OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Members assigned to Osan Air Base conclude Beverly Midnight 24-1, a combined tactical and operational training event hosted jointly by the 51st and 8th Fighter Wing, at Osan AB, Republic of Korea, from Jan. 28 - Feb 2, 2024.
BM24-1 is part of an annual, continuous training schedule designed to strengthen the capabilities and readiness of the 51st and 8th FWs.
Some of the 51st FW’s priorities for this training event included: generating and employing combat airpower in support of allied efforts, defending the base to protect mission generation capabilities, recovering the base, and receiving and staging inbound forces.
“We conduct full-spectrum exercises like these to refine our readiness,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Willliam McKibban, 51st FW commander. “This guarantees we can generate, execute and sustain combat airpower at the highest operational tempo in order to defend the freedom of the more than 51 million lives here on the peninsula.”
Throughout the training event, Airmen were evaluated on response and recovery procedures, tactical combat casualty care, mission-oriented protective posture, and post-attack reconnaissance actions amongst several other unit-specific measures.
“Our wing has made continuous improvements to guarantee we are capable to Fight Tonight,” said Maj. Alexandria Schwartz, 51st FW director of inspections. “With Osan being the most forward deployed permanently-based wing in the Air Force, our responsibility under the Inspector General office is to ensure we identify any discrepancies or safety concerns by helping continuously train to maintain the high level of full-spectrum readiness required to execute the mission proficiently and effectively.”
Routine training events like BM24-1 help maintain the 51st FW level of readiness required to accomplish the ‘Fight Tonight’ mission and allow members to practice contingency response, evaluate performance while sharpening critical skills.