English camp students tour the Wolf Pack

  • Published
  • By Capt. Sheryll Klinkel
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  English summer camp students from various Gunsan City elementary and middle schools toured the Wolf Pack Aug. 11.

During the tour, 40 sixth-grade and 20 eighth-grade students learned about the Wolf Pack's mission and practiced their conversational English with more than 15 Wolf Pack Airmen who volunteered during the visit.

"The stores, the buildings and the airplanes are different from our village," said Chong Yo-Chin, eighth-grade student. "Everything feels different. And I like talking and hearing English, it is very beautiful."

The first stop of the tour took the students to an F-16 Fighting Falcon static display. Pilots from the 80th and 35th Fighter Squadrons gave the students a close-up look at the aircraft, and explained the capabilities of the fighter jet.

"I liked looking at the cockpit," said Hong Ji-Woo, eighth-grade student. "It looks like a video game."

Airmen from the 8th Maintenance Group also displayed training munitions alongside the static display so the students could see the various types of weapons employed by the fighter.

"We're fortunate to have a controlled facility where we can display everything here," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Woroniecki, weapons standardization load crew chief.

The students are interested, and it is a good opportunity to explain the Air Force's role and answer questions, said the sergeant.

The next stop of the tour took the students to the 8th Security Forces Squadron for a military working dog demonstration.

"It's a great program because it shows our support of them, and it gives them a chance to see what we do," said Master Sgt. Roberto Arteaga Jr., kennel master. "It gives the students a different perspective to see what the American forces do to help."

During the demonstration, one dog handler explained how and why MWDs defend the base, and another handler demonstrated the various commands MWDs follow.

Students lined along a chain-linked fence to watch a MWD's obedience and concentration. The MWD sat in a stoic position, and on the command of attack, within seconds the dog lunged forward to defeat the "bad guy." The students squealed and cheered in excitement.

The final stop of the tour was to the base food court, where students got their taste of American culture. They had their choice of ice cream, pizza, hamburgers, tacos, fried chicken and sandwiches.

The food court buzzed with chatter from the students. A table of eighth-grade boys talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up.

One said he wanted to be a pilot. Another said he wanted to be a scientist. And another a diplomat.

"The children are the future of Korean society and we are reaching out to the next generation," said Rosemary Song, 8th FW community relations chief. "It is a win-win for everyone. It's also great for Airmen to learn about the Korean culture and the community."

The tour is just one of the many localized, wing-level efforts to promote the overall United States Forces Korea Good Neighbor Program, which aims to strengthen the Republic of Korea - United States alliance through programs that engage the local community, governments, media, businesses, universities, schools, and ROK military.