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ROK and US exercise alliance command and control during UFG '09

  • Published
  • By Lt. Colonel Mark Metz
  • Detachment 1, 701st Combat Operations Squadron
Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea --  "Let's keep our knots up a little while longer." Good advice anytime but especially appropriate as delivered by Col John Marselus, 607th Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) Commander, at the final end-of-day leadership meeting for Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) which concluded a six-week series of exercises. This year's UFG was a major undertaking involving diverse forces from around the world, coming together to improve combat capability in the Republic of Korea. 

Designed to test the Command and Control ability of forces in Korea, UFG is a Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff directed exercise involving airmen, soldiers, sailors and marines from both the US and Korea. The 607th AOC is the Air Force expert on this type of combined warfighting as they share their Air Operations Center weapons system with their ROKAF counterparts 24/7, 365 days a year. Other organizations may work with other nations occasionally but, in the words of Chief Master Sgt. Sean "Rico" Stevenson, 607 AOC Superintendent, "The combined ROK-US planning of air operations goes well beyond large scale exercises like UFG, it happens year-round as we execute armistice operations. No doubt, we live, breath, and fight next to our ROKAF counterparts every single day." Each US position in the KAOC has a Korean counterpart and all communications and briefings are delivered in both English and the Korean. This hand-in-glove partnership is vitally important in the Korean theater which is technically still at war under the Armistice agreement of 1953. "Our vision is to be The worldwide standard for operational level air, space and cyberspace for major combat operations' says Col Marselus and "exercises like UFG provide a tremendous venue to sharpen our swords as we move towards transformation in 2012." This mission transfer is a top PACOM priority, and in effect will transfer authority for operations on the Korean peninsula from the US-led Combined Forces Command to the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff within three years. UFG '09 is the first exercise to operate under the new command structure and has drawn significant high-level attention. During the exercise, the AOC received visits from Korea's Minister of National Defense and the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as the Commander of United States Forces Korea and the Commander of United States Transportation Command. Senior enlisted leaders of both forces also provided motivation and support to their airmen during the grueling, six week event. 

For a major exercise such as UFG, the 607 AOC leverages the contributions of a diverse group of warriors. It begins with the 701st Combat Operations Squadron, a reserve unit specifically created to augment the 607 AOC during exercises, contingencies and war. Unlike the active duty personnel who transition to other bases after one or two years, the reservists of the 701 COS return to the Korean peninsula year after year, providing invaluable continuity and corporate knowledge to the AOC. "We have members who are participating in their 15th major Korean exercise" said Col Doug Hall, the 701 COS Commander. "It's a tremendous force multiplier and has been the blueprint for Reserve Component support to Air Force Command and Control around the world." Lt Gen Jeff Remington, the 7th Air Force Commander, agrees with that assessment. "We simply cannot do our job without the men and women of the 701st. They are absolutely vital to our ability to generate combat airpower". 

The 607 AOC also calls on members of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, the US Army's Eight Army and the Third Marine Expeditionary Force to provide liaison with the component commanders as well as command and control expertise. Additionally, the AOC receives augmentation from around the world with airmen traveling from as far away as Europe to participate. According to Col Marselus, "We are without a doubt the most Combined, Joint, Total Force team of warfighters out there today!" 

Integrating this unique force requires coordination and a lot of teamwork from home and abroad. Osan's 51st Fighter Wing supports the exercise by standing up Tent City, a massive undertaking which provides valuable training in field condition operations while billeting the augmentees. Training and mentorship is provided by the 505th Command and Control Wing from Hurlburt AFB, Florida, whose members, all vastly experienced AOC warriors, partner with the 607 AOC to bring augmentees up to speed and keep every member of the AOC on course during the exercise. It all comes together to provide a realistic training environment that can challenge the entire AOC team. Colonel Marselus sums it up by stating, "After six weeks of long days and nights, this year's UFG soundly proves the 607 AOC is ready to meet and excel at our combat mission. We're 100% ready to provide unsurpassed command and control of air, space and cyberspace operations across the full spectrum of military operations in defense of the Republic of Korea, while continuing to maintain peace on the peninsula."