A Shinto priest performs a prayer recital to purify the land during the Air Force Special Operations Command groundbreaking ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Dec. 5. The prayers and offerings are part of a traditional Shinto tradition to purify the site and wish safety on the construction crew. (Staff Sgt. Taylor Workman/Air Force) 
Col. Calvin Hudson, U.S. Army Global Combatant Command engineer, washes his hands before entering an airfield apron groundbreaking ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Dec. 5. Attendees who entered the sacred space were required to wash their hands in observance of Shinto traditions. (Staff Sgt. Taylor Workman/Air Force) 
Air Force and Army partners overseeing the construction of the Air Force Special Operations Command airfield apron symbolically break ground. The AFSOC complex will provide the 21st Special Operations Squadron a permanent home for the CV-22 Osprey as a new apron is added to the existing airfield pavements, as well as new utility and communication infrastructure. (Staff Sgt. Taylor Workman)
