Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Staff Sgt. David Morales, a 51st Operations Support Squadron airfield management operations supervisor, watches a jet land on flightline Nov. 3, 2015, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Morales and more than 16,000 other personnel are participating in readiness exercise Vigilant Ace 16, a large-scale exercise designed to test the combat capabilities and enhance the interoperability of the U.S. and South Korean air forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton)Staff Sgt. David Morales, a 51st Operations Support Squadron airfield management operations supervisor, watches a jet land on flightline Nov. 3, 2015, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Morales and more than 16,000 other personnel are participating in readiness exercise Vigilant Ace 16, a large-scale exercise designed to test the combat capabilities and enhance the interoperability of the U.S. and South Korean air forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron taxi along the runway Nov. 3, 2015, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Airfield managers from the 51st Operations Support Squadron ensure the flightline is operational for these aircraft while participating in readiness exercise Vigilant Ace 16, a large-scale exercise designed to test the combat capabilities and enhance the interoperability of the U.S. and South Korean air forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton)F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron taxi along the runway Nov. 3, 2015, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Airfield managers from the 51st Operations Support Squadron ensure the flightline is operational for these aircraft while participating in readiness exercise Vigilant Ace 16, a large-scale exercise designed to test the combat capabilities and enhance the interoperability of the U.S. and South Korean air forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Airfield managers maintain flightline during Vigilant Ace 16Published Nov. 4, 2015
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton
                    
                    
                    51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) --**During the readiness exercise Vigilant Ace 16, every participating aircraft requires a safe and functioning flightline in order to complete their mission-specific directives.Airmen assigned to the 51st Operations Support Squadron airfield management flight are responsible for ensuring the flightline at Osan Air Base is safe, secure and in working order for the mission to be a success."We are out front for ensuring the flightline is maintained and ready to support the flying mission," said Staff Sgt. David Morales, the 51st OSS airfield management operations supervisor. "There are a lot of safety sweeps that need to be coordinated and completed regularly during the exercise."These Airmen are responsible for multiple tasks and perform a wide range of specific duties during their 12-hour shifts."We need to know all the specific airfield systems, the lighting, the clear zones, communications and radio etiquette," Morales said. "But the most important job we have is to make sure the airfield is ready and secure for the pilots to take off and land safely."Vigilant Ace 16, a large-scale exercise designed to test the combat capabilities and enhance the interoperability of the U.S. and South Korean air forces, has brought many extra aircraft and aircrew to the already busy Osan flightline."Airfield management plays a key role in our ability as pilots to safely perform our mission," said Lt. Col. Travis Ruhl, the 51st Fighter Wing inspector general and a 36th Fighter Squadron pilot. "Both from a safety and a combat perspective, they are the ones performing the sweeps to keep the flightline clear, which is essential to generating combat airpower."Airmen are working longer, tougher hours during the readiness exercise and the added aircraft mean the airfield requires more attention, Morales explained."We have our usual squadrons flying extra missions and because of the exercise there are others as well, all flying both day and night," he said. "The airfield is extremely busy and we have to manage every aspect of it to succeed. The bottom line is that we are in this together and this kind of practice is good to really test how well we work together. It's all about teamwork."Readiness exercises are designed to test the capabilities of every Airman during the allotted timeframe."We know this is an exercise but are very aware that the lessons learned during it may very well save our lives in the future," Morales said.Vigilant Ace 



flightline 



Osan AB Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                Kendall, Allvin, Saltzman urge modernization while warning Senate of delayed budgets
                    
                    Readout of Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s travel to the Philippines
                    
                    Air Force senior leaders visit Eielson AFB
                    
                    Air Force leaders focus on ACE during Kadena AB visit
                    
                    USAF senior leaders visit Mariana Islands on ACE tripInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Cope Tiger concludes in Thailand
                    
                    Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil