Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Graduation graduation class group photo (Photo courtesy of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Tokyo, Japan — Graduates, government partners and university representatives celebrated the academic achievements of the 2025 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduating class at the Tokyo commencement ceremony at The Hilton Odaiba, in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, December 7, 2025. Students from mainland Japan, Okinawa, South Korea, and as far away as Kazakhstan and Taiwan, celebrated their academic milestone with friends and family amidst breathtaking views of Tokyo Bay and the iconic Rainbow Bridge.
157 students in the U.S. Military Pacific Command were awarded degrees from August 2024 to September 2025 and 59 graduates attended the annual celebration. Graduates were able to celebrate their accomplishments together with their friends, family, university leadership, faculty, and dedicated academic advisors who guided their journeys to degree completion. Each graduate also received important alumni and career services resources. At the reception, Ernie the Eagle, ERAU’s mascot, made a special appearance for candid photos. Undergraduate degrees were awarded in Aeronautics, Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Business Administration, Business Analytics, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Technical Management, Safety Management and Pilot Operations. Master’s degrees were awarded in Aeronautics, Human Security and Resilience, Business Administration in Aviation, Systems Engineering, Aviation Safety, Leadership, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Human Factors, Management Project Management, Aviation Maintenance, Uncrewed Systems, Aviation Cybersecurity and Occupational Safety Management.
Worldwide Campus Chancellor John R. Watret, Ph.D., FRAeS, opened the ceremony and James “Jim” Pepin, Vice Chancellor for Student Success, welcomed the students, families and guests. Mr. Sherwin Baptiste, adjunct faculty for the College of Aviation, and Terry Wettig, Ph.D. commencement speaker, completed the platform party. Hayley Yamanaka, Executive Director for PACOM, served as the ceremony’s reader.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Graduation graduation class group photo (Photo courtesy of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
“With a century of innovation and a decade of military student support in the Pacific, the class of 2025 pioneer the achievements that shape ERAU’s legacy,” said Yamanaka. “They step away from commencement prepared to contribute to the industry’s next era and have honed essential skills through rigorous degree programs that will serve them well across the aviation and aerospace sectors. We remain deeply grateful to our government and industry partners for their support, and to our academic advisors for guiding each student throughout their educational journey. Celebrating our students alongside their families and friends here in Tokyo continues to be a profound point of pride for us.”
Dr. Terry Wettig serves as the Chief of Force Development, Education and Training at Headquarters, Pacific Air Command (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), overseeing voluntary education and training for all military and civilian personnel across bases throughout the Pacific Theater. He has served as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), Maxwell Air Force Base, Gunter Annex, Alabama, where he oversaw 69 associate of applied science degree programs across all Air and Space Force specialties.
A retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, Dr. Wettig spent most of his career in the Security Police career field and enjoyed assignments at a variety of domestic and overseas duty stations. A graduate of the FBI Academy, Dr. Wettig was hand selected to serve as Chief of Task Force Safe Passage and was responsible for relocating and repatriating nearly 8,000 Cuban Nationals from the Republic of Panama to Cuba before his final assignment to CCAF. Dr. Wettig has received multiple military honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal, four oak leaf clusters (OLC); the Aerial Achievement Medal; the Joint Service Commendation Medal; the Air Force Commendation Medal, one OLC; and the Air Force Achievement Medal, four OLCs. Dr. Wettig retired from active duty in 1998 and entered Civil Service in October 2021.
Dr. Wettig received his doctorate degree in Organizational Psychology from Capella University in 2019, where his research focused on the synergies between leaders and followers. His first full-length novel, Double Take, was published in October 2025. Dr. Wettig is a licensed skydiver, a rescue certified SCUBA diver, and ultramarathoner.
“We live in a dynamic and rapidly changing world. Education helps us understand this, helps us to appreciate it, and helps us to guide it. You must reflect upon your journey and practice daily what you have so diligently learned,” Wettig told graduates. “You have worked hard for your education and so now let your education work for you!”
Watret summarized the day’s events, stating: “The graduation ceremony in Tokyo marks not only the achievements of our remarkable students, but also two extraordinary milestones: a decade of partnership with PACOM and the centennial anniversary of our university. As we honor the past and look toward the future, we celebrate the global connections, shared purpose, and enduring commitment to excellence that have brought us to this moment.”
Ceremony Playback Link: 2025 Embry-Riddle PACOM Graduation
Embry-Riddle has served overseas U.S. military students in Europe since 1973 and PACOM since 2015. ERAU began offering aviation undergraduate and graduate certificates and degree programs, EagleVision Classroom (EVC) courses, and on-site advising/support services, to members of the U.S. military stationed at overseas Pacific locations in US Forces Japan (USFJ) and US Forces Korea (USFK) in 2015 under a Department of Defense Education contract. ERAU PACOM’s flagship campus locations, Kadena AFB in Okinawa and Camp Humphreys in South Korea, opened their doors in August of 2015. In 2022, ERAU reaffirmed their commitment to military education in the Pacific AOR under the USINDOPACOM Education Services Agreement (ESA). Since 2015, ERAU has expanded to include eleven campus locations throughout Guam, Japan and South Korea (Andersen AFB, Camp Humphreys, Kadena AB, MCAS Futenma, MCAS Iwakuni, Kunsan AB, Misawa AB, NAF Atsugi, Osan AB, Yokosuka NB, and Yokota AB) and continues to grow. The university also supports students located in Daegu, Camp Foster, Camp Schwab, Torii Station, Camp Fuji, Camp Zama, and more. ERAU celebrated ten years in the Pacific in August of 2025 and is currently celebrating a century of innovation and contributions towards their aviation legacy.
PACOM Military Campus Operations Website: PACOM Military Campuses
AloJapan.com