USO Japan Delivers Morale and Hydration for REFORPAC at Misawa

Misawa Air Base is situated in a remote and strategically vital location in northern Japan’s Aomori Prefecture, about 400 miles north of Tokyo, and is the only dual-service installation in the Pacific, home to both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. Its isolation from other major U.S. military installations, along with being in a foreign country, makes the USO’s presence essential for building community and providing morale-boosting support to service members and their families. The USO has a long-standing history of supporting service members and their families at Misawa Air Base, a primary outreach location for USO Japan. Although the USO does not have a physical location at the base, it has consistently brought programs and events to the community throughout the year. These programs include “Coffee Connections,” a socializing event designed for spouses, the “Quarterly Birthday Cake” to celebrate service members’ birthdays, and “Special Delivery,” a baby shower event. The success of these programs has established the USO as a trusted and reliable partner for the Misawa community.

In August, the U.S. Air Force was conducting Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 (REFORPAC) throughout the Indo-Pacific theater, impacting service members at Misawa Air Base. Responding to a critical request from the Command Chief, USO Japan quickly mobilized to provide essential support for over 900 service members. The call for support from Misawa’s leadership, which highlighted the significant number of deployers and the need for a morale boost, was a mission the USO was ready to answer.

Understanding the long hours in the intense summer conditions, USO Japan collaborated with the local DECA commissary and dedicated Misawa-based volunteers to establish a “mobile hydration station” program. The volunteers travelled directly to the service members’ work locations across the flight line, delivering much-needed cold water and snacks. This on-the-go approach ensured that service members, who could not easily leave their positions, received direct support and a tangible show of appreciation.

This initiative-taking and adaptive response demonstrates the USO’s commitment to supporting service members wherever they are. By working with base leadership and leveraging our volunteer network, the USO not only fulfilled an urgent request but also successfully delivered a high-impact morale boost that ensured the military personnel stationed and deployed at Misawa knew that the USO was there for them - training or not.