PACAF commander discusses mission, teamwork

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Anna Hayman
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Gen. Gary North made his first visit to Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea, as commander of Pacific Air Forces recently. General North served as the 8th Fighter Wing commander, Wolf 38, from 1999-2000. 

Throughout the three-day visit, he toured base agencies and facilities, talked to Wolf Pack Airmen and flew with members of the 80th Fighter Squadron. The general shared thoughts about PACAF, the 8th Fighter Wing and the mission with the Airmen.
General North expressed how PACAF works with joint and coalition forces to meet today's military challenges. He explained how, working with U.S. Pacific Command, through exercises and the development of operations and communications plans, PACAF ensures that U.S. forces are ready to employ in a full spectrum of operations at any time. 

"Our Airmen need to be prepared to fight tonight," said the general. "They are ready, and I'm very proud of them."
He also lauded the dedicated and courageous professionals in the U.S. and ROK armed forces and the civilian sector who, along with their families, sacrifice to accomplish the mission. 

Moving on to the issues of realignment and modernization, General North spoke about Kunsan maintaining its steady state of mission readiness, as well as obtaining improvements needed to provide Airmen with adequate facilities to live and work in.
"My focus on this trip was to look at where we are today," said General North, "and to make sure that not only quality of life for our Airmen is improved, but also their ability to do their mission sets is enhanced." 

General North then turned to how the wing accomplishes its mission of defend the base, accept follow on forces and take the fight north. He spoke of how, partnering with the U.S. Army and the ROK Army and Air Force, the 8th FW secures the power projection platform that is Kunsan. 

"This layered defense system allows us to generate combat capability from this power projection platform," General North said. "That allows us to do the second part of the mission, which is to accept follow-on forces, so that they can be brought from other parts of the world to bed down and meet mission requirements. At that point, Wolf Pack F-16s come into play, supporting the directives of the U.S. Forces Korea commander. Those three mission sets are the lifeblood and the heartbeat of the Wolf Pack." 

The general also spoke of the 8th FW as a family, with members living and working together far from home. When confronted with the challenges of dated base infrastructure and the separation of Airmen from their nuclear families, General North noted that Kunsan Airmen make the most of the situation. 

"Our Airmen are as excited, as professional, as energetic, as disciplined as they ever have been, and they bring a warrior ethos to the Wolf Pack," he said. "There is no other place in our Air Force that has this type of morale, this enthusiasm and the dedication of the small family dynamic with a group of Airmen who are totally dedicated to their mission. It's great to be back!"