Photo By Senior Airman Rome Bowermaster | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing conduct a final inspection...... read more read more
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KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea — U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 51st Fighter Wing operated out of Kunsan Air Base in support of exercise Freedom Shield 26, a combined U.S. and Republic of Korea exercise designed to strengthen readiness and enhance the alliance’s ability to respond to regional threats, March 7-13, 2026.
Freedom Shield integrates U.S. and ROK forces across multiple domains to train defensive and contingency operations across the Korean Peninsula. The exercise allows allied forces to work together in realistic scenarios while strengthening coordination and operational effectiveness in a dynamic security environment.
During the exercise, Airmen from Osan trained on Agile Combat Employment by operating from Kunsan Air Base, refining their ability to rapidly reposition aircraft, personnel and equipment while sustaining combat operations away from their primary operating location.
“ACE is the Air Force’s doctrine to increase survivability through the dispersal of equipment and personnel,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Alexander Strickland, 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron mission generation force element-base operation support integrator lead. “It allows us to proactively or reactively maneuver within threat timelines while still generating combat power.”
Coordination between installations such as Osan and Kunsan is critical to successfully executing ACE operations. Through exercises like Freedom Shield, units train interoperability and learn the capabilities each contingency location can support. This allows planners to tailor future dispersal plans based on available infrastructure and resources, ensuring aircraft can continue launching and recovering from alternate locations during a conflict scenario.
Operating from a different installation requires Airmen across multiple career fields to adapt quickly and operate with a smaller footprint while maintaining mission effectiveness. Maintenance, logistics and operations personnel work together to ensure aircraft remain mission-ready and capable of supporting exercise objectives.
“Every Airman selected for an ACE movement is chosen because of a unique skillset that helps generate airpower,” said Strickland. “Without that capability in the package, a critical function needed to sustain operations would be missing.”
Training events like Freedom Shield help refine the tactics, procedures and coordination necessary to maintain combat readiness across the theater. By training ACE concepts during the exercise, Airmen strengthen their ability to operate flexibly and sustain airpower in support of the defense of the Republic of Korea.
“ACE exercises demonstrate our commitment to protecting shared interests with our allies while showing potential adversaries that we can disperse quickly, survive, and continue generating combat power,” said Strickland.
By executing ACE movements during Freedom Shield, Airmen reinforce the United States’ commitment to defending the Republic of Korea while demonstrating the ability to disperse and sustain combat operations across the region. The training strengthens partnerships with allied forces and signals the Air Force’s ability to adapt, survive and project combat airpower in support of regional security.
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2026 00:14 |
| Story ID: | 561079 |
| Location: | OSAN AIR BASE, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], KR |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Osan Airmen Disperse to Kunsan for ACE Operations During Freedom Shield, by SrA Rome Bowermaster, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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