35th Fighter Wing Housing and PCS Town Hall

Published April 17, 2025
By Senior Airman Patrick Boyle
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --

The 35th Fighter Wing (FW) hosted a Town Hall to address ongoing concerns and updates regarding housing and the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) process at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 16, 2025. U.S. Air Force Col. Paul Davidson, 35th FW Commander, began the event by reaffirming leadership’s dedication to supporting Airmen and their families through every transition, ensuring their well-being remains a top priority.

Col. Davidson was joined by subject matter experts who provided clarity on housing availability, waitlist timelines, and recent PCS guidance. The panel addressed audience concerns, emphasized improved communication efforts, and reiterated the wing's commitment to resolving issues by working closely with higher headquarters and base support agencies.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Sutton, 35th Force Support Squadron personnel flight chief, answers a question about the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders process during a PCS and housing town hall. — U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Sutton, 35th Force Support Squadron personnel flight chief, answers a question about the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders process during a PCS and housing town hall at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 16, 2025. Clarification of the PCS orders process underscores the 35th Fighter Wing’s dedication to ensuring personnel transition seamlessly, preserving mission continuity and maximizing operational effectiveness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Hannah Bench)

Panel Members:

Lt. Col. Daniel Blomberg, 35 CES Commander

Capt. LeeRoy Stark, Chief, Public Affairs, 35 FW

2nd Lt. Alexis Pacheco, Traffic Management Office (TMO) Officer in Charge, 35 LRS

MSgt Matthew Hawk, TMO Superintendent, 35 LRS

MSgt Anthony Sutton, Military Personnel Flight Chief, 35 FSS

Ms. Meagan Gant, Housing Management Assistant, 35 CES

Topics Discussed:

Personal property and passenger travel

Accelerated PCS orders process

Housing

Housing inventory/entitlement

Housing assignment policy/process

Temporary furnishings

Health and safety

AF Connect app: base housing widget

The S.T.O.P. technique

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Hawk, 35th Logistic Readiness Squadron first sergeant, responds to questions about housing during a town hall. — U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Hawk, 35th Logistic Readiness Squadron first sergeant, responds to questions about housing during a town hall at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 16, 2025. Addressing housing concerns highlights the 35th Fighter Wing’s steadfast dedication to supporting Airmen and their families, ensuring mission execution and maintaining operational readiness during their transition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Hannah Bench)

Concerns Addressed and Questions Answered:

35th CES is actively working to address recurring power outages caused by flawed electrical cables installed 3–6 years ago, which can only be replaced after failure; troubleshooting these high-voltage lines requires cutting the cables, leading to repairs that take a minimum of four hours. While the Air Force aims for 99.9% uptime—allowing approximately nine hours of downtime per year across the entire base—infrastructure funding falls short of the recommended 4% of base value, with only about 1.7% currently allocated. Fixing the power grid is possible, but it will require sustained investment and long-term commitment.

Engineer support from CE has remained consistent; however, it may seem reduced due to a shift toward high-priority mission readiness facilities, an increased focus on military engineer training, snow removal operations during winter, and staffing limitations from reduced civilian personnel budgets, all amidst growing demands such as the F-35 bed down.

The current status of moving company contracts reflects a significant wait time due to a peak season from Feb. to Sep. 2025, with local agent capacity limited to about 240 inbound/outbound shipments due to manning shortages; service members should get orders early to book shipments, and there may be availability between June and September, with DEROS extensions recommended, as U.S. Transportation Command and Personal Property Headquarters are monitoring the situation closely.

The housing office is reviewing housing policies for the upcoming PCS season, but current guidance from U.S. Forces Japan, Fifth Air Force, and the wing sets expected occupancy levels for Government of Japan houses, making it difficult to predict housing needs on short notice; the policy is based on fluctuating demand, and in the future, having inbound members submit their housing data early may help prevent similar situations.

The Passenger Travel Office will book families commercially to their next Permanent Duty Station or port of entry if the biweekly rotator is full and no Osan pet slots are available, after which pet reservations become solely the service member’s responsibility to arrange, following the Smart Travel Online (SATO) Passenger Service Work Statement.

The wait to move out of the dormitories remains long due to policies requiring a 90% occupancy rate to ensure a return on investment for both the United States Government and the Government of Japan. Priority on the two-bedroom waitlist is based on need, and the recent reopening of Dorm 542 has further reduced overall occupancy, which must be filled before additional residents can be relocated.

Housing has considered relocating accompanied members but must comply with Department of Defense and USFJ regulations, including entitlements outlined in AFI 32-6000, and maintain a 90% occupancy rate to meet obligations with the Government of Japan. While some townhomes may appear vacant, many are pending construction projects. Additionally, the use of H-style homes for unaccompanied housing is part of a trial phase currently facing resistance, which limits the ability to fully convert these units.

Off-base residents cannot reserve the community rooms in the Residential Towers due to fiscal law and DAF policy, as those facilities are funded for on-base residents only; however, off-base residents can reserve multi-purpose rooms at Community Commons, Mokuteki, and other locations. For dorm-related morale events, it's recommended to coordinate with FSS to reserve the Mokuteki room or work with the Dorm Council for potential use of the dorm day room.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Daniel Blomberg, left, 35th Civil Engineering Squadron commander, hands the microphone over to U.S. Air Force Maj. David Parks, 35th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron director of psychological health, during a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) and housing town hall at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 16, 2025. The 35th Fighter Wing’s integrated approach to addressing both infrastructure and mental readiness ensures Airmen are fully prepared to execute the mission with resilience and precision during PCS transitions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Hannah Bench)

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Leadership Emphasis:

Col. Davidson stressed several key points:

Acknowledged that moving can be difficult, but reaffirmed leadership’s goal of being supportive through that process.

Reinforced that despite the logistical challenges faced in a remote area, the 35th FW is dedicated to navigating the moving process smoothly.

Highlighted the 35th FW’s dedication to remaining a reasonable organization, delivering what is owed to its members.

Encouraged anyone in a dire situation to seek help through their chain of command.

“Misawa is focused on three things- mission, culture and community,” said Col. Davidson. “We have a great community, but it’s things like this where we work together, through all the friction and tough times. Help hold us accountable and we will do our best to continue to make this a great community.”

Misawa is focused on three things- mission, culture and community. We have a great community, but it’s things like this where we work together, through all the friction and tough times. Help hold us accountable and we will do our best to continue to make this a great community.Col. Davidson

Town Hall PCS and Housing Slideshow

Slideshow presented during the PCS and Housing Town Hall on April 16, 2025 at Misawa Air Base, Japan.

SLIDESHOW | 17 images | Town Hall PCS and Housing Slideshow

This graphic serves as a download link for the U.S. Air Force Connect app for Apple and Android devices. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell)