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Airstrikes to bird strikes: historic island tackles new battle

A seabird egg rests on Wilkes Island, Wake Atoll, Jan. 31, 2020. Large colonies of seabirds nest on Wilkes Island, which lies under the runway approach for the atoll. Due to this factor, bird aircraft strike hazard specialists have undertaken a project to encourage the birds to move to Peale Island, which is on the far end of the atoll. This is part of the atoll's vital, multi-tiered bird aircraft strike hazard program which supports mission readiness and success.
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Airstrikes to bird strikes: historic island tackles new battle

Peale Island is a location where bird aircraft strike hazard specialists have chosen to attract birds on Wake Atoll, Feb. 1, 2020. The bird attracting project involves habitat management, lifelike decoys, and recordings of an active seabird colony through loudspeakers to attract birds to move across the lagoon. This is part of the atoll's vital, multi-tiered bird aircraft strike hazard program which supports mission readiness and success.
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Airstrikes to bird strikes: historic island tackles new battle

An avian radar system sits at the end of the runway at Wake Island, Wake Atoll, Jan. 31, 2020. The radar system was installed in March 2019 and is used by bird aircraft strike hazard specialists to collect data to track bird trends in the area. The radar also serves as a way to warn airfield operations so they can communicate risks to incoming aircraft. This is part of the atoll's vital, multi-tiered bird aircraft strike hazard program which supports mission readiness and success.
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Airstrikes to bird strikes: historic island tackles new battle

Terns fly over Peale Island, Wake Atoll, Jan. 31, 2020. The atoll is home to large colonies of seabirds as part of Wake Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. This causes the atoll to employ a vital, multi-tiered bird aircraft strike hazard program to prepare for mission success and readiness.
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Air Force members celebrate Thai New Year and Water Festival at Wake Island

Wake Atoll residents, made up of only 100 Air Force members and American and Thai contractors, march during a parade to celebrate the Thai Songkran Water Festival April 16, 2017. The water festival is part of the Thai New Year, Songkran, and is celebrated throughout Thailand each year on April 13th. Wake Atoll is an Air Force installation and airfield located in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and The Philippines and nearly 4,300 miles from Thailand. Wake is a U.S. Territory managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. Wake Island Airfield has a 10,000-foot runway and serves as a trans-Pacific refueling stop for military aircraft in addition to supporting Missile Defense Agency test activities.
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Air Force members celebrate Thai New Year and Water Festival at Wake Island

U.S. Air Force Capt. Allen Jaime, Detachment 1 Wake Island commander, poses with a water gun during a parade April 16, 2017 at Wake Island to celebrate the Thai Songkran Water Festival. Wake Atoll is an Air Force installation and airfield located in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and The Philippines and nearly 4,300 miles from Thailand. Wake is a U.S. Territory managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska. Wake Island Airfield serves as a trans-Pacific refueling stop for military aircraft in addition to supporting Missile Defense Agency test activities. The island residents include approximately 100 Air Force members and American and Thai contractors.
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Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary: honoring the sacrifice of the Wake defenders

WAKE ISLAND ATOLL-- Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary ceremony attendees, including leadership from Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center and 11th Air Force, pay thier respects with a wreath laying and moment of silence at the Marines memorial. The Battle of Wake Island occured just a few hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. John Gordinier)
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Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary: honoring the sacrifice of the Wake defenders

WAKE ISLAND ATOLL--Guests who attended the Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary ceremony including leadership from Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center and 11th Air Force pay their respects and pose for a group photo at the "98 Rock Memorial." It is said that one of the 98 civilian prisoners of war etched a message into the rock; "98 U.S. P.W. 5-10-43." The 98 civilians were executed Oct. 7, 1943 by Japanese forces who controlled the island after the Battle for Wake Island in December 1941. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. John Gordinier)
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Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary: honoring the sacrifice of the Wake defenders

WAKE ISLAND ATOLL-- U.S. Air Force Col. Frank Flores, Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center commander, speaks to attendees during the Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary ceremony. The Battle of Wake Island occured just a few hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. "We honor those brave souls who were lost and those who suffered tremendously," Flores said. "We carry on the tradition of service, dedication and courage through our actions on this island today." (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. John Gordinier)
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Battle of Wake Island 75th anniversary: honoring the sacrifice of the Wake defenders

WAKE ISLAND ATOLL--A small U.S. Air Force installation located approximately 2,000 miles west of Hawaii and 1,300 miles east of Guam is about 10 square miles in size. It was purchased by the U.S. in 1899 and its purpose was to be a telegraph cable gathering station and to refuel war ships for the U.S. Navy as well as merchant passenger and steam ships. Today, Wake Island serves as a platform for Trans Pacific air traffic and critical missile defense tests. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. John Gordinier)
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Supporting the mission: 611th ASUS ensures island functions

Hand-drawn lettering reading “98 US PW 5-10-43” marks a coral head near the shoreline of the Wake Island lagoon in the mid-Pacific. American forces on the island, led by the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Marine Defense Battalion and aircraft from Marine Attack Squadron 211, held out against Japanese assaults for 15 days. Nearly 1,200 civilian workers, racing to develop the island’s airfield in the closing months of 1941, were on the island and participated in the battle. The Americans surrendered on December 23 and 98 of the civilian workers of Wake were kept on the island to aid the Japanese with heavy equipment operation. The “98” were executed by the Japanese on October 5, but an unknown worker escaped and inscribed the event in rock before he was recaptured. The final member of the 98 was personally executed by Japanese Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara, who was later convicted of and hanged for war crimes in a 1947 tribunal. (U.S. Air Force photos/1st Lt. Michael Trent Harrington)
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Supporting the mission: 611th ASUS ensures island functions

A Republic of Korea Air Force C-130J Super Hercules lands at Wake Island Airfield in the mid-Pacific June 3, 2016. The airfield supports an average of 600 aircraft sorties annually, many of them cross-Pacific missions for propeller-driven aircraft from all branches of the U.S. military and its allied partners. Wake Island is more than 600 miles from the next-closest runway in the Pacific.
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