The Faces Behind Field Conditions Published Aug. 22, 2025 By Staff Sgt. Joshua LeRoi and Senior Airman Josephine Pepin Seventh Air Force OSAN AB, Republic of Korea -- Before thousands of U.S. and allied personnel could train for the Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 exercise, a small group of Airmen had to build a place for them to live. The Base Operating Support-Integrator team arrived at Osan in late July and had less than two weeks to stand up Rush Park, a temporary accommodation site designed to house more than 500 augmentees for the exercise. The 37-person team, drawn from five career fields and 22 Air Force specialties, worked long days in sweltering summer heat to construct what became known as “Tent City.” Their task included building tents and furnishing K-SPAN structures and ensuring transportation and recreation facilities were in place before participants arrived. The effort involved nearly $2.2 million worth of equipment and required round-the-clock teamwork. “To build this fast, we train, train, train,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Garcia, 635th Materiel Maintenance Squadron capability generation team lead. “The hardest part of the job is usually the weather. We’ve had to adjust our shifts to start at 2 a.m., but we always get the job done.” Beyond infrastructure, the BOS-I team also ensured accountability and quality of life for participants. Personnel specialists tracked augmentees from airport pickup through in-processing and assigned lodging by shift schedules to maximize rest and readiness. Ground transportation Airmen operated buses around the clock, and services Airmen maintained morale through sleeping arrangements and recreation options. The ground transportation team faced one of the exercise’s toughest logistical hurdles, keeping buses running 24/7 to move augmentees across the base. Previously operating only during limited weekday hours, the team stretched its personnel across three shifts to maintain 24-hour service. While driving itself wasn’t difficult, the challenge came in balancing long hours, ensuring drivers received proper breaks, refueling vehicles, and staying ahead of maintenance issues to keep the operation running smoothly. “Overall, between all our teams, everybody came together and we were able to put everything together,” said Tech. Sgt. Leidemar Pescador, 129th Rescue Wing bed-down contingency team lead. “It’s been successful and I’m grateful. I’m most proud of the team because it’s hard to find a place where everybody comes together to get the mission done this easily.” Capt. John Hussain, dubbed “camp mayor” of Rush Park, acted as liaison between BOS-I and the Airmen living in the camp. His role included solving daily challenges, keeping morale high, and ensuring the needs of more than 500 residents were met. “It was really special to see,” Hussain said. “We had 37 people just get the job done in 100-degree heat. Some had never touched certain tools before, but they showed up with a no-quit attitude. Supporting this mission, which will pay dividends in potential future conflicts, was nothing short of special.” Ulchi Freedom Shield, an annual joint and combined exercise, is designed to test readiness across all domains in the Indo-Pacific. For participants, living in field conditions is part of that training, testing their ability to adapt while operating with allies under challenging conditions. But for BOS-I, the exercise was just as much about readiness. The team’s rapid setup and problem-solving skills reflected the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concepts, ensuring forces can deploy quickly and operate in austere environments. “When you come to a place like this, you remember the why,” Hussain said. “Getting down and dirty with civil engineers, seeing lodging and ground transportation firsthand, it makes you better at your craft. It was special to watch the team come together and make this happen.”