Nov. 26 (UPI) — Officials with the U.S. Air Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force met this month to coordinate security efforts for the first time in 72 years.
Respective leaders of the USAF and the ROKAF military police units convened in Washington on Nov. 14 to strengthen relationships, assess security risks and explore mutual training opportunities, USAF officials announced on Tuesday.
USAF Security Forces Director Brig. Gen. Brian Filler and ROKAF Military Police Agency commander Col. Jongsun Woo also met in Washington.
“Our fruitful discussions highlighted the bond between our forces,” Filler said. “This is not merely a tactical alliance, but a vital strategic partnership forged in shared commitment, mutual respect and a common purpose.”
“By strengthening our relationship through combined training, knowledge sharing and unified strategic planning, we aim to build a robust and resilient deterrent against any potential threat to our collective security,” Filler added.
The visit included a trip to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Filler and Woo met with the 316th Security Forces Group commander and others, examined counter-small unmanned aircraft systems, observed a military working dog demonstration and learned about the work done by the Ravens special-asset force that protects Air Force locations, equipment and staff.
“The site visit was an opportunity to demonstrate security forces competencies, not only our everyday battle rhythm but our warfighting capabilities as well,”316th SFG commander Col. Joseph Bincarousky said.
“It was interesting to compare and contrast our forces,” Bincarousky added. “We discussed opportunities for partnership between our air forces’ security forces.”
He said the discussion included how they could train together and learn from each other’s respective strengths and challenges.
Such discussions helped to emphasize the relationship between the USAF and the ROKAF, their commitment to collaborative defense and the continued importance of “interoperability in maintaining peace and stability,” Filler said.
“I look forward to furthering the ability of our forces to operate in a combined environment and expand training opportunities to establish a cohesive force able to withstand the uncertainties of emergent threats in the Indo-Pacific,” Filler added.
