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U.S. commanders at the Misawa air and naval base in Japan have authorized the voluntary departure of government and military family members from Japan.

U.S. Air Force Colonel Michael Rothstein, commander of the 35th Fighter Wing, and U.S. Navy Captain James Haugen, commanding officer of Naval Air Facility Misawa, addressed the Misawa community in an American Forces Network broadcast on March 17.

In the broadcast, Colonel Rothstein informed the base that the U.S. Department of State and the Defense Department has authorized voluntary departure of government and military family members from Japan.

Exact details of the voluntary departure process from Misawa are being ironed out at this time.

Colonel Rothstein also reassured the base community concerning fears about the power plant near Fukushima, Japan. Wing agencies are diligently working to sample air qualities and have assured him that there has been no significant change and that there probably will not be one, he stated.

"I want to make this clear, Misawa is in no immediate danger," Colonel Rothstein said. "The reactors in Fukushima, even if the worst scenario was to happen, will not put Misawa in danger and we will continue with our humanitarian relief efforts in the area."

Click here to read more at Misawa.af.mil (via Tech. Sgt. Phillip Butterfield)

In addition, the U.S. Air Force commander of Yokota air base, Colonel Otto Feather, addressed his community on Thursday via American Forces Network radio:

I've got an update. I've got some good news: I know there are a lot of people trying to figure out how to get out of here, and I'm not surprised that there are people that want to get on the road. I think the State Department is going to be releasing some information in the not-too-distant future to talk about some voluntary airlift going out of Japan.

We're still trying to sort out what it would be or how it would work, but the last thing we want is people panicking and clamoring and clawing to get out of here, at a time when we need calm and patience. So, for those folks that really want to go, I think we're going to be able to offer an opportunity in the next couple of days, or so, to make that happen.

The important thing is--and I know everybody just got done listening to that last broadcast--that we want to be responsive. We don't want to be reactive. It's not like people in the theatre who want to rush out the door all at the same time because somebody yells "fire!"

We want to have a slow "get up out of your seat, watch the credits, and drop your popcorn in the trash" kind of approach. Because there are so many [people] that want to leave, I think it's good that it looks like we're going to be able to do that; and it will be at government expense.

I don't have all the details on it--as a matter of fact, I have very few details on it--e.g. where it would be, how we would approach it and the like. But, as always, you can rest assured that we will putting that [information] out on the Commanders Access Channel, Channel 20. And in the meantime, as we're sorting through it, the air at Yokota is good, the water is good, and so is the chow.

So we're prepared: we've got our ducks in a row, everybody's got a chance to take a look at how to do this, and, again, we practice it all the time. So we're pretty proud of our profession, of what we do. For us airlifters, this is bread and butter.

Click here to read more at Yokota.af.mil.