Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi toured MCAS Iwakuni and met with Col. Lance Lewis, the air station commanding officer, today to discuss the role of the air station in support of the U.S.-Japan Alliance.

Lewis welcomed the Defense Minister on his first official visit in this role to MCAS Iwakuni and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss the air station’s role in preserving bilateral security.

During the visit, the Defense Minister and official party received a command overview brief from the commanding officer and toured the air station. The overview brief highlighted the multiple air station assets shared between the U.S. military and Japan Self Defense Force.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of future security cooperation and the value of maintaining a bilateral presence onboard the air station.
Images are available from the link below. The photos are attributed to the U.S. Marine Corps.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Lance Lewis, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, greets Nobuo Kishi, defense minister of Japan, aboard MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 24, 2020. This was Kishi’s first official visit to the air station as defense minister. During his trip, he visited Fleet Air Wing 31 Headquarters, the Air Traffic Control Tower, and received a base tour to observe the air station’s role in preserving bilateral security and the multiple air station assets shared between the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Angelo Sagum)