51 FW Priorities, 4 ways to defend freedom

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  • 51 Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  This is the first in a series of articles relating an overview of the 51st Fighter Wing priorities at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The way Team Osan achieves these priorities and contributes to the readiness and sustainability of Osan AB as an assignment will be explored through four command  priorities which are: Building fight tonight readiness, strengthening the base and team,  growing leadership and professionalism, and driving innovative solutions. Concluding the series will be a wrap-up article with a video showing the broad points of the wing's priorities.

In the last series, the principles and main mission of Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, were shown through divers areas including how Airmen defend the base, execute combat operations and sustain the force on the base. In addition to accomplishing all of the aforementioned, the role of the 51st Fighter Wing plays in defending the freedom of 51 million people in the country of South Korea is further emphasized through the command's priorities: building fight tonight readiness, strengthening the base and team, growing leadership and professionalism, and driving innovative solutions.

"We're here to guard the freedom of 51 million people," said Col Brook Leonard, 51st FW commander, at a commander's call Feb. 19, 2015 . "That's why our first foot is always going to be readiness. That's why we do more (Operational Readiness Exercises) than training days. That's why we spend all this time and money on putting up permanent infrastructure."

For mustangs of the 51st FW, readiness is paramount and omni-present. Airmen inbound to Osan AB are quickly oriented to the base's designs and mission. Within 24 hours, all newly arrived Airmen are required to inprocess, and are then enrolled into the Ready Mustang Program, a 10-day, mission-propelled requirement with the intent to better prepare Team Osan to embody the mindset of a mission-ready Airman. 


Likewise, improving or strengthening the base and team is an almost equally important part of a person's tour at Team Osan. The priority of strengthening the base and team is intended to emphasize and incentive Airmen to look at the big picture and ways they can improve processes, not just for personal gain, but to enhance the flow of operations of the entire base. Because the majority of tours at Osan are one-year long, it's possible for Airmen to lose sight of their effectiveness in the present by looking too toward the future. But Leonard says Airmen must remain strong throughout the duration of their assignment.

"You've probably heard me use the analogy of the relay race all the time," said Leonard at the all call. "What I like is that the fastest 100-meter split isn't one runner but a team. We have to stay strong and up to speed to hand off the baton at the end of our tour."


Growing leadership and professionalism shows that the men and women of Osan AB care about their relationship with their host-country and present themselves as professionals 24/7. The United States and ROK have had a positive relationship for more than 60 years, and Team Osan contributes to this alliance by community involvement and volunteering, whether it be cleaning up the streets as part of the Troops for Trash program, or regularly visiting local orphanages through the Chapel, this priority emphasizes the point of strengthening the alliance through positive international relationships.


Finally, driving innovative solutions focuses around the concept that there is always opportunity for improvement. At Osan AB, Airmen are encouraged to celebrate their successes and learn from their mistakes. And while it's important to be comfortable in one's strengths, it's also become a Team Osan trademark to "call the baby ugly."  This priority seeks to encourage Airmen to look past the idea of Osan as just a short-tour or burden to shoulder for a year. The 51st FW regularly exercises this priority thorough quarterly OREs, and has undergone several verification processes for its maintenance, mission support and reception working groups.

The four priorities are the guiding ideas and ways in which Mustangs can help make their tour at Osan AB a better and more meaningful, one. Readiness, teamwork, leadership and professionalism, and driving innovation are the ways in which Team Osan accomplishes the mission and defends freedom.

Next week we'll begin with a greater look at how Team Osan builds fight tonight readiness with features on the Armament and Weather Flight on base.