PACAF hosts first visit of Korean cadets

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Dick
  • Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
Pacific Air Forces hosted more than 70 Republic of Korea Air Force Academy cadets at its headquarters Nov. 10 for its first-ever visit by a ROKAFA cadet class.

The visit was part of an effort to build a foundation of partnership and interoperability between PACAF and future ROKAF leaders.

“Sixty-five years ago, many of our nations’ men and women made the ultimate sacrifice defending the Korean Peninsula,” Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, the PACAF vice commander, told the cadets. “Over those past 65 years, to honor their sacrifice, our friendship and alliance has continued to grow and strengthen. Through exercises such as RED FLAG-Alaska or Ulchi Freedom Guardian, and events like your presence here today, our alliance will remain strong for the future.”

The visit included U.S. Pacific Command strategy and PACAF command briefs, as well as an F-22 Raptor static display, to highlight the command’s role and mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and further the cadets’ understanding of that role.

During the PACAF briefing, Dillon correlated the ROKAF’s part in presence, partnership, power projection, and people.

“The ROKAF helps project power throughout the region with PACAF and will continue through upgrades in your KF-16s, purchase of the F-35s, as well as the procurement of the Global Hawk,” Dillon said.

For Republic of Korea Air Force Academy Senior Cadet Minjae Kang, a highlight was the PACAF briefing.

“My favorite part of the visit was the general’s presentation about PACAF and learning about PACAF’s major tasks with ROKAF,” Kang said. “We learned about U.S. Air Force tasks and strategies and what PACAF’s organization structure is like. This allowed me to see military tasks in a broad view -- it helped me very much.”