Valiant Shield
Encyclopedia
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
held 19-24 June 2006 in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. According to the Navy, Valiant Shield focused on cooperation between military branches and on the detection, tracking, and engagement of units at sea, in the air, and on land in response to a wide range of missions. The exercise involved 22,000 personnel, 280 aircraft, and 30 ships, including the supercarriers , , and . It was the largest military exercise to be conducted by the United States in Pacific waters since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and it was also the first time observers from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
were allowed to view U.S. wargames. The exercise marked the first of what will become biennial exercises involving different branches of the U.S. military.
Observers
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
were invited to attend, as were naval officers from India, Singapore, Japan
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
, Australia, South Korea
Military of South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...
, Russia, Indonesia
Military of Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....
, and Malaysia
Military of Malaysia
The Malaysian Armed Forces , the military of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Royal Malaysian Navy , the Malaysian Army and the Royal Malaysian Air Force...
. It was the first time observers from the People's Republic of China had ever been sent to observe U.S. war games. China sent a ten-person delegation, including one high-ranking officer each from its navy, army, and air force, as well as officials from its foreign ministry. According to USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Chinese military observers said that observing the exercises gave them a better understanding of U.S. weapons and tactics. Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Zhang Leiyu, leader of the delegation, called the visit to the war games near Guam "a positive step in China-U.S. military ties."
Military ties between the United States and China have not been close ever since a communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
government came to power in China. Admiral William J. Fallon
William J. Fallon
William Joseph Fallon is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who retired after serving for over 41 years. His last military assignment was as Commander, U.S. Central Command from March 2007 to March 2008. ADM Fallon was the first Navy officer to hold that position. His other four-star...
, the top U.S. commander in the Pacific, said it was "a start" that China accepted his invitation to observe the large-scale exercises. Fallon indicated before the exercises began that he expected China to reciprocate. However, neither Zhang or the Xinhua report gave any indication that such an invitation was forthcoming.
The exercise had implications for other world events as well, including acting as a show of force to possibly deter North Korea from test-firing its new Taepodong-2
Taepodong-2
The Taepodong-2 is a designation used to indicate a North Korean two or three-stage ballistic missile design that is the successor to the Taepodong-1.-Details:...
missile.
Operations
Operations in Valiant Shield included Navy, Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, and Coast Guard units. Air operations including thousands of sorties as well as in-air refuelings and parachute deployments. Aircraft from Valiant Shield deployed on missions ranging across the Pacific all the way to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Ship operations included simulated anti-submarine warfare.
Participating forces
- Joint Task Force 519 staff, Pearl HarborPearl HarborPearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... - Joint Task Force 519 Joint Force Air Component Command, Kenney HeadquartersThirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
, Hickam AFBHickam Air Force BaseHickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
, Hawaii - Joint Task Force 519 Joint Force Maritime Component Command, aboard USS Blue RidgeUSS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)USS Blue Ridge is the lead ship of the two Blue Ridge-class command ships of the U.S. Navy, and is the command ship of the United States Seventh Fleet. Her primary role is to provide Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence support to the commander and staff of the United...
-periscope_reading_on_the_ss_petersburg_t-aot_5075.jpg)
Carrier Strike Group Five/Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group
- USS Kitty Hawk, (CV-63)USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk , formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight...
, United States Fleet Activities YokosukaUnited States Fleet Activities YokosukaU.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... - Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), Naval Air Facility AtsugiNaval Air Facility Atsugiis a naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy air base in the Pacific Ocean and houses the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 5, which deploys with the aircraft carrier...
, Japan - USS Cowpens, (CG-63)USS Cowpens (CG-63)USS Cowpens is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser currently in service with the United States Navy.-Overview:The USS Cowpens is currently forward-deployed and is homeported at United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Yokosuka, Japan...
, Yokosuka, Japan - USS John S. McCain, (DDG-56)USS John S. McCain (DDG-56)USS John S. McCain is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is part of the Seventh Fleet, and she has her homeport at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan....
, Yokosuka, Japan - USS Vandegrift, (FFG-48)USS Vandegrift (FFG-48)USS Vandegrift is an of the United States Navy. The ship was named for General Alexander A. Vandegrift , 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps....
, Yokosuka, Japan - USS Lassen, (DDG-82)USS Lassen (DDG-82)USS Lassen is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. Her current commanding officer is Commander W.C...
, Yokosuka, Japan - USS Curtis Wilbur, (DDG-54)USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54)USS Curtis Wilbur is the fourth Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Curtis Wilbur was named for Curtis D. Wilbur, forty-third Secretary of the Navy, who served under President Calvin Coolidge....
, Yokosuka, Japan - USS Fitzgerald, (DDG-62)USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62)USS Fitzgerald , named for Lieutenant William Charles Fitzgerald, USN is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was laid down by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine 9 February 1993; launched 29 January 1994; and commissioned 14 October 1995 in Newport, R.I...
, Yokosuka, Japan
Carrier Strike Group Nine/Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group
- USS Abraham Lincoln, (CVN-72)USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)USS Abraham Lincoln , is the fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy. She is the second Navy ship named after former president Abraham Lincoln. Her home port is Everett, Washington.-Construction:...
, Naval Station EverettNaval Station EverettNaval Station Everett is the United States Navy's most modern facility. It is located next to the marina area of the city of Everett, WA, 25 miles north of Seattle. The Navy Support Complex is located between Marysville and Arlington, 11 miles north of the naval station. Naval Station , Everett is...
, Wash. - Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), Naval Air Station LemooreNaval Air Station LemooreNaval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County and Fresno County, California. Lemoore Station, California, a census-designated place, is located inside the base's borders....
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - USS Mobile Bay, (CG-53)USS Mobile Bay (CG-53)USS Mobile Bay is a Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser serving in the United States Navy. She is named for the naval Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War in 1864. She is currently on deployment to the Persian Gulf, providing support for the John C...
, Naval Station San DiegoNaval Station San DiegoNaval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
, Calif. - USS Shoup, (DDG-86)USS Shoup (DDG-86)USS Shoup is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship is named for General David M. Shoup , the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps....
, Everett, Wash. - USS Russell, (DDG-59)USS Russell (DDG-59)USS Russell is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is the second ship of the USN to carry the name Russell and is named for Rear Admiral John Henry Russell and his son, Commandant of the Marine Corps John Henry Russell, Jr..In May 2004, Russell departed for a four-month...
Pearl HarborPearl HarborPearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
Carrier Strike Group Seven/Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group
- USS Ronald Reagan, (CVN-76)USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy. The ninth ship of her class, she is named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, President of the United States from 1981 to 1989...
, San Diego, Calif. - Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14), Lemoore, Calif.
- USS Decatur, (DDG-73)USS Decatur (DDG-73)USS Decatur is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. The fifth ship to carry the name, Decatur was laid down on 11 January 1996 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched on 9 November 1996, sponsored by Mrs. Joan E. Shalikashvili, wife of John M. Shalikashvili, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;...
, San Diego, Calif. - USS Lake Champlain, (CG-57)USS Lake Champlain (CG-57)USS Lake Champlain is a Ticonderoga class cruiser in the United States Navy. It is the third ship to be named Lake Champlain, in honor of Battle of Lake Champlain, which took place during the War of 1812.-Ship history:...
, San Diego, Calif. - USS McCampbell, (DDG-85)USS McCampbell (DDG-85)USS McCampbell is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy, named for Captain David McCampbell , the Navy's leading ace in World War II...
, San Diego, Calif. - USNS Rainier, (T-AOE-7)USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7)The third US Navy vessel named after Mount Rainier, USNS Rainier is the second ship in the Supply class of fast combat support ships. On September 28, 1991, the ship's sponsor - Mrs. Suzanne Callison Dicks, a most gracious lady and wife of The Honorable Norm Dicks - christened 'AOE-7' as Rainier...
, Naval Base BremertonNaval Base KitsapNaval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. It was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor...
, Washington
Other Navy Units
- USS Blue Ridge, (LCC-19)USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)USS Blue Ridge is the lead ship of the two Blue Ridge-class command ships of the U.S. Navy, and is the command ship of the United States Seventh Fleet. Her primary role is to provide Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence support to the commander and staff of the United...
, Yokosuka, Japan - USS Houston, (SSN-713)USS Houston (SSN-713)USS Houston , a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Houston, Texas. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 1 August 1975 and her keel was laid down on 29...
, Guam - USS Honolulu, (SSN-718)USS Honolulu (SSN-718)USS Honolulu , was a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Honolulu, Hawaii. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 15 September 1977 and her keel was laid down on 10...
, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USS City of Corpus Christi, (SSN-705)USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN-705)USS City Of Corpus Christi , a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Corpus Christi, Texas, though she is the only one required to bear the "City of" prefix .The...
, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United... - USS Tucson, (SSN-770)USS Tucson (SSN-770)USS Tucson , a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Tucson, Arizona. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 10 June 1988 and her keel was laid down on 15 August 1991....
, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USNS Impeccable, (T-AGS-23)USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS-23)USNS Impeccable is an Impeccable-class ocean surveillance ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 2001 and assigned to Military Sealift Command’s Special Missions Program.-Construction:...
- RV Cory Chouest
- MV PFC James Anderson Jr., (T-AK-3002)
- MV MAJ Bernard F. Fisher, (T-AK-4396)
- USNS Watson, (T-AKR-310)USNS Watson (T-AKR-310)USNS Watson is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program...
- SS Cape Jacob, (T-AK-5029)
- SS Petersburg, (T-AOT-9101)SS Petersburg (T-AOT-9101)SS Petersburg is one of Military Sealift Command's six United States of America Government-owned Tankers and is part of the 35 ships in the Prepositioning Program. It is part of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three...
- Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light 51 (HSL-51), SH-60 Detachments 1,2,3,4,6,11, Atsugi, Japan
- Patrol Squadron Nine, P-3C Detachment, Kaneohe, Hawaii
- Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One, EP-3E Detachment, Misawa, JapanMisawa, Aomoriis a city located in eastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 42,399 and a density of 353 persons per km²...
- Strategic Communications Wing One, E-6 Detachment
13th Air Force/Kenney Headquarters (PACAF)Thirteenth Air ForceThe Thirteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 13 AF has never been stationed in the continental United States...
- Pacific Air Operations Center, Hickam AFB, HawaiiHickam Air Force BaseHickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
- 36th Wing36th WingThe United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...
, Andersen AFB, GuamAndersen Air Force BaseAndersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
5th Air Force (PACAF)Fifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
- 18th Wing18th WingThe United States Air Force's 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. It is the largest and principal organization in the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force....
, Kadena ABKadena Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is the hub of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, and home to the USAF's 18th Wing and a variety of associate units.-Units:The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena...
, Okinawa, Japan (F-15CF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
/KC-135KC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
/E-3) - 35th Fighter Wing35th Fighter WingThe 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The 35 FW is part of Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force.-Mission:...
, Misawa ABMisawa Air Baseright|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...
, Japan (F-16CJ)
8th Air Force (ACC)Eighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
- 509th Bomb Wing509th Bomb WingThe 509th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command, Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri....
, Whiteman AFBWhiteman Air Force BaseWhiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately south of Knob Noster, Missouri; east-southeast of Kansas City, Missouri....
, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
(B-2B-2 SpiritThe Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
)
11th Air Force (PACAF)Eleventh Air ForceThe Eleventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska....
- 3rd Wing3d WingThe 3d Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska....
, Elmendorf AFBElmendorf Air Force BaseJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
(F-15EF-15E Strike EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...
)
18th Air Force (AMC)Eighteenth Air ForceEighteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It was activated on 1 October 2003 and headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois...
- 60th Air Mobility Wing60th Air Mobility WingThe 60th Air Mobility Wing is the host unit at Travis Air Force Base in California. It is the largest air mobility organization in the United States Air Force and is responsible for strategic airlift and aerial refueling missions around the world...
, Travis AFBTravis Air Force BaseTravis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(KC-10KC-10 ExtenderThe McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
) - 305th Air Mobility Wing305th Air Mobility WingThe 305th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force strategic airlift and air refueling wing under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command...
, McGuire AFBMcGuire Air Force BaseJB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
(KC-10)
New York Air National GuardNew York Division of Military and Naval AffairsNew York State's Division of Military and Naval Affairs is a New York State agency responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia....
- 107th Air Refueling Wing107th Air Refueling WingThe Air National Guard's 107th Airlift Wing is an airlift unit located at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Niagara Falls, New York.-Mission:Provide aerial transport as directed by the U.S. National Command Structure....
, Niagara Falls, NYNiagara Falls International Airport-Traffic figures:Niagara Falls International received 56,943 passengers in 2008. As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 660 passenger boardings in calendar year 2005 and 1,409 unscheduled enplanements in 2006....
(KC-135)
United States Marine Corps
- III Marine Expeditionary ForceIII Marine Expeditionary ForceThe III Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps that is forward-deployed and able to deploy rapidly and conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to amphibious assault and high intensity combat. III...
, Okinawa, JapanOkinawa IslandOkinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of... - VFA-97VFA-97Strike Fighter Squadron 97 , also known as the "Warhawks", are a United States Navy F/A-18C fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The first Navy F/A-18 squadron to be expeditionary land-based, the "Warhawks" deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan as part of USN/USMC TACAIR Integration...
, Iwakuni, JapanMarine Corps Air Station IwakuniMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...
(F/A-18CF/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
)
United States Coast Guard
- USCGC Galveston Island (WPB-1349)USCGC Galveston Island (WPB-1349)USCGC Galveston Island is an in the United States Coast Guard. She was commissioned on June 5, 1992. Her original home port was Apra Harbor, Guam, but later changed to Honolulu, HI, which she still calls home today....
, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...