51FW kicks off exercise operations, celebrates 77 years of service

18 August 2025

From Staff Sgt. Jason Cochran, 51st Fighter Wing

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea — On this day 77 years ago, the 51st Fighter Wing was activated at Naha Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Since then, the 51st FW has provided combat ready airpower in the Pacific theater.

Today, the 51st FW continuing in that proud heritage began its involvement in Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25.

The purpose of UFS 25 is to strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance and improve joint defense readiness by simulating realistic threats across all domains. From Aug. 18-28, 2025, the 51st FW will exercise contingency operations at Osan Air Base and from dispersed locations across the Republic of Korea.

The 51st FW’s primary role in the multinational, interservice exercise is to practice generating and employing combat airpower, both from home station and through agile combat employment operations. Additionally, Airmen will train to a variety of contingency operations scenarios and skillsets, to include base defense operations, integration with combined command and control elements, chemical warfare defense, unexploded ordnance disposal and more.

These mission sets demonstrate the U.S.’s ironclad commitment to the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. This commitment extends to the individual service members who frequently serve multiple tours in Korea throughout their career, including the 51st FW commander, U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Ley, who had previously been stationed at Kunsan AB.

“This rendition of UFS marks a full circle moment for me as a commander because it has been 12 years since I’ve participated in an exercise on the Korean Peninsula,” Ley said. “Doing so reinforces the importance of our mission here and I am proud to train as part of Team Osan this time.”

UFS 25 will involve ground, air, naval, space, cyber and information elements from the U.S. and ROK militaries. Several United Nations Command member states are slated to contribute personnel and participate in various capacities.

“It is an honor to continue the 77 year-long tradition of defending freedom and deterring aggression in the Pacific theater,” Ley said. “We owe it to the Airmen who came before us to carry on and be ready to Fight Tonight!”

As the U.S. Air Force’s most forward deployed, permanently based wing, the 51st FW is charged with being ready to provide combat airpower whenever called. With a mission to “Defend the Base, Execute Contingency Operations, and Sustain the Force”, the 51st FW and Osan Air Base play a key role in maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.