Two F-16 Fighting Falcons with the 38th Fighter Group prepare to take-off during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The exercise is an assessment of U.S. and ROK air forces capabilities and combat readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
An F-16 Fighting Falcon with the 38th Fighter Group takes off during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The exercise is an assessment of U.S. and ROK air forces capabilities and combat readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
Members of the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron prepare their gear while responding to a simulated fire during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The exercise simulates various emergency and wartime scenarios base personnel might be called respond to. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
Members of the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron prepare their gear while responding to a simulated fire during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The exercise simulates various emergency and wartime scenarios base personnel might be called to respond to. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
Senior Airman Marlon Brown, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, attaches two hoses while responding to a simulated fire during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The exercise simulates various emergency and wartime scenarios base personnel might be called to respond to. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
Master Sgt. Alphonso Leal, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron, calls in information during a simulated fire on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. This was part of exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1, which simulated various emergency and wartime scenarios base personnel might be called to respond to. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
An F-16 Fighting Falcon with the 38th Fighter Group lands during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The exercise is an assessment of U.S. and ROK air forces capabilities and combat readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Fowler)
Staff Sgt. Sir Thomas, 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron, briefs “inbound” Airmen during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. After landing, the Airmen were put on a bus and sent to the Personnel Deployment and Readiness Function where they were in processed and briefed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Christopher Bierman, 8th Force Support Squadron in-processes Staff Sgt. Jonathan Smith, 8th Medical Operations Squadron during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The role players allow the 8th FSS to practice working with inbound personnel while accepting follow-on forces in a simulated wartime scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Kristie Stefinsky, 8th Force Support Squadron briefs inbound Airmen during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 5, 2012. The role players allow the 8th FSS to practice working with inbound personnel while accepting follow-on forces in a simulated wartime scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Members from 8th Security Forces Squadron place concertina wire around the wing building during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 4, 2012. The wire allows the 8th SFS to control the entry control point and keep people from entering elsewhere. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Robert Byford, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, verifies that a bomb is properly attached to an F16 Fighting Falcon during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 4, 2012. Each missile and bomb must be inspected to make sure it is properly secured to the F-16 before it can take off. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Airmen from the 8th Aircraft Maintenance simulate on a computer the combat load on an electronic countermeasure pod during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korean, Nov. 4, 2012. The simulator allows maintenance to fix any problems with the ECM before it takes off. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Michael Davis, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, goes over the interior of an F-16 Fighting Falcon for any problems before it is ready to fly during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-11 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 4, 2012. The exercise helps maintenance train for real world missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Members from 8th Security Forces Squadron place concertina wire around the wing building during Beverly Bulldog 13-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 4, 2012. The wire allows the 8th SFS to control the entry control point and keep people from entering elsewhere. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Robert Byford, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, verifies that a bomb is properly attached to an F16 Fighting Falcon during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 4, 2012. Each missile and bomb must be inspected to make sure it is properly secured to the F-16 before it can take off. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Airmen from the 8th Aircraft Maintenance simulate on a computer the combat load on an electronic countermeasure pod during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korean, Nov. 4, 2012. The simulator allows maintenance to fix any problems with the ECM before it takes off. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Michael Davis, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, goes over the interior of an F-16 Fighting Falcon for any problems before it is ready to fly during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-11 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 4, 2012. The exercise helps maintenance train for real world missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Airman 1st Class Larry Bell, 8th Force Support Squadron checks M9 paper for contaminates during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 6, 2012. It is important for each team to properly check and report their findings on the paper to guarantee the safety of the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Capt. Sarah Ayers 8th Medical Operations Squadron checks the vitals of Master Sgt. Joshua Franzen, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 6, 2012. The purpose of this inject was to find out how the loss of key personnel affects the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Staff Sgt. Kevin Redus, 8th Medical Operations Squadron verifies the medical records and dog tags of Master Sgt. Joshua Franzen, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron match during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 6, 2012. Accountability is vital during exercise and real-world scenarios. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
Members from the 8th Force Support Squadron strap Master Sgt. Joshua Franzen, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadronto a litter after he was simulated as having a heart attack during exercise Beverly Bulldog 13-1 on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 6, 2012. After the member was secured, he was taken for further medial assessment.(U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcus Morris)
by Col. Douglas Nikolai
8th Fighter Wing vice commander
11/5/2012 - Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea -- KABOOM!
"ALARM BLUE, MOPP 4...THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE!"
Holy Shnikees, Batman! Not an exercise?! I didn't sign up for this! KABOOM!
As I jolt awake, I remember that I am at Kunsan Air Base and am forward deployed 150 miles south from an unpredictable adversary with chemical weapons capable of reaching Kunsan in a matter of minutes.
Recent posturing and current events demonstrate that that tension on the peninsula still exists and the 1953 Korean Armistice remains precarious as evident by this recent headline:
North Korea's military has threatened to strike a South Korean border area where activists plan to launch leaflets from balloons. South Korea immediately vowed to retaliate if attacked.
If this doesn't give you time to pause, then "Wake Up, Wolf Pack - It's Go Time!"
The last couple of months we've had a few 1-day Operational Readiness Exercises to keep us familiar with combat skills and prepare us for future week-long exercises.
Unfortunately, the results of these 1-day OREs have been mixed at best. Therefore, it is imperative that every Wolf Pack Airmen is "ALL IN" during future OREs. These OREs keep us and other US Forces Korea honed against unexpected North Korean aggression and help the Wolf Pack ramp up to excel in our Pacific Air Force Readiness Inspection (RI+) in April 2013.
Here are some tips on how to excel and demonstrate you are ready to "Defend the Base, Accept Follow-On Forces and Take the Fight North".
1. Special Instructions - Read, understand and know them like the back of your hand.
Pay particular attention to areas that will affect you personally and memorize the portions such as the sign andcountersign, chemical codes and duress words that you must use during wartime and OREs.
2. Ability to Survive and Operate (ATSO) - This is the bread and butter of wartime conditions. If you cannot survive and function in a wartime, chemical environment you are of no use. Practice Self-aid and Buddy Care so you can save yourself and fellow Wolf Pack members if the need arises, and know your decon procedures - if you have any doubt, review the videos found on the Wolf Pack SharePoint page.
3. Subject Matter Expertise - Be able to perform your wartime job better than anyone else on base. Take pride in your role here at the Wolf Pack and remember, you are mission critical - we are counting on you.
4. SENSE OF URGENCY AND ATTITUDE - This is the most important attribute of all! When in doubt, react in a controlled fashion as if your life depended on it...because it probably does. When you hear, "ALARM BLUE, MOPP 4," be the first to take cover, get your mission oriented protective postures gear on, assist and check your wingman - spring into action with gusto!
We have several OREs before our formal PACAF RI+, but more importantly we are always 36-48 hours away from real-world contingency operations here in Korea.
