A U.S. Navy aircrewman assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5 helped ensure flight line safety during the 46th annual Friendship Day at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Saturday.
Naval Aircrewman (Mechanical) 3rd Class Joshua Byrd, of McAlester, Oklahoma, scanned the runway for hazards aboard a CMV-22B Osprey operated by Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron 30.
The event, hosted annually since 1973, is designed to strengthen ties between the U.S. military and the Japanese community. Friendship Day features static displays, aerial demonstrations and cultural exchanges that highlight the long-standing alliance between the two nations.
Carrier Air Wing 5, the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed air wing, includes nine squadrons operating a variety of aircraft such as the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Hawkeye, CMV-22B Osprey, and MH-60R/S Sea Hawk. The wing conducts carrier-based air operations throughout the Indo-Pacific region.