Rex Johnson

The 6986th Security Group was a United States Air Force signals intelligence (SIGINT) unit stationed at Wakkanai Air Station, located at the northern tip of Hokkaido, Japan. Activated in 1961, the group played a crucial role during the Cold War, monitoring Soviet military communications and missile activity across the Sea of Okhotsk and the Russian Far East. The unit operated sophisticated electronic surveillance equipment and contributed valuable intelligence to U.S. and allied forces in the Pacific region. The 6986th Security Group was inactivated in 1972, coinciding with the closure of Wakkanai Air Station, as advancements in technology and changes in strategic priorities reduced the need for its presence.