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Korean Air supports movement of troops

  • Published
  • By Joe Lepanto, courtesy article, USTRANSCOM
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  

Two Korean Air Boeing 777 aircraft, contracted by U. S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, moved more than 500 troops from various units assigned to the 25th Infantry Division to Clark International Airport in the Philippines in support of exercise BALIKATAN at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, May 4, 2018. 

 

The U.S. and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have an international agreement called the Mutual Airlift Support Agreement, or MASA for short.

 

The MASA increases airlift capability and flexibility to USTRANSCOM during a contingency by using Korean Air aircraft to transport U.S. troops and equipment to forward operating bases in or near the Korean peninsula. 

 

The purpose of the MASA exercise, which was held for the first time at Osan Air Base, was to test interoperability and procedures between the U.S. military, ROK Air Force, and Korean Air Lines.

 

To accomplish the exercise, close coordination between USTRANSCOM, the ROK Air Force, U.S. Forces Korea, Korean Air, and the Osan Air Base team was required.

 

Base Operations personnel assisted with aircraft operations while members from the 731st Air Mobility Squadron (AMS) processed passengers and loaded the aircraft with personnel baggage.

 

According to Tech. Sgt. Miles Marxer, 731st AMS noncommissioned officer in charge of passenger operations, 731st AMS is the DoD's main aerial port of debarkation and embarkation for all of the peninsula.

 

The unit worked as liaisons and mission planning subject matter experts to handle the entire exercise on the flightline.

 

“The MASA exercise was geared much more like a commercial movement than a traditional mobility movement,” said Marxer. “For example we issued boarding passes with seat assignments, which we normally do not do. We also loaded baggage bins and gathered weights instead of loose loading the baggage and the Soldiers had to provide a seat map and choose which meals they wanted to eat.”

 

The MASA demonstrates the U.S. resolve to support the South Korean people and the close alliance between U.S. and ROK.

 

With the participation of everyone working closely together, the Soldiers landed safely at their destination.