Photo By Staff Sgt. Joshua DeGuzman | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Soto Garcia, 51st Operations Support Squadron...... read more read more
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KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- "Take the Fight North" is more than a slogan for the Wolf Pack. It reflects the unit's ability to generate airpower anytime and anywhere, often in austere or remote locations where established airfields and landing zones may be limited.
To support that mission, Airmen from the 8th Operations Support Squadron and 51st OSS completed a Landing Zone Safety Officer course at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, May 18–29.
The course instructs airfield operations students from specialties including air traffic control, radar, weather systems, and airfield management to plan, assess, setup, and operate austere landing zones in remote or challenging environments. The certification also supports the development of mission-ready Airmen capable of operating in contingency environments.
The primary responsibility of a LZSO is to mitigate risks and ensure safe and efficient execution of operations assigned to their landing zone. This includes assessing current conditions, weather, soil and surface integrity, and potential obstacles while maintaining the safety of both air and ground personnel.
By accurately assessing and preparing landing zones, LZSOs enable the rapid deployment and sustainment of forces. Their work supports the efficient movement of personnel and cargo, helping to maintain operational tempo and directly prevents accidents and loss of life.
“The skills learned directly support ‘Taking the fight North’ as it increases our ability to establish a vast network of spoke locations across the Indo-Pacific Command, allowing for expedient port opening, asset dispersal, and combat turn locations,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Cameron Piontek, 8th Operations Support Squadron air traffic control tower assistant chief controller. “Annual and semi-annual training at Kunsan should be a bare minimum to ensure our operators are keeping their teeth and their skills as sharp as possible.”
This course challenged students to operate with an out-of-the-box mentality through a combination of hands-on field training with classroom instruction. Participants learned how to establish radio communications, measure and assess landing zones, evaluate surface integrity and make decisions in high-pressure environments.
“The course definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. The sheer volume of data we needed to analyze, and the levels of responsibility placed on the LZSO are immense,” said 2nd Lt. Keeley Dolan, 8th Operations Support Squadron airfield operations officer, “Making a judgment call on whether a surface is safe for a multimillion-dollar aircraft and the lives of its crew, based on the team’s calculations and observations, was a challenging but incredibly valuable experience.”
Dolan said that the course not only touched on technical precision but also instilled a command level perspective. Students relied on one another’s expertise to make informed decisions to accomplish the mission safely and effectively.
“This course was one of the most practical and impactful training experiences of my career so far,” said Dolan. “It connected the theoretical aspects of airfield operations to the tangible, high-stakes reality of contingency environments. I am excited to work with everyone in the class in the future, as well as all other LZSOs that have taken the time and effort to expand their contingency knowledge base. This type of contingency response is the wave of the future for all airfield operations personnel, so it's exciting to be the next generation of LZSOs!”
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2026 21:16 |
| Story ID: | 566629 |
| Location: | KUNSAN AIR BASE, KR |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Clear to land: 8th, 51st OSS Airmen attend LZSO course at Kunsan AB, by SrA Tabatha Chapman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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