OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- In an effort to maintain air superiority, the Air Force requires uninterrupted manning and vigilant eyes at all times a necessity that spreads to multiples jobs across the forces.
The 607th Air and Space Operation Center (AOC) plans, commands, controls, executes and assess airspace and executes information operations to meet U.S. Secretary of Defense, Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea taskings across a full spectrum of military operations.
A vital part of the 607th AOC’s mission is the airspace scheduling team. The team of 10 manages a total of 59 military operating areas over the Korean Peninsula and schedules airspace for four fighter squadrons assigned to Osan and Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea (ROK), and 38 U.S. units outside the Korean Peninsula.
“In a nut shell, the majority of aircraft that you hear around Osan are scheduled by us,” said Staff Sgt. Joel Adamson, a command and control battle management operator with the 607th AOC. “Without our integral piece, the fighter squadrons couldn’t fly and we wouldn’t be completing our flying missions.”
The team’s work enables the Pacific Air Force Flying Hour Program which focuses on the flying hours required to train and sustain aircrew competency in aircraft operations and their ability to execute various missions.
To meet their objectives, the flight coordinates with their ROK Air Force counterparts to share airspace and achieve flying tasks.
“Our synergy works pretty well together,” said Senior Airman Kyle Snedeker, an air space technician with the 607th AOC. “At times it is tough with the language barriers we have, but we both do our best to try and accommodate with one another. Overall, I think we make a pretty good team here.
“I’ve never been to a foreign country before so working with our Korean counterparts is a unique and cool experience,” added Snedeker. “Along the way, I have picked up a few new tricks I’ll be using in the future.”
Whether it’s protecting the continental U.S. from another 9/11-like attack, rescuing personnel or working with foreign counterparts to schedule airspace, air and space operation centers across the Air Force work hard to keep citizens safe and the military mission-ready.