Freedom Shield 2025

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Peter McGavin
  • 621st Air Mobility Operations Squadron
OSAN AB, KOREA --  

20 mobility experts from the 621st Air Mobility Operations Squadron and five from the 321st Air Mobility Operations Squadron augmented the 607 Air Operations Center as part of the annual United States/Republic of Korea combined exercise FREEDOM SHIELD ’25, March 10-20.

 

As professional air mobility experts in command and control, Mobsters and Masterminds excelled at building effective and successful air mobility plans, comprising over 1,400 aerial refueling and airlift sorties, and aeromedical evacuation missions.

 

The team did all this in close coordination with ROK Air Force counterparts, overcoming a language barrier to build bridges and coalesce into a single, thriving division within the larger air operations enterprise.

 

This exercise, which has taken place every year for decades, marks a set of milestones this year, with a combined live component comprising over 19,000 ROK Army troops, tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel, and a large, simulated component for other services to hone their skills. Additionally, these AMOS professionals moved to an alternate location as a proof of concept that they can still plan and execute air mobility operations from nearly anywhere under the most challenging conditions. 

 

“The Mobsters and Masterminds were amazing at FREEDOM SHIELD,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Dierdorf, the 607 AOC Air Mobility Division chief. “Even when problems or delays occurred, the combined AMD solved every difficulty with ease.”

 

AMOS ingenuity proved critical to forging the bonds necessary to create efficiencies by building an ecosystem and connections with outside commands, agencies, and joint partners.

 

“We worked together with the ROKAF to move almost 4,000 patients and demonstrated what we could accomplish by combining efforts. We also integrated 7th Air Force and U.S. Forces-Korea Surgeon Generals into our planning cycle,” said Maj. Geryn Paguio, 621 AMOS flight nurse.

 

Throughout the exercise, the AMOS team demonstrated the superb quality and professionalism expected of the 621 Contingency Response Wing, as they arrived in theater and immediately began operating as an effective Air Mobility Division.