Kunsan opens new joint RAPCON facility

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephen Collier
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Leadership from both the 8th Fighter Wing and Republic of Korea Air Force christened Kunsan's newest facility during a ceremony July 9 here as part of the base's plan to replace aging infrastructure. 

  The latest upgrade was given to the 8th Operations Support Squadron's radar approach and control, or RAPCON organization. RAPCON Airmen are charged with protecting and directing air traffic far beyond Kunsan's horizon. Because of the mission's importance, Capt. Dawn Zink, 8th OSS airfield management officer, said the squadron has been looking forward to moving into the new facility since its completion in November 2006. 

  "With the original building, we ran into flooding problems several times, mainly during the monsoon season," Captain Zink said. "Space was also a big issue with the old facility. We're glad to be rid of those problems." 

  Also in attendance at the opening ceremony was Col. Ken "Viper" Rizer, 8th Operations Group commander. During his remarks, Colonel Rizer said with the construction completed, "the building is now worthy of the people it houses." 

  "As I walked around the building for the first time and heard about how it came to be, I was reminded of how teamwork and cooperation we're at the core to bringing it to fruition," Colonel Rizer said. "Teamwork and cooperation were there at the very beginning when the Air Force and ROKAF agreed to share the funding for this $5 million building. Teamwork and cooperation continued as the construction company partnered with our civil engineers to make this facility what it is today. Our RAPCON controllers, including ROKAF, USAF, [U.S.] Army and (Korean Air Lines) control more than 40,000 different movements on and over this air base. I speak for everyone when I say job well done and thank you very much." 

  The project began in May 2004 as the original facility began to "rapidly deteriorate," according to Captain Zink. Since then, representatives of the Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Air Force pledged a total of $5 million toward the new facility, with $2.6 million from the USAF and the rest from the Republic of Korea. 

  "It's important to note this was not just an Air Force project, but a joint project between us and our ROKAF counterparts," Captain Zink said. "Both ROK Airmen and ours work side-by-side each day, guiding both air force's aircraft into Kunsan. They train together and they work literally side by side. It's a pretty awesome opportunity." 

  The old facility that each air traffic controller was faced with using was the wing's original command post, built sometime during or before the 1970s. The new facility also gives RAPCON controllers an edge in protecting the local airspace as the building makes use of digital equipment, making aircraft more visible, giving Airmen a safer way to control the skies.