Strengthening Japanese and U.S. friendships through exercise

A Japanese National Police officer assesses (simulated) injuries of two U.S. Air Force Airmen during a Misawa City major accident exercise Feb. 23, 2011, Misawa City, Japan. This was the first exercise conducted by U.S. Air Force and Misawa City emergency responders that involved an aircraft accident. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Phillip Butterfield/Released)

Cope North 11-1

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Japan Air Self Defense Force F-2 fighters taxi after arriving here Feb. 11, for the exercise Cope North 11-1. This will be the 11th time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam and the largest in scope to date. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Schultze)

Aircraft arrive for Cope North 11-1

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Japan Air Self-Defense Force maintainers remove a fuel tank from an F-15 Eagle after its arrival here Feb. 11, for the exercise Cope North 11-1. This will be the eleventh time the United States and Japan have conducted a Cope North exercise on Andersen. This is the largest Cope North exercise ever executed by the Pacific Air Forces, with nearly 50 percent more sorties than last year. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Schultze)

Operator Engagement Talks 2010

IRUMA AIR BASE, Japan -- Members of 5th Air Force, 13th AF , PACAF and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force walk by the radar set equipment that detects and tracks missiles during a tour of the PAC-3 missile defense system here March 3, 2010. The Airmen were part of a three-day Operator Engagement Talks that occurs every 18 months to preserve and enhance relationships, share lessons learned and improve interoperability between the two countries. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Will Powell)

Successful ATR concludes

Senior Airman Henry Titmus, 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, prepares to launch an F-15 as a Japanese F-4 Phantom II taxies in the background at Hyakuri Air Base, Japan. This salvo of aircraft brought the week's sortie total to 32. Maintenance crews achieved a 100-percent sortie generation rate for the aviation training relocation. (U.S. Air Force photo / 1st Lt. Bryan Bouchard)

JSC Tour, Feb 2010

Members of the 909th Aerial Refueling Squadron and the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron brief a group of students and instructors from the Japan Self Defense Force Joint Staff College about their respective missions at Kadena Air Base, Feb. 3. Approximately 60 senior officers, to include Lt. Gen. Takashi Watanabe, the commandant of the college, made the trip from Tokyo to Kadena as part of JSDF's year-long advanced professional military education program. (U.S. Air Force photo / Staff Sgt. Christopher Hummel)