About 42 airmen from the 321st and 621st Air Mobility Operations Squadrons recently deployed to South Korea and Hawaii for Exercise Key Resolve 2017, according to the 621st Contingency Response Wing.
The airmen deployed to Osan Air Base in South Korea and Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, for the exercise.
Key Resolve, the annual Republic of Korea and U.S. Forces-Korea defense-oriented exercise, is designed to enhance the Combined Forces Command's readiness to maintain protection and stability on the Korean peninsula.
Members of the 321st and 621st squadrons will support air mobility operations including airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation. Members of the 321st were also responsible for command and control battle management operations.
"The Airmen from the total force team are able to quickly transition two Air Mobility Divisions thousands of miles apart from their day-to-day missions to a contingency scenario where both AMDs are working in complete synchronization to achieve the theater air mobility mission," said Lt. Col. Jeff Krulick, commander of the 321st, in a statement. "Our role in KR 17 allows us to train AMOS Airmen to meet the current operational plan while developing crucial enduring relationships across the joint and coalition team."
The different exercise scenarios allow airmen to practice full spectrum operations, giving new members in the squadron invaluable insight and experience.
"This exercise was eye opening for me," said Maj. Craig Husby, the assistant duty officer for the 321st. "This was my first exercise in the AMOS, and I'm so used to flying the mission, but now I get the opportunity to see the back side of it, the planning and coordinating of all the assets."
In all, 12,800 U.S. service members, 10,000 South Korean military personnel, along with forces from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom, participated in Exercise Key Resolve.
