Osan leaders see FW mission, meet Airmen

by Capt. Robert J. Howard
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

9/16/2014 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The immersion consisted of installation and 51st Fighter Wing command teams, superintendents and first sergeants, as well as leaders from Osan tenant units, in an effort to see and understand the work Osan Airmen accomplish on a daily basis.

"Our Airmen are the Air Force's asymmetric advantage, and to see the work that each of them does every single day is amazing," said Col. Brook Leonard, 51st FW commander. "It is important for our leaders to not only understand what their Airmen bring to the fight, but also what each Airmen in the fighter wing does for Team Osan and our Korean alliance."

Airmen from the 51st Medical Group, 51st Operations Group, 51st Maintenance Group and 51st Mission Support Group conducted several hands-on activities with the leaders to provide them a unique look at how their group accomplishes the wing's mission.

"My role in the Mustang Immersion was to explain and demonstrate what my work center, and communications, does for the base," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Tacto, 51st Communications Squadron cable antenna maintenance craftsman. "It was a good experience to see the leaders come out and be able to do various activities ... they get to see what else goes on and how things work. For instance, we explained to some leaders that if comm(unications) goes down because of a cut fiber, this is what we do to fix it using a fusion splicer ... and they were very wowed by that."

Activities included flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II or F-16 Fighting Falcon simulator, operating a forklift and moving concrete barriers, learning how to suture a simulated patient's lacerated arm, and driving a MJ-1 weapons loader (jammer), as well as several other events.

"It's an excellent way to learn what all the different units on base, or shops particularly, do in their day-to-day [job]," said Jennifer Goodwin, Air Force Audit Agency auditor. "As a tenant unit, we don't often get to see how everyone contributes to the base mission, and it was exciting to see some of the Airmen show off their skills and show off what they do ... and what they are capable of."

After the nine-hour immersion tour, Osan leaders met back at the Community Center here.

Leonard capped off the day stating, "I really hope each of you were able to see firsthand the outstanding work and dedication that every single Airmen showcased today. Now I ask as each one you go back to your offices and work centers, please share your experiences with your folks so they can better understand the importance of their jobs in our ability to fight tonight."