Japan-U.S. joint command in action at Yokota AB

   It was revealed that a Japan-U.S. joint command to be established at U.S. Yokota Air Base as part of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan is in fact already active.

   Chief of Staff of the U.S. Forces in Japan Colonel Jerry P. Brown on June 13 said to a House of Representatives Security Committee inspection team visiting the Yokota base that the bilateral joint operations coordination center is in operation.

   This center has the role of a Japan-U.S. joint command, the core of the U.S. forces realignment aimed at integration between the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. forces.

   In reply to a question asked by Japanese Communist Party representative Akamine Seiken, who took part in the team, Brown said that when North Korea launched missiles in July 2006, the U.S. forces and the SDF were able to jointly deal with the situation because they were located next door each other.

   “This facility is useful. Things that used to take several days to carry out now take only a few minutes,” Brown said. He emphasized that Japan-U.S. military ties are being strengthened.

   In connection with the plan to construct a new U.S. Marine base on the coastline of Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Brown said, “It is impossible to not fly at all over residential areas. This is true everywhere in the world.”

   The Japanese government has explained to local residents that aircraft would not fly over residential areas.                     - Akahata, June 14, 2007