U.S. Air Force 8th Fighter Wing Airmen participate in exercise Freedom Shield 26, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, March 9-19, 2026. FS26 is a combined, joint, all-domain military training exercise that integrates ground, air, naval, space, cyber, and information elements, enhancing readiness through realistic combat simulations. (U.S. Air Force video by Senior Airman Dylan Maher)
The 8th Fighter Wing was generating combat airpower and preparing mission ready Airmen to defend the base, accept follow-on-forces and take the fight north during exercise Freedom Shield 26, March 9-19, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea – U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jerica Batista, a native of Queens, New York, and 8th Maintenance Squadron stockpile management crew chief, won the 8th Fighter Wing’s Pride of the Pack award for the week of Jan. 6–9, 2026, for coordinating and transporting vital munitions to support combat weapons training and Super Squadron Test Phase II.
