page_title: Osan Air Base
section_title: Life In Osan
hierarchical_section_title: Osan Air Base / Amenities / Life In Osan
caption_attribution_description: English: Osan Air Base, South Korea Русский: Американская авиабаза "Осан" в Южной Корее. На снимке можно заметить самолёт-разведчик U-2 (чёрный, вблизи ангара).
context_page_description: Osan Air Base, is a United States Air Force base located near Songtan Station in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea, 64 km south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is 7.5 km to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant units, including the headquarters for Seventh Air Force. The base is also the headquarters of the Republic of Korea Air Force Operations Command. Osan Air Base is also the departure and arrival point for U.S. government-contracted "Patriot Express" flights bringing service members and their family members to South Korea from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the U.S. state of Washington, Misawa Air Base and Yokota Air Base in Japan.
  As the most forward deployed permanently based wing in the Air Force, and equipped with A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons, the 51st Fighter Wing is charged with executing combat operations, receiving follow-on forces and defending the base from attack.
context_section_description: Most U.S. military members assigned to Osan AB serve a 1-year unaccompanied tour. If they elect to participate in the Korea Assignment Incentive Program, their tour is extended by one year, they receive a taxable bonus of $300 per month, but they lose the ability to have assignment preference due to a short tour and lose short tour credit. Roughly five percent of the military authorizations at Osan AB are designated as command-sponsored two-year accompanied tours, typically for senior ranking personnel and/or jobs which require a tour of longer than 12 months, due to military necessity. If an individual is placed in one they may bring their families at government expense. Housing on-base, even for command sponsored families, is still limited despite an aggressive family housing construction program. Those authorized to live off-base will receive an overseas housing allowance. There is an elementary school, named Osan American Elementary School; a middle school, named Osan Middle School as well as high school, known as Osan American High School. These schools are for command-sponsored children of military members. Contractors (even command sponsored) should be prepared to pay upwards of $20,000 a year for this privilege.
  Some families choose to come without command sponsorship; these family members may use the facilities (including schools) on a space available basis.  If family members come, they will be able to receive the local OHA rate, whether or not the servicemember makes the list to move off base and regardless of rank.  The government will not pay for their transportation to Korea, in most cases.
  
  Under normal circumstances, unaccompanied airmen live in one of the many dormitories on-base and eat in the dining facility, thereby receiving a meal deduction from their basic allowance for subsistence. Airmen receive cost of living adjustments (COLA) if living off base, and partial COLA if living in the dorms, which varies by rank, living situation, and dependents. E-7s and above may live off-base if senior NCO or officer dormitory space is not available; in some cases this has also been extended to lower ranking NCOs, depending on dormitory occupancy availability and policies in place at the time. The compact nature of Osan AB lends itself to walking and bicycling.
  For single and unaccompanied airmen, one of the attractions of a one-year assignment to Osan AB is the opportunity to follow their Osan tour with an assignment at the base of their choice, called a "follow-on assignment." If a position is open at the desired location, unaccompanied airmen in Korea (or other unaccompanied locations) have priority over other airmen in filling that position. This benefit is not available to those serving accompanied tours with family, or to those who extend their tours; those airmen must use the normal assignment selection process for their next assignment.
  There are many bars and clubs off base, mostly in the Shinjang-dong district and many base members spend much leisure time at them. If the bars do not abide by certain standards, the Osan Military Beverage Control Board may place them off limits to military members. This is usually done when the bar is involved in certain unlawful activities, particularly prostitution.
  Town Patrol, a section of the 51st Security Forces Squadron, patrols the area immediately outside the base alongside a Korean Augmentation To the United States Army and in cooperation with the Korean National Police, to ensure the safety of military members and enforce military law and regulations upon U.S. military members. On July 5, 2012, however, the Town Patrol arouse controversy by handcuffing three Pyeongtaek citizens in a dispute over illegal parking near by the base. After inciting protests from civic groups, three members of the Osan Town Patrol were suspended from their duties, Gen. James D. Thurman, Commander of USFK, made a public apology for the incident.
caption: Osan AB, South Korea, 2014
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