General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force commander, walks to a 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron E-3 Sentry for a familiarization flight at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. General Rupp visited Kadena on a familiarization tour, meeting Airmen from various squadrons to recognize their efforts in day-to-day operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force commander laughs with 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen before his flight on the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron’s AWACS at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. General Rupp visited Kadena on a familiarization tour, meeting Airmen from various squadrons to recognize their efforts in day-to-day operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force commander boards a 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron E-3 Sentry for his familiarization flight at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. The flight was an opportunity for General Rupp to learn how the 961st AACS conducted their operations and how the aircraft’s systems functioned. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force commander speaks with members of the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron before take-off aboard an E-3 Sentry at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. General Rupp spoke with the flight crew and familiarized himself with their duties aboard the airborne warning and control system. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

Airman 1st Class Paul Richmond, 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron engines specialist, rolls detached tubing from an E-3 Sentry before take-off at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. The tubing is part of a ground cooling unit for aircraft that helps keep the interior cool while the engines are powered off. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintainers prepare an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft with the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, for U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp familiarization flight at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. The AWACS’s radar system provides necessary information for friendly forces to accomplish missions within the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

Airman 1st Joshua Thompson, 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron front-end avionics specialist, salutes an aircraft as it departs the flight line at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 05, 2023. After marshaling an aircraft, a salute is rendered not only as a sign of trust and respect but also lets the pilot know the aircraft is airworthy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon)

General Rupp flies with the 961st AACS

Published May 10, 2023
By Airman 1st Class Luis E. Rios Calderon
18th Wing Public Affairs