Yokota

Yokota Air Base Fussa, Japan

Well the day finally came in October 1986 for me to get on the plane for the longest flight of my life. Due to construction on the runways at Yokota Air Base, I had to take a commercial flight out of Los Angeles to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan! MORE FEAR!

I arrived at Narita without a clue on how to arrange transportation to the base 45-50 miles away. Fortunately, a Colonel saw the desperate look on my face and asked me where I was headed, and I told him Yokota. So was he, and he had a van waiting to take he and his wife to the base, so he invited me along. I got my first real taste of what traffic really was. That 50 mile ride took us over 6 hours!! But I made it safe and sound
I was met by Chief Master Sergeant Jurgen Verhunc. He was the first real live "Chief" I had met in my short career. He and and my sponsor, Senior Airman Terry Daniels, took me to my temporary dorm room where I stayed for the next 2 days. I was petrified to step foot outside my door for fear of getting lost. I survived those long 2 days with just a Snickers Bar and some water.

My 1st job at Yokota was with Headquarters, 20th Weather Squadron. A small 15-person squadron in charge of all weather forecasting support for the entire Pacific theater (except Korea). We had detachments at every major installation in the Pacific.
From October 1986 through September 1989, I learned the skills of my career field and slowly built a reputation as an excellent administrative specialist.
Due to my reputation, I was selected to work for the 475th Air Base Wing Commander, Colonel Charles W. Shackson. I was the sole military administrative support for 2 colonels and the senior enlisted advisor. It was a very rewarding and fast paced environment. After doing that job for a little over a year, I asked to be moved due to burn-out!
I was then assigned to the 475th Security Police Squadron (later changed to the 374th Security Police Squadron) working as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the Operations Flight Administrative Office.

This was a very cool assignment. I got to learn all kinds of things while working with the Security Police. I was certified as a Department of Treasury Customs Inspector; I helped put on demonstrations with the K-9 police (I was ALWAYS the "bad guy"); I got to play the "bad guy" during terrorist exercise scenarios (I once got to take an entire bus full of Generals and Admirals "hostage!"). I also got to go on temporary duties to differnt Japanese air bases, and went on a deployment to Korea in support of the joint exercise "Foal Eagle."

After the initial fear of living away from home shook off, Yokota turned out to be a wonderful assignment! I got to mingle with the local Japanese community, experience their wonderful culture, and eat Sushi for first time in my life! It was a great learning experience for this small town kid!
After six years at Yokota, it was finally time to leave. I received order in August 1992 to go back to the states, specifically, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, home of the F-117A Stealth Fighter.