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Invincible Spirit strengthens ROK-U.S. alliance

  • Published
  • By Ed Gulick
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE --  Air Force aircraft, crew and ground support personnel from Kadena, Osan and Holloman Air Force bases along with other bases converged on Osan Air Base Korea to participate in exercise Invincible Spirit with other U.S. and Republic of Korea Naval and Air Forces.

The readiness exercise, which started Sunday, is designed to highlight the U.S. and ROK alliance's resolve, and to show that the two countries can face any threat North Korea may pose.

For the Air Force, highlighting air dominance and superiority was key.

"This (exercise) is a deterrence message that we are a strong alliance and that support will be there should we need to deter North Korea," said Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington, U.S. Forces Korea deputy commander during a press conference in front of an F-22 at Osan Air Base.

Kadena's 909th Air Refueling Squadron deployed a KC-135 to Osan AB, ROK to provide air refueling support, while Kadena's 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron AWACS provided airspace control.

In the aircraft's first-ever trip to the ROK, an F-22 Raptor from the 7th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, currently forward deployed to Kadena AB from Holloman AFB, N.M., flew training sorties out of Osan to show that the aircraft and supporting elements can push forward beyond deployed locations when necessary.

"This (F-22 deployment) is a demonstration that we will not forsake our allies and that the F-22 carries that demonstration wherever it goes in the world," said Lt. Col. Robert Teschner, 7th EFS commander.

Lt. Col. Teschner stated that he was excited to be in the ROK and that the F-22 "brings the best technology has to offer into the modern battlespace."

Another aspect of the exercise was to further information-sharing in this bilateral involvement.

Capt. Jason Fuhrer of the 25th Fighter Squadron at Osan is training with ROK air force pilots during the exercise. The 25th FS flies the tank-killing A-10s.

"This exercise gives us a greater opportunity to train with our Korean counterparts, which strengthens our relationship with the Korean people" Capt. Fuhrer said.

For these hundreds of Airmen and dozens of aircraft supporting Invincible Spirit, including boom operator Staff Sgt. Brian Porter of the 909th ARS, the mission emboldens the Air Force's mission of supporting regional stability in a part of the Pacific known to still retain some of the cold hostility from 60 years ago.

"We are here to show our support to the U.S. and ROK alliance," he said.