MARCH 18, 2022 – The strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance was on display as they rapidly coordinated the delivery of 38 tons of non-lethal equipment aid for Ukraine, Mar. 16, 2022.
Allied forces mobilized within hours of the Japanese Government’s decision to provide humanitarian aid supplies to Ukraine completing drop-off, preparation and loading onto a U.S. C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in less than three days.
“Today we see another example of the U.S. – Japan alliance in action,” said Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
“Today our alliance marks a new and unique chapter in our history, by helping our friends in Ukraine. This type of coordination might seem extraordinary, but for allies and friends, it’s ordinary.
Whether a time of war, a natural disaster, or united in opposition to the acts of a pariah, the United States, Japan and Ukraine stand together.”
Before the loaded C-17 Globemaster III left Yokota, Emanuel, Oniki Makoto, Japan’s State Minister of Defense, and Oleksandr Semenyuk, Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of Ukraine in Japan, expressed thanks for the joint bilateral effort and the commitment to the support of Ukraine’s right, and every country’s right, to its sovereignty and freedom from hostile outside interference.
“I’d like to express the deepest gratitude to our Japanese and American friends for their assistance to Ukraine,” said Semenyuk. “It’s not just the cargo, it’s a sign of solidarity.”
Our alliance is built on shared interests, shared values, and a commitment to freedom and human rights; the alliance has never been stronger, and it has never been more important to this region than right now as we face difficult security challenges.
This partnership is constantly displayed through practiced teamwork of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and U.S. Forces in Japan, as they stand ready to face any challenge.
Story by Staff Sgt. Ryan Lackey
374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs