Korean army NCO academy opens gates to Wolf Pack as volunteers prepare to teach ROK NCOs conversational English

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephen Collier
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Senior officer and enlisted leaders of the Republic of Korea army welcomed members of the 8th Fighter Wing 'Wolf Pack' to their only NCO academy, located outside of Iksan, Saturday. 

  Wolf Pack members, lead by Col. Jeff 'Wolf' Lofgren, 8th FW commander, got a chance to see portions of the academy, learn about its mission of training non-commissioned officers for the ROK army and dine with academy leadership. 

  "This is a great opportunity for our NCOs to strengthen our relationship with our ROK allies," the Wolf said. "Our NCOs have seen our (professional military education) programs; this gives them a unique perspective while building and fostering lasting friendships." 

  The visit kicked off a recent agreement between Kunsan Air Base and the NCO academy to assist the ROK army in teaching conversational English. 

  The program, not unlike many conversational language classes already sponsored by the 8th FW, targets the strengthening of the joint US-ROK alliance. The volunteers will teach day-to-day English to the Korean troops while learning about the inner workings of the ROK army. 

  "It was awesome ... the way they greeted us was incredible," said Tech. Sgt. Michelle Colburn, 8th Comptroller Squadron English volunteer and New York native. "The whole campus reminded me of West Point in New York. They really seemed like they had everything together. Their briefing on how they train NCOs really impressed me as well." 

  During the dinner, ROK commanders and sergeant majors exchanged laughs with their American counterparts and made a toast to a lasting and fulfilling relationship between the academy and the Wolf Pack. 

  "It kinda makes me feel like I'm really a part of something bigger and better," Sgt. Colburn, one of five volunteers, said. "I'm not apprehensive about teaching (English); I have two young children. In a way, it's kind of like teaching English to children, but to people who are a lot more advanced than just a one-year old learning to speak. It's different than other things out there; it's a unique opportunity. Plus, you get to learn more about the Korean military as a whole." 

  The volunteers begin teaching conversational English courses in early April.