft and even tour some of the large cargo planes from inside.

[edit] AMC Passenger Terminal

The newly-renovated AMC Passenger Terminal is located on the main part of the base next to the flightline. It is a 5 to 7-minute walk from the Kanto Lodge (see below) and offers Space-Available flights to various destinations in PACAF such as Singapore, Korea, Hawaii, Guam, as well as the Continental United States.

[edit] Hotels And Lodging

Housing for unaccompanied personnel

Kanto Lodge - DSN (315) 224-2000

The Kanto Lodge is one of PACAF's largest hotel operations. Each year, over 130,000 personnel are housed in the Kanto Lodge's eleven on-base facilities. The new, 125-room Temporary Lodging Facility (TLF) opened in the summer of 2001 .

[edit] Dialing Directions

US to Yokota When calling from United States using a commercial phone use 011-81-31175 then last 5 digits of the DSN number.

Off Base to Yokota When calling from Off Base to Yokota AB use (042) 552-2510 to get the Yokota AB Directory then last 5 digits of the DSN number.

Yokota to US When calling from Yokota to US use 98-001-1+ area code and number

Yokota to Off Base When calling from Yokota to Off Base use 99 wait for second dial tone then enter the desired number.

[edit] Education

The Department of Defense operates schools for children of airmen at the base. [1]

Yokota East Elementary School
Yokota West Elementary School
Yokota Middle School
Yokota High School

Higher educational opportunities for those in the military and working for the Department of Defense, as well as for family members at Yokota are available through several contracted academic institutions. For example: [2]

The Asian Division of University of Maryland University College (UMUC)

[edit] Units

Present

Former

20th Operational Weather Squadron.

[edit] Aircraft

Yokota Air Base is home to 3 major types of aircraft as listed below, but also it is not uncommon to see a C-5, KC-10, DC-8, C-17, L-100, ATA L1011's and cargo 747's. Aircraft belonging to Yokota and the 374th AW have the tail code of YJ