Iran Conflict 2026: US forces from Okinawa supported Operation ‘Epic Fury'

USAF Boeing E-3 Sentry (Serial No 82-0007) flies in support of Operation Epic Fury in late March 2026. (USAF)

Personnel from US Air Force (USAF) units based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa have supported US military operations against Iran, according to the commander of the USAF's 18th Wing.

During a live-streamed interview with the Pentagon's American Forces Network (AFN) on 3 April, Brigadier General John Gallemore said that personnel from the wing had deployed in support of US Central Command (Centcom) and Operation ‘Epic Fury' against Iran.

The US government's decision to take military action against Iran had “an impact on all services because of the size and scale of the military action”, Brig Gen Gallemore said. While he did not specify where the personnel had deployed, he added that they were “in harm's way”.

The US operation began on 28 February and was paused on 9 April in accordance with a two-week ceasefire, according to Centcom commander, US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper. At the time of publication, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has not confirmed whether Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) units that supported ‘Epic Fury' have returned to their home stations.

PACAF referred questions on the deployments to Centcom. Centcom, however, continues to maintain operational security around ‘Epic Fury' and has not discussed specific units, platforms, or mission details.

Wing details

According to the US Fifth Air Force, the 18th Wing comprises nearly 6,600 personnel organised into five main groups: operations, maintenance, mission support, civil engineer, and medical.