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Osan 'fights' north in BB 07-01

  • Published
  • By 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Osan's "fight" against North Korea forces came to an end Jan. 26 as the Beverly Bulldog 07-01 Peninsula Operational Readiness Exercise wrapped up.

The quarterly exercise involves Airmen from installations around the peninsula and is designed to prepare the peninsula should North Korea ever attack South Korea.

"Everyone worked hard last week, and I'm pleased with how well the base did," said Brig. Gen. Joe Reynes, 51st Fighter Wing commander. "One thing I want to stress is the need to pay attention to detail and buddy checks. If you take care of the small things, like buddy checks, it will keep you and your Wingmen alive to work on the mission."

The exercise tested the skills of Airmen to survive and operate in a chemical environment as well as ward off attackers.

One of the largest changes from this exercise from those that have taken place in the past was the installation arming and response program.

Under this system, Team Osan was more effectively and efficiently able to provide base security. Instead of pulling augmentees from units, Airmen stayed at their work station and became the defenders for their shops.

This allowed units to keep their valued Airmen for day to day operations as well as provide security for their unit. It also freed security forces personnel to become a quick reaction force for both inside and outside perimeter threats.

Because all Airmen are now involved in base security, battle station postures prepare the installation to anticipate and react to threats by mobilizing and readying the base in an integrated defense effort.

The postures range from Whiskey to Zulu. In Whiskey, security forces provide full-time security operations, and all Airmen contribute as sensors.

On the other end of the spectrum, in Zulu, security forces serve as a quick reaction force, and all Airmen take shelter and defend their battle stations. Zulu is used to signal that the enemy is attacking a sector.

The postures appear similar to force protection conditions or alarm conditions but are distinct since they give the base commander the flexibility to rapidly communicate threat changes to the base. Battle station postures are used by the commander to inform the units to either take shelter or to defend their battle station. The commander controls the rhythm of the war, so the whole base knows how the base in postured in ground attacks. This enhances Osan's ability to defend itself from an enemy ground attacks.