OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --
As the final notification over the giant voice system rings out “ENDEX” and the music plays, members of Team Osan return to daily operations after concluding Exercise Beverly Herd 17-3.
From Sep. 17-22, Osan Air Base tested its capability to generate combat airpower in any wartime scenario, while simultaneously defending the base and sustaining the force.
During the exercise, Osan was battered with simulated artillery, ground force attacks and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear attacks. Each exercise inject had a specific target that the base’s Inspector General’s Office wanted to evaluate to ensure the force’s response was adequate, timely and correct.
“Exercise Beverly Herd 17-3 was used to validate the 51st Fighter Wing's ability to Fight Tonight!” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Amig, 51st Fighter Wing Inspector General. “The Inspection Team threw an array of exercise injects at multiple units on base, and I feel confident in the Wing's ability to accomplish the mission. Our Airman stepped up to the challenge and executed with precision.”
Despite the base experiencing chemical attacks and relentless ground attacks throughout the exercise, the 51st Maintenance and Operations Groups continued to launch aircrafts, and the base’s response times continued to improve throughout the days.
“The primary focus of the 51st OG during Exercise BH 17-3 was to assess and demonstrate our ‘Fight Tonight’ readiness,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Walls, 51st OG commander. “Through exercises such as this, the 51st OG, along with our 51st MXG counterparts, are able to assess the various facets of the warfighting machine and develop valuable lessons learned that we will apply moving forward.”
“Due to the intense realism of the scenarios within BH 17-3, the men and women of the OG were able to get a feel for life during contingency operations,” Daniel continued. “The 51 OG team executed magnificently during the exercise and exceeded all expectations. The initiative and problem-solving skills demonstrated by everyone from the youngest Airman to the most senior aviator was truly impressive.”
After the dust settled and the exercise concluded, members of Team Osan seemed just as determined and focused as ever.
“It seemed like [during the exercise] the Airmen who worked the hardest and sweat the most had the best attitude. It was a reminder that morale does not spring from creature comforts, but from the belief that you and your team did the job right and that the job you did mattered,” said U.S. Air Force Col. William Betts, 51st Fighter Wing commander. “The work we did this week helped guard the freedom of 51 million people!”