Mustangs close out BB 14-02

Published May 9, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Ashley J. Thum
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The week-long Operational Readiness Exercise Beverly Bulldog 14-02 came to an end, May 9.

Airmen cheered and many waved their helmets in the air at the first notes of "Proud to be an American," the base's traditional signal for the end of OREs.

Brig. Gen. Russ Mack, 7th Air Force vice commander, said OREs are a necessary part of service in the Republic of Korea.

"Beverly Bulldog is part of our annual, peninsula-wide training developed around realistic training scenarios and designed to defend the ROK, protect the region and maintain stability in the Republic of Korea," Mack said. "Each of you plays a vital role in allowing us to execute that mission."

Along with the 51st Fighter Wing's own exercises throughout the year, known as Beverly Midnight, BB 14-02 was another step toward guaranteeing the men and women of Osan are prepared to fulfill their role in any potential real-world contingency operations.

"The mission of the 7th Air Force is to employ airpower, deter aggression and to maintain our armistice," Mack said. "We will defeat anyone that impinges upon our alliance."

Mack said Airmen should remember their individual role during exercises, taking care to keep an eye on the basics, like how to properly wear their mission oriented protective posture gear and perform self-aid and buddy care.

"By understanding the basics, you'll decrease your chances of being a liability and increase our chances of mission success," Mack said.

Looking ahead to future exercises, Mack emphasized the importance of building on the foundation of this and previous OREs.

"I ask all Airmen to learn from this exercise, capture our lessons learned and tie them back to our mission - to deter, defend and defeat," Mack said. "Thank you, warriors, for all that you do."