5th Air Force Home

Lt. Gen. Ricky N. Rupp, U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force commander, speaks during the USFJ and 5th AF change of command ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Aug. 27, 2021.

Lt. Gen. Rupp takes command of U.S. military in Japan

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 366th Fighter Wing from Mountain Home Air Force Base Idaho, load onto a C-130J Super Hercules July 27, 2021, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, during Pacific Iron 2021.

Yokota supports joint missions

Misawa City English Camp students take a photo with members of Team Misawa during a base tour at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Aug. 3, 2021. During the tour, students interacted with base leadership and were able to ask questions to better understand the Misawa AB mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman China M. Shock)

Annual Misawa City English Camp returns to Misawa Air Base

Pacific Iron 2021: A Fast, Flexible Force

U.S. Air Force GS-11 employee Brandon Yoneda, air terminal operations duty officer, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kyle Kemble, asset evaluator, both with the 733rd Air Mobility Squadron, pose for a photo at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021.

733rd AMS Air Force members rescue kayakers

Dive into the 5TH Air Force

Welcome to the 5TH Air Force
5th Air Force, with headquarters at Yokota Air Base, Japan, is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organization has provided more than 75 years of continuous air power to the Pacific since its establishment in September 1941.

5th Air Force's impressive warfighting history led to its nickname as the Fighting Fifth, but its enduring presence today is intended to deter aggression and maintain regional stability.

The 13,000 Airmen and Air Force civilians assigned to 5th Air Force and its three main bases partner with Joint services and counterparts from the Japan Self-Defense Forces to defend Japan, respond to regional contingencies, and enhance the half-century-old U.S.-Japan Security Alliance.

Together, 5th Air Force and its Japanese allies are maintaining a clear and visible presence and ensuring a stable and secure environment in the Indo-Pacific region.
5TH Air Force History
Fifth Air Force (5 AF) activated for the first time in its history as the Philippine Department Air Force at Nichols Field, Philippines, in September 1941. The following month the organization underwent a re-designation that reflected a wider area of responsibility in the region: Far East Air Force (FEAF).

FEAF immediately experienced its baptism by fire in December 1941, only a few hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, had drawn the U.S. into World War II. The enemy forces’ strike on the Philippines was also a surprise attack that caught all U.S. forces on the islands flat-footed, destroying most FEAF aircraft on the ground before they could be deployed against the invaders. However, some FEAF aviators succeeded in becoming airborne and engaged enemy fighters, helping to slow the Japanese advance on the Philippines and thereby enabling many Allied forces to withdraw south to the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia) and Australia.

FEAF headquarters relocated briefly to Australia, then Java, and back to Australia as the Japanese war machine pressed forward and expanded the boundaries of its empire. On Feb. 5, 1942, FEAF received its numerical designation, becoming “5 Air Force” and then “Fifth Air Force” September 18 while under the command of Lt. Gen. George C. Kenney. By this time, Fifth Air Force and other Allied air, land, and sea forces had stalled the enemy juggernaut and subsequently began the long counteroffensive to liberate the Southwest Pacific region from the Japanese.

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5TH AIR FORCE MISSION, VISION, AND PRIORITIES