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A1 supports Key Resolve '14

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Omari Bernard
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - The 7th Air Force A1 Section at Osan Air Base provides manpower, services and personnel support during contingency operations.

"In the A1, we are responsible for the lodging and food services for all of our deployed personnel and augmentees," said Air Force Lt. Col. Rhonda Larson, director of manpower, services and personnel at the 7th Air Force. "We also ensure accountability for our deployed forces here and report that back to the appropriate agencies."

During Key Resolve, A1 supports the missions of more than 1,000 U.S. forces in addition to servicemembers from five other countries from off the peninsula that are participating in the exercise.

"A1 plays a role in sustaining that force and keeping it going long term if needed," said Air Force Maj. Brian Kinney, deputy director of 7th Air Force A1. "You can bring someone in and have them eat meals ready to eat for a week, but you need something more substantial to keep you going. If you don't have a support staff then the tip of the spear cannot stand. "

In exercises like Key Resolve, there are multiple scenarios, injects and events that A1 has to plan for and overcome to accomplish the mission.

"I have an incredibly competent, dedicated and motivated team here," Larson said. "Sometimes, we will encounter injects that we have not seen before. So, we crack open the Air Force Instructions, call our counterparts on the other staff and talk about the best way to solve it. Then try to develop several courses of action that we can recommend up the chain of command for the commander to make an appropriate decision."

Annual exercises like Key Resolve are carried out in the spirit of the 1953 Republic of Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, and they highlight the longstanding partnership and enduring friendship between the United Nations Command sending state nations, while reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the region. 


"I think its important to have this experience a couple of times a year because of the short-tour nature of the locations here," Larson said. "Once someone has gained the experience of how to operate and how to do operational planning in Korea, it is time for them to go. So as soon as we get new people in it is really important that we get them that experience of working side by side with our allied partners on how to defend the peninsula and our allies."

A1 is heavily involved with their ROK counterparts in the Air Force Operations Center.

"Our Korea hosts are a very gracious people and the ROKAF counterparts that we get to work with daily are incredibly competent, motivated and wonderful patriots of their country," Larson said. "We have the opportunity to work side by side very closely with them 24-7 for a two-week period. It is great to see the capability that they bring to the fight and how we can partner with them to provide defense for the peninsula.