Max Thunder exercise wraps up with ceremony

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michael Battles
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
GWANGJU AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Participants of Max Thunder 12-1 gathered at the Gwangju Air Base, Republic of Korea base theater for an end of exercise ceremony May 18.

Approximately 720 U.S and Allied service members deployed to Gwangju AB as part of MT 12-1, a two-week long wartime exercise.

"The exercise allowed us to be prepared to fight tonight right now," said Col. Patrick Matthews, Max Thunder deployed commander. Matthews is assigned to headquarters at 7th Air Force.

MT 12-1 is the largest Air Combat Command exercise in Korea and is conducted twice a year. Each exercise rotates leadership roles between the ROK and U.S., and this year's exercise was spearheaded by the ROK.

The joint two-week exercise allowed the U. S. Air Force to work alongside the ROK Air Force through exercise scenarios simulating combined operations against a hostile force.

"This exercise was a series of firsts," Matthews said.

For this year's exercise the Air Force added an extra week to Max Thunder. This extension offered time for the ROK Air Force to conduct their first air-to-air refueling in a Max Thunder scenario, and the U.S. Air Force could execute the first combat search and rescue and tactical airlift mission in this bilateral training environment.

Airmen were also practiced on their ability to generate day and night flight sorties, conduct joint combat search and rescue operations, accept follow-on forces, conduct wartime operations, as well as successfully complete combat air drops.

The 35th from Kunsan and 36th Fighter Squadrons from Osan air bases flew approximately 145 flight sorties and more than 160 hours of in-flight time. Roughly 3,300 hours of missions planning went into completing MT 12-1.

In a message to Matthews, Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, 7th Air Force commander, expressed his happiness on the overall outcome of Max Thunder.

During closing ceremonies, seven Airmen were coin and recognized for supervisor performance throughout the exercise by Lt. Gen. Park Shin Kyu, ROKAF Air Force Operations Command commander.

Superior performers:

Capt. Shaun "AP" McGoffin, 35th Fighter Squadron

1st Lt. James "Dirty" Byrd, 36th FS

Tech. Sgt. Victor Latson - 36th Aircraft Maintenance Unit

Staff Sgt. Jason Aeillo, 35th AMU

Staff Sgt. Bradley Buckner, 35th AMU

Staff Sgt. Marcell Wright, 607th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Cobra)

Staff Sgt. Richard Wright, 51st Security Forces Squadron