Dragons provide more bite for Beverly Bulldog Published Nov. 20, 2013 By Spc. Shawn Denham 35th ADA Public Affairs OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Operational updates, warnings and instructions blast over the base-wide public announcement system and are heard on 'Readiness Radio' on the local Armed Forces Network radio station. Jets take off at all hours of the day and night and Airmen are seen patrolling roads and passages normally empty of security personnel. It's the Beverly Bulldog exercise for Nov. 2013 and this time there is a twist. Soldiers from the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade trained alongside 51st Fighter Wing Air Force personnel during the peninsula-wide training exercise here, Nov. 20. This marks the first time the Dragon Brigade partnered directly with their Air Force counterparts during a Beverly Bulldog exercise on Osan AB. "[The 35th ADA] represent a large and critical part of the team," said Col. Brook Leonard, commander of the 51st FW. "This is going to be another big step forward as we integrate the whole base like we would for real." "This is part of the crawl/walk/run type of training," said Capt. Christine Gant, an officer with the schools and training shop for the 35th ADA. "Right now we're starting for the first time; we're going to see how this will work." Specifically, the 35th ADA's participation this week is aimed at integrating with the 51st FW during ground combat operations, said Gant. The Air Defenders will also be practicing their primary mission of providing air and missile defense, providing commanders at all levels an umbrella of security from which to operate. Realistic training is the hallmark of Beverly Bulldog, as Team Osan is always practicing for its wartime mission. During such exercises some on-base services are disrupted temporarily to allow for more training opportunities. Barricades with concertina wire block access ways and sentries at checkpoints make sure no unauthorized personnel gain access to secure sites. Opposing forces, the ubiquitous "OPFOR," roam the base, causing havoc wherever they go so security forces personnel and Air Defenders gain experience is facing off against potential threats. The Dragon Brigade Soldiers defended their operational headquarters and tactical sites from the attackers using blank rounds and tactical movements, said Gant. Sgt. Justin Spaunhorst, a communications team chief with the 35th ADA, led his gun truck team, a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle, or "humvee," complete with .50 caliber machine gun, in defending against several such attacks today. "We dominated," said Spaunhorst. "It was great training for my Soldiers to practice holding and defending ground, as well as engaging and defeating the enemy." Essential to Beverly Bulldog is tying in communications between the Air Defenders and the wing's security forces personnel, allowing for rapid exchange of information both up and down the command channels which leads to effective actions by the troops on the ground. The cooperative training exercise is an excellent way for the units of the 51st FW and 35th ADA to partner together in defense of the South Korean Peninsula and improve their skills, said Gant.