Academy cadets experience life with the Wolf Pack

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Trevor Tiernan
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  A group of future Air Force officers recently spent some of their summer vacation time experiencing life in the Air Force with members of the Wolf Pack. 

Sixteen cadets from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., spent three weeks with 8th Fighter Wing Airmen as part of Operation Air Force, or Ops AF. The Ops AF program is a three-week program designed to give cadets the opportunity to experience firsthand everything an operational Air Force base has to offer. 

While many of the cadets visited bases stateside and at other overseas locations, the cadets that Kunsan hosted had the opportunity to live among the Airmen of "the last warrior base." 

"They went to the demilitarized zone and saw our enemy face to face, you can't do that in the United States," said Capt. Collin Coatney, project officer for Ops AF at Kunsan "[Experiencing] a foreign country's culture and looking into the eyes of the enemy will stay with them forever." 

The cadets were immersed into life on an Air Force base through the use of tours, receiving hands-on experience, and by shadowing Airmen in a variety of career fields. Seeing Airmen at work in the operational Air Force can only serve to help the cadets as they move forward in their Air Force careers said Captain Coatney. 

"They got to shadow a number of career fields and got mentoring from across all AFSCs," he said. "Any experience like that will broaden anyone's mind, and make them better leaders--understanding how everyone works to accomplish the common mission." 

During their time at Kunsan the cadets shadowed Airmen from the 35th Fighter Squadron the 80th Fighter Squadron, as well as Airmen in intelligence, life support, security forces, maintenance, civil engineering, medical and logistics readiness career fields. After interacting with Airmen from so many different areas, Cadet 2nd Class Andrea Brichacek said she was struck by the intensity she saw throughout the Wolf Pack. 

"They're very serious about their jobs," she said. "Everyone takes it extremely seriously. They know what they need to do and they're prepared to do it." 

Far from the confines of the Air Force Academy, for many of the cadets, this program was the first time they had sat and worked side-by-side with the enlisted corps. Cadet Brichacek said her time with the enlisted Airmen will play a role in how she acts a future leader. 

"I was really appreciative of the interaction I had with the enlisted [Airmen]," she said. "Having seen that side of it, I think that will help me." 

Several of the cadets were exposed to another side of the Air Force that some of their peers may not have been. About half of the group received familiarization flights in the F-16 Fighting Falcon during the Max Thunder exercise. They sat in on the briefings, debriefings and took to the air over the peninsula. 

For Cadet 2nd Class Lauren Hettich, her flight is a memory she will take with forever--and brag about a little when she returns to Colorado Springs. 

"It definitely renewed my passion for flying; I definitely want to be a pilot and a part of the Air Force," she said. 

The three week long Ops AF ran here June 2-20.