Thankful for our Airmen

Les Enderton is the executive director of the Oahu Visitors Bureau and a member of the Air Force Civilian Advisory Council)

Thanksgiving is a very special time to me. It gives us the opportunity to reunite with family and friends to give thanks. And, as Americans, we have so much to be thankful for...

Peace and security, however, are taken for granted by many Americans. Being a veteran and having two sons on active duty, one currently serving with the Marine Corps in Afghanistan, I have a vested interest in supporting the men and women of our armed forces. I am grateful to AFCAC for giving me the opportunity to support our troops and pass on my experiences to my civilian friends.

The invitation from General Gary North (Pacific Air Forces commander) to accompany him to Korea was a wonderful opportunity to meet many young airmen spending Thanksgiving far from home. From start to finish the four day trip was packed full of opportunities to meet many of the outstanding men and women of PACAF.

Our Hawaii-based contingent consisted of General North, Major General Jan-Marc Jouas, Lt. Col. Mike Schnabel, CMSgt Brooke McLean, SMSgt Tricia Benning, MSgt Byron Veach and Ms. Lena Lopez. The AFCAC members were Steven Ai, Robin Campaniano, Tony Guerrero and I.

We departed Hickam AFB on Saturday night and landed in Guam at Andersen Air Force Base early Monday morning for a one hour refueling stop and briefing. Our next stop was Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea.

Following a warm reception by Col. Robert "Wolf" Givens, the commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan, we checked into our quarters and several hours later were transported to Big Coyote for a mission brief. Big Coyote is a small mountain that overlooks Kunsan. It is a fabulous site for a briefing. The briefing itself was made even more memorable by a security force demonstration that included (blank) weapons fire and a guard dog taking down an aggressor. All of this took place in wooded terrain above the base. What a great introduction to the Wolfpack!

Following lunch on base, we attended a Weapons Load Competition. Watching the three-man teams working closely together to arm the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft was a unique opportunity to witness a well rehearsed, well coordinated example of the type of teamwork necessary to launch a combat-ready aircraft.

We then visited two dormitories, one old and one new. The new dorms are pressurized to protect against any chemical warfare incidents and, believe me, they are quality accommodations. Kunsan does not have facilities for families, so the airmen live in dorms and, for the most part, ride bikes around base.

General North was based at Kunsan as a young lieutenant and later served as the wing commander, one of an ongoing series of fighter pilots referred to as “Wolf.” Dinner that evening was at a restaurant in Gunsan City called Gyong Bok Goong and was hosted by an old friend of General North, Mr. Ko. The local Korean cuisine was excellent and a good time was had by all, particularly Tony Guerrero, who became Mr. Ko’s “brother” after a series of toasts.

Following a good night’s sleep, we arrived at the Kunsan Firing Range at 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday morning. I loved this part of the trip. There’s nothing like starting your day by firing the M-4, the 9mm Beretta and a shotgun! What a great experience!

We then drove to Jeonju for a tour of the old city followed by a Korean lunch at the Go Goong Restaurant. Following lunch we boarded our C-40 for a short flight to Osan AB.I sat in the jump seat for the entire flight and was amazed at the amount of construction and development taking place in South Korea.

Upon arrival at Osan, we were greeted by Brig. Gen. Mike Keltz, 7th Air Force vice commander. General Keltz and his wife are both graduates of Radford High School ... small world.

After checking into our quarters at Turumi Lodging, we attended a dinner at a Korean restaurant called Jongkagib. The dinner was hosted by the 51st Fighter Wing and I was seated next to Col. Tom Deale, whose call sign is “Big.” Big announced that he would be my “wingman” during my two day stay at Osan AB and he fulfilled that responsibility with flying colors.

During dinner, it really hit home to me regarding the high level of camaraderie and respect shared by the officers and Airmen of PACAF. The respect shown to General North that I experienced at both Kunsan AB and Osan AB was much more than deference to his four-star rank; it was a closeness only achieved by warriors. I know the feeling from my years in Special Forces. It’s very special and I was honored to witness the fact that it is alive and well today. It makes me proud to be an American.

The next morning we were scheduled to travel via helicopter to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom. However, due to a low ceiling that moved in during the night, we traveled by bus. The great thing about the bus ride was that we were accompanied by Lt. Gen. Jeff Remington (Deputy Commander, UN Command Korea; Commander, Air Component Command ROK/US Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force)who briefed us to and from the DMZ. Our visit to the Joint Security Area began with a briefing at Ballinger Hall followed by lunch in the mess hall. Our DMZ visit included looking into the eyes of the North Korean guards (General North had warned us not to blink, but to give them our hard look … and we did). We viewed North Korea from the Observation Tower, visited Tunnel 3 (one of three tunnels the North Koreans attempted to build) and even ventured on to the Bridge of No Return which witnessed the return of The Pueblo crew some 40 years ago. The DMZ visit made it very clear to us why we are in Korea.

Dinner at Osan was hosted by General Remington at his home. The dinner was excellent but what came next was another trip highlight. As we were finishing dessert, we suddenly became part of a “roof stomp.” A roof stomp is an Air Force tradition where the pilots surprise their commander by showing up on the roof of his quarters. Luckily, the group of 30 to 40 F-16 and A-10 pilots entered from the lanai. We then toasted them with Jeremiah Weed. I recommend you ask General North for a further explanation of the tradition.

During the next few hours I made it a point to meet every one of the roof stompers. My wingman, Colonel “Big” Deale made the introductions and it was an honor and a pleasure to get to talk one-on-one to these great Americans, many of whom have served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan

The next day was Thanksgiving and we began with a briefing on the A-10 and the F-16. It made me wish that I was young enough to attend flight school. We then donned aprons and chef’s hats to serve the Airmen Thanksgiving dinner at Osan AB and then join them for dinner. It was special to serve these fine men and women and to wish them Happy Thanksgiving.

We then flew to Kunsan AB and repeated the process. It was equally special for us to extend our thanks to these special Americans. We then bid aloha to Colonel “Wolf” Givens and flew home to Hawaii, arriving at 6 a.m. for our second Thanksgiving Day.

During the entire trip we were accompanied by Tech. Sgt Jerome Tayborn who took hundreds of pictures to document an absolutely wonderful trip. What a great momento!

It was an honor to witness the special bond exhibited by the men and women of PACAF. Spending quality time with American military leaders like General Gary North, Major General Jan-Marc “Juice” Jouas, Chief Master Sergeant Brooke McLean, General Jeff Remington, General Mike Keltz, Colonel “Wolf” Givens and Colonel “Big” Deale was, to me, the experience of a lifetime.

General North and the Pacific Air Forces for providing AFCAC with this exceptional experience!