OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- A Navy F/A-18 Hornet gets ready to taxi here. Two Navy Hornet squadrons are visiting Osan for a joint training exercise with local F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II units. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Stacie Shafran)
Hornets swarm Osan
by 1st Lt. Stacie N. Shafran 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
12/9/2004 - OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) -- A nest of Hornets has invaded the sky here and local aircrews say they could not be more excited.
A joint training mission is under way. Sailors are flying F/A-18 Hornets and EA-6B Prowlers with the Airmen in A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 25th Fighter Squadron and F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 36th FS based here.
The exercise is the largest training event of its kind ever held at Osan, officials said.
The Hornet squadrons came to Osan from different locations. Fighter Attack Squadron 195 is from the USS Kitty Hawk, an aircraft carrier based out of Atsugi, Japan. Fighter Attack Squadron 97 is based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, as is the participating Prowler unit, Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 142.
“This is the first time in (more than) 10 years that a Navy squadron has gone on a (deployment) and this is also the first time most of the people in our squadron have been in Korea,” said Navy Lt. Jim Legeman, a Hornet pilot.
While here, he said they plan on doing simulated strikes coordinated with the F-16s and the A-10s using the strengths of each.
Training like this also enhances teamwork between the services and helps to build a foundation for future situations, he said.
“In any large conflict, like what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, the theater is going to be filled with air assets from the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force,” Lieutenant Legeman said. “It’s good for us to practice beforehand so we can work out any difficulties there may be prior to fighting a conflict together.”