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Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian breaks down barriers for vital mission

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea --  Sometimes you have to repeat yourself. Sometimes you have to have to look for a translator. And sometimes you have to point to lines in a phrase book to get your point across, but when it comes to the mission of locating and rescuing downed U.S. and Korean pilots, you can't risk a miscommunication.

For members of the Joint Personnel Recovery Center working with their Republic of Korea Air Force counterparts in Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian, breaking down linguistic and procedural barriers is one of the primary goals of the exercise.

"Every environment I've supported the JPRC in has had its own challenges," said Air Force Master Sgt. Kristian Adair, a JPRC Controller deployed from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. "You have to be able to overcome them for the sake of the safety of the downed pilot and the crew sent to rescue them."

It's Adair's third time at UFG, and her second in support of the JPRC. She said one of the things they've been working on during these exercises is refining joint and combined operations.

"There's definitely a willingness to work together and be part of the process," said Adair. "Ultimately, it's a matter of making sure things are understood across our lines of communication and their lines of communication so we can put together the right package at the right time to rescue our crew members. We have a different approach, and being able to communicate that approach is important."

One of the ways they've done that is by spending off-duty time with their Korean counterparts, despite the long exercise shifts.

"We've made an effort to try to get to know each other," Adair said. "It makes it easier to not feel frustrated."

In a job where seconds are precious and an aircrew member's life can hang in the balance, communication is vital, she added.

"Misinformation can be detrimental to the mission," she said. "We don't leave anyone behind. We're working together to bring our people home."