I am Tsumagari, President of JAAGA, successor of Gen Tohtake, former
President. I will make my best efforts for the administration of JAAGA
which many members have brought up, headed by successive presidents. I
will be very happy if you give us great support and cooperation.
The goal of JAAGA is to promote programs which promote mutual understandings
and friendship between the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) and the
United States Air Force (USAF) and contribute to the reliability between
Japan and the United States. We will have a big phase, 15th anniversary,
in the next year. We can see today’s remarkable development which has been
achieved step by step by great efforts and devotions of JAAGA seniors and
good understanding and supports of JASDF and USAF in the period.
When we see the world, there have been varieties of threats such as the
development and the proliferation of nuclear weapon and missiles. Mixed
with the territory issues and the race of resources acquisition, there
have been continuously seen of uncertain, not transparent and unstable
conditions in the area surrounding Japan, such as the increase of China’s
air and naval power which is said to be a military expansion of not transparent
and problem of the North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.
It goes without saying that Japan-U.S. alliance is indispensable for
the defense of Japan, and its credibility is based on and attained by the
continuous effort between two nations. In that sense, the activities of
JAAGA are important and significant as concrete and close actions in the
scene such as U.S. air bases of Yokota, Misawa and Kadena and other JASDF
bases.
JAAGA is operated under the good understandings and the big cooperation
by regular members, JASDF OBs, individual support members and corporate
support members. We, including new secretariats, will do our best together
for further development of JAAGA. Fellow members, please give us your best
supports. Thank you very much.
（Gen(Ret.) Yoshimitsu Tsumagari, seventh Chief of Staff, JASDF）