Through the Eyes of the Consul General of Japan in Detroit

Last March, when I paid a courtesy call to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, I noticed a painting hanging on the wall in his office. “The Wright brothers—heroes of my hometown, Dayton,” Governor DeWine said. He recommended that I visit Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which bears their name, but a year passed without my being able to secure an appointment. Then, by chance—thanks to Colonel Spalding, whom I met at Maestro Keitaro Harada’s concert (see Perspective Vol. 17)—I was finally able to visit the base on March 5 of this year.
 
As rain poured outside, I entered the commander’s office inside the base, where security was tight, perhaps due to the tense situation involving Iran. There, I found a petite woman wearing camouflage.
“I heard about you from Colonel Spalding. Welcome.”
Lieutenant General Donna Shipton greeted me in a calm voice.
 
In addition to hosting the 88th Air Base Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is home to the headquarters of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), the organization responsible for managing the U.S. Air Force’s military equipment deployed around the world. The top commander of this center is Lieutenant General Shipton, who oversees 28,000 personnel.
Yet most of them do not actually fly. Their mission is to procure, maintain, and manage all types of military equipment, including aircraft. At the center, two officials from Japan’s Ministry of Defense—Lieutenant Colonel Kamigatakuchi and Administrative Officer Matsuo—are seconded there to work on the procurement of defense equipment (in addition, Major Suganuma is currently engaged in personnel exchanges related to the development of the C-130). Japan is reportedly the third-largest partner when it comes to procurement after Saudi Arabia and Israel.
 
Along with Lieutenant General Shipton, who has experience delivering six transport aircrafts to Japan, we exchanged views on a wide range of topics including the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and the situation involving Iran. My impression of her was one of pure sincerity. Before meeting her, I had imagined the fierce, hawk-like intensity possessed by some of the female cabinet members in the Trump administration. In reality, she conveyed a far more serene presence. We were able to reach an understanding on strengthening cooperation in the future. I couldn’t help but think that Lieutenant General Shipton would surely be an ideal boss.
Afterward, I received a briefing from the team led by Brigadier General Jeffrey Geraghty (whose nickname is “Jive”), though I will omit the details here. Jive is a test pilot who has changed assignments 19 times over the past 21 years. “I visited Japan for the first time last year. It’s a beautiful country,” he said with a smile.
 
On a personal note, I once lost a close friend, S, in a plane crash in Kenya when I was young. Perhaps because of that, I still feel a little uneasy about flying. “Once we sell an aircraft, we maintain it carefully for thirty years,” Lieutenant General Shipton told me. The staff of AFLCMC—who themselves do not fly—supply and maintain fighter jets and transport aircraft for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Hearing that made me feel somewhat reassured (even if I myself will never be flying on a Self-Defense Force aircraft).
 
When one hears the word “pilot,” it conjures up a glamorous image. Yet, behind that image stands the 28,000 staff members of the U.S. Air Force who never take to the skies. Perhaps that is the true strength of the U.S. military. With that thought in mind, I left Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as it faded in my rearview window into the rain.