51st FW conducts ACE operations with ROKAF, military partners
With a cascading river of history dating back to the Three Kingdoms era, Suwon has long been a cultural and military stronghold. That legacy continued as Suwon Republic of Korea Air Base welcomed follow-on forces from Osan Air Base and the 11th Air Task Force for Freedom Shield 25, held March 10-20.
The exercise focused on deterring aggression and conducting decisive joint training while strengthening U.S. alliances and partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific.
This iteration of Freedom Shield enabled Airmen to train on capabilities that increased survivability and resilience, creating flexibility for friendly forces and complicating the adversaries' targeting process. Executing agile combat employment concepts, with live flying from Suwon ROKAB, was critical to building a maneuverable combined force presence.
“The integration of US and ROK live-fly events into Exercise Freedom Shield 25 enables a realistic rehearsal environment, strengthening operational-level command and control, enhancing readiness across the air component, and demonstrating the preparedness of combined/joint forces to respond in crisis,” explained U.S. Air Force Col. Tanner Woolsey, 607th Air Operations Center commander.
Additionally, for the first time during an FS exercise, the 11th ATF, a combined force of members from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and Holloman AFB in New Mexico, executed command and control for Osan AB aircraft, simultaneously providing essential medical, logistics, and communications support.
Air Force FS25 participants located at Suwon ROKAB enhanced lethal readiness by training alongside ROK Air Force’s 10th Fighter Wing. Furthermore, close coordination between task force members and Osan AB personnel facilitated a high-tempo operational environment, enhancing the readiness of the combined force.
“We rely on our training to be effective so that when we integrate with our ROKAF or other military counterparts we build military readiness and situational awareness,” explained U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Zach Lain, 36th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot. “ACE impacts our support agencies; those members who ensure aircraft are ready to launch and be recovered. By working with partners like the 11th ATF, we involve them in the learning process, so when challenges arise, they have similar experiences to draw back on from the Korean theater of operations.”
During the Korean War, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. military response to the war which built U.S. and ROK defenses between Suwon and Osan, engaged in its first conflict against North Korean forces on July 4, 1950. The defensive positions established there laid the groundwork for Suwon ROKAB, cementing its role in modern airpower and agile combat employment operations.
“For us, talking to other career fields and learning how their jobs tie into ACE within the Korean theater…it’s a unique opportunity,” conveyed U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jesuanette, 11th ATF Combat Air Base Squadron Charlie response force member. “I tried to get a piece of this training by inserting myself, asking questions while also conducting real-world operations.”
“Suwon is different in the variation of challenges, so by exercising our dispersal capabilities, similar to island hopping, we build our resilience and mindset for austere locations,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ezzidin Zafar, 36th FGS ACE project officer. “Equipping ACE means maneuvering around unforeseen incidents that could impact the mission. We surveyed and planned, and even so, when you are here, changes occur, and we must be fluid and adaptable to these challenges.”
Adding international interoperability and dispersal operations to our waters, the 36th Fighter Squadron and Fighter Generation Squadron “Fighting Fiends” rapidly project airpower with dozens of sorties flown each day including hot-pit refueling exercises. Meanwhile, ground teams employed ACE principles in diverse mission sets–from medical response to courting off simulated inert explosives.
“It’s important to test our capabilities to launch aircraft in different locations, with fewer people and in different conditions,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Katelynn Edema, 51st Fighter Wing Wing Inspection Team (WIT) member. “We are trying to do what we do at Osan AB, but with less equipment, manning, and supplies; creating dexterity to our mission as we get the job done with a smaller footprint.”
As a key strategy, ACE enhances force flexibility and resilience, ensuring rapid response capabilities from any location. A strong, unmoving stone molded by the harsh water current that is the unpredictability of an adversary’s decisions. Similar to this rock, the strength of USAF and ROKAF personnel is gritty through repeated training, they stand ready to deter and defend any adversary.
