321st, 621st AMOS supports Key Resolve exercise

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  • 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs

Approximately 42 Airmen assigned to the 321st and 621st Air Mobility Operations Squadron’s partnered with members of the 349th, 514th and 183rd AMOS’s to deploy as a total force team to Osan Air Base, South Korea, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii for Exercise Key Resolve 2017.

Exercise Key Resolve is an annual Republic of Korea and U.S. Forces Korea defense-oriented exercise designed to enhance Combined Forces Command's readiness, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean peninsula.

During the exercise the 321st and 621st AMOS’s integrate with the 607th and 613th Air Operations Centers to meet command and control requirements across the Korean theater of operations for air mobility to include airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation.

“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 AMD’s are working in complete synchronization to achieve the theater air mobility mission,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Krulick, 321st AMOS commander. 

Exercises like KR17 afford both U.S. and South Korean service members an opportunity to work side-by-side in the same way they would operate if actually going to war.

“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,” Krulick said.

Exercises such as these give new members in the squadron insight into how the mission is completed.

“This exercise was eye opening for me,” said Maj. Craig Husby, 321st AMOS, assistant duty officer. “This was my first exercise in the AMOS, and I’m so use 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.”

The different exercise scenarios provide opportunities to perform full spectrum operations which are used to validate the operations plan supporting the defense of South Korea.  More importantly, Key Resolve highlights the longstanding commitment and enduring friendship between the United States and South Korea and ensures peace and security.

During the exercise, members of the 321st AMOS were also responsible for command and control battle management operations.

“Throughout the exercise, myself and one other person, monitored all of the air mobility missions flying over Korea,” said Senior Airman Victoria Monfiero, 321st AMOS, command and control battle management operations technician. “We also ensure every single detail about the missions is correct before sending it to the air tasking order.”

Monfiero went on to add the team tracked up to 70 missions a day to ensure the execution was not delayed.

Approximately 12,800 U.S. forces along with 10,000 South Korean military personnel joined dozens of augmentation forces and multinational representatives from the United Nations Command including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France and Great Britain to make this exercise happen.