KASC provides vital combat readiness

by SSgt. Emerson Nuñez
7th Air Force Public Affairs

8/25/2013 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Every military member stationed in the Republic of Korea knows they need to be able to fight tonight.

But, how can they maintain such a sharp edge of readiness without actually throwing lead downrange or putting bombs on target?

That's where the staff of the Korean Air Simulation Center comes in. This diverse group of ROK and U.S. military members, civilians and contractors receive augmentation from around the world to create realistic battle scenarios on the peninsula during yearly exercises Key Resolve and Ulchi Freedom Guardian.

"We exist for combat readiness for the Seventh Air Force team and all of our supporting war fighting team whether it's a Sailor, Soldier, Airman or Marine," said U.S. Air Force Col. Tracey Murchison, 7th Air Force Programs and Analyses Directorate director.
To ensure the best possible battle simulation is carried out, the KASC is integrated with the Korean Battle Simulation Center at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, as well as other simulation centers around the world.

"We are linked in with simulation centers back in the United States, Japan, and all over the Republic of Korea," Murchison said. "All those models and simulations are connected and are interacting with each other in order to provide the training audience with what they need for this exercise."

Two of the main reasons why simulation centers exist is to allow senior leadership to practice vital decision making in wartime scenarios, and to save money in a world of ever-decreasing budgets.

"When there's just 0s and 1s being exchanged, in the models and simulation business, there is a lot of money being saved," Murchison said. "You're not flying live sorties or maneuvering units on the field which definitely adds up."

UFG 2013 is one of the biggest exercises that the KASC has participated in within the past seven years. The personnel tasked with writing the script for the exercise are assigned to the wing operation cell, which also acts as the WOC for other air bases as the simulation is played out. This can be an extremely time consuming and tedious task for WOC personnel.

"In the initial planning phase for the script, we receive request from different career fields of what wartime related issues they want the air operations center to work though during the simulated war," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Jared Marvin, Wing Operations Cell deputy.

The WOC cell not only writes the script for the exercise, but also reports to tactical-level commanders on how the war is playing out during the simulation to provide instant feedback.

The KASC's mission is to provide the world's finest exercise planning and simulation support to U.S. Pacific Command, Pacific Air Forces, 7th AF, and the Korean Air Operations Center -- and they successfully and proudly carry out their mission with excellence, said Murchison.