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.