Buddy Wing tradition spans decades in 36th FS

  • Published
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  It's a historied tradition that brings together the pilots of the Republic of Korea Air Force and the 36th Fighter Squadron as Osan Air Base. In fact, the 36th FS was giving the ROKAF instruction in piloting back in 1950 as part of a pilot exchange program that continues to this day.

In May, the 36th FS sent four F-16s and 25 personnel to Daegu Air Base as part of the exchange.

The Buddy Wing exchange program places both ROKAF and U.S. Air Force pilots in the same briefings and flying rules that the host unit flies under.

During the exchange, the team flew a dozen planned missions and conducted flight training and academics with ROKAF Airmen of the 110th Fighter Squadron.

The first ROKAF Buddy Wing was on July 2, 1950. Lt Col Edward A. Crum instructed the first 10 ROKAF combat pilots of the Korean War on the F-51.

Sixty-four years later, the alliance and partnership between the United States and ROKAF is still being supported through the buddy wing exchange, which the 36th FS hopes to conduct quarterly.