On September 5, 2025, the U.S. Air Force held a ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan, to retire its UH-1N Huey helicopters after more than five decades of service in the region. The event, organized by the 374th Airlift Wing, brought together U.S. personnel and members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in a base hangar.
During the ceremony, Sergeant Kayli Rodriguez, a flight engineer and instructor with the 459th Airlift Squadron, reviewed the aircraft’s history, highlighting the helicopter with tail number 69-6614. Rodriguez recalled its service from the Vietnam War to deployments across the Indo-Pacific. “Tail one-four is a reminder of the past. It’s a symbol of resilience and the ever-changing world around us, yet it remains as reliable as the day it entered service,” she said.
The UH-1Ns arrived at Yokota in 1980 to replace the UH-1Ps, which had been operating since 1971. Since then, they participated in medical evacuations, transport of dignitaries, and rescue missions. Among their most notable deployments was Operation Tomodachi, following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, where the helicopters conducted reconnaissance flights and radiation measurements in Fukushima.
Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Shamburg, a former UH-1N pilot, recalled: “Flying over Fukushima after the earthquake and tsunami was an emotional moment. Just seeing all the damage, you could imagine how lives had been completely shattered. It was a very hard blow. It made you want to help in every possible way.”
In August, the 459th Airlift Squadron conducted its traditional fini-flight, a final flight over Tokyo and Yokota Air Base. The model’s retirement leaves the squadron without an immediate replacement, impacting its ability to transport in areas without runways. The squadron will continue operating C-12J Hurons for passenger transport, light cargo, and evacuation missions.
In the United States, the UH-1Ns remain in service supporting the Air Force Global Strike Command and at the training school at Kirtland Air Base, New Mexico. Rodriguez will continue flying as an instructor: “Fortunately, I don’t have to say goodbye to the UH-1N completely. I will keep piloting Hueys in the U.S., teaching the next generation of Huey flight engineers.”
The 459th Airlift Squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Nolta, closed the ceremony with words of recognition: “As has been said, the Hueys at Yokota had a quiet mission, executed with discreet professionalism by the 459th’s Centaurs. Yet, like the aircraft itself, their consistent success and enormous impact spoke louder than words.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force is moving forward with the MH-139A Grey Wolf, intended to replace the UH-1N in ballistic missile field security. In January of this year, two of these helicopters were deployed on a test and operational evaluation mission with the 550th Helicopter Squadron. If confirmed effective, they will formally assume the mission the Hueys performed for over half a century.
*Images sourced from Yokota Air Base
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