MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – After more than two decades of service and three separate assignments to Misawa Air Base, U.S. Air Force Col. Matt “SWAT” Kenkel, 35th Fighter Wing (FW) deputy commander, is bidding farewell to the Wild Weasel community and reflecting on a career defined by commitment, connection and combat readiness.
Kenkel first arrived at Misawa in fall 2008 as a captain and young fighter pilot with the 14th Fighter Squadron (FS). During his first tour, he encountered the culture shock of living overseas, the challenge of learning Japanese customs and the adrenaline of being sent to a fighter assignment for the first time.
“I was excited to experience everything Japan had to offer,” he said. “You feel the energy of joining something so established, so dynamic, so mission-driven. You just want to get there, contribute, and be part of the team.”
Kenkel returned to Misawa for his second tour as a major, later promoting to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served as 35th FW chief of safety and later as director of operations (DO) and commander of the 14th FS. By this time, Kenkel and his wife were raising three daughters who attended a Japanese preschool. Their family embraced the community, deepening their ties to Misawa on and off base.
His third and final tour began in 2023 when he assumed the role of 35th FW deputy commander, gaining a wider perspective on the mission and the behind-the-scenes efforts that keep it running.
“It was really interesting to be back at the wing level,” Kenkel said. “You’re not just focused on operations. I had to learn about finances, construction, contracting and security. You’re part of the bigger interworking of all these processes.”
As deputy commander, Kenkel prioritized people-first leadership and readiness. He encouraged these values in every senior leader and agency chief he worked alongside.
“Most people aren’t going to remember a going-away gift or a quarterly award,” he said. “They’ll remember how you made them feel when they arrived and how you sent them off. Making people feel like they’re valued, like they’re part of the mission—that’s how you build a team.”
He spent time in every corner of the wing—climbing into fuel trucks, riding alongside snow plow operators, building bombs, turning wrenches, and working shoulder to shoulder with the medical group as they trained on trauma dummies.
“The most fun part of the job is meeting people where they work,” he said. “The ability to go and sit down next to somebody and really learn about what they care about, what they’re thinking, what their concerns are—that’s the best part of the job because it gets you close to the people.”
Kenkel used every newcomer briefing to challenge Airmen to ask questions and lead boldly, regardless of rank.
“If you don’t know where you fit or what you should be doing or why you’re here, then ask,” he said. “Everybody above you or sitting next to you should know the answer.”
Across his three tours, Kenkel witnessed firsthand how Misawa transformed into a more capable and strategically important installation. Taxiways expanded into alternate landing surfaces, bilateral exercises grew in complexity and partnerships with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force deepened. From a regional outpost to a launchpad for agile combat employment and multilateral operations, Misawa’s mission became sharper, faster and more integrated with Japan’s defense.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re fueling airplanes together, moving logistics together or flying together—we’ve become more intertwined,” he said. “We’re seeing maintainers side by side. We’re learning from them, and I think they’re learning from us.”
As he retires, Kenkel plans to stay in Phoenix, Arizona with his family, where they recently bought their first home.
He will continue flying F-16s as a training platform for upgrading F-35 pilots, keeping the same skills in a different environment.
“I’m going to continue to do the thing that I love, that I became a tactical expert at, but focus on family more,” he said.
Looking back, Kenkel sees his career and legacy deeply rooted in Misawa—the place where he grew from a young captain into a wing deputy commander, raised his family, forged lasting friendships, and led through every stage of his Air Force journey.
“If there is a single base on the planet that I would want my career to be associated with, it would be Misawa,” he said. “I have so much pride in this place, the Wild Weasel mission, what it represents, the groups of people I’ve had a chance to work with, lead with, bleed with. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
When asked to sum up his connection to the base in one sentence, he didn’t hesitate.
“Misawa is our home.”