2009 Christmas in Seoul

Lana and I spent Christmas 2009 between Seoul and with our friends at Osan Air Base. New Years Eve was spent with Lufthansa friends at the Hilton Grand in Seoul and they were kind enough to let Lana and I attend their crew dinner. It was a great dinner with both German and American food.

Christmas Day we took a bus to Osan to meet up with our friends Chris and Kristina from Aviano...more good food and an enjoyable time with good friends. Although it was nice to be with friends, Lana and I missed being in Germany or the USA with family. Now that we're back in the States, it's nice to be in the same timezone of at least one of our families...a few more days and our biological clocks will be caught up. Hopefully Christmas 2010 we'll be together with our families!

Merry Christmas...Snow Anyone?!

So, Lana and I are enjoying a warm cup of tea at home early on a Friday afternoon because I was told to go home due to all the snow we've gotten over the past 24 hours...and it's still dumping! I'm not sure how much we have, but it has to be over a foot by now. It definitely makes it feel a lot more like Christmas! Snow also makes older people feel like children, so we went outside and played around a bit...one of us is usually more childish if you can't tell by the picture below. I love my wife!

For those of you who didn't get a Christmas card from us, we're sorry we didn't get you one but here's a digital copy for you to enjoy. One week from today and we'll be celebrating Christ's human birth on Earth! Merry Christmas everyone!

SEFE Upgrade

A few days ago, I completed the Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner (SEFE) upgrade and am now qualified to give simulator and flight evaluation checkrides. God continues to bless in my work as I move along in my Air Force career! As an F-16 pilot, we're required to pass a simulator emergency procedures evaluation (EPE) and flight evaluation to ensure we're meeting Air Force standards. There are two areas I can now evaluate pilots on in the simulator and in the air; instrument flying and how they fly while executing an F-16 mission such as close air support (CAS), offensive counterair (OCA), defensive counterair, (DCA - keeping hostile countries from conduction OCA on friendlies), suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), etc. These flights are graded separately and occur every 18 months. So, assuming the instrument and mission checkrides are offset, they take place approximately every 9 months.

The EPEs involve a number of emergencies which the pilot has to analyze, maintain aircraft control and take the proper checklist actions to safely recover the aircraft or eject if needed. Some of these include an engine fire (of which the F-16 only has one, so this is pretty critical), hydraulic leaks, engine oil leaks, and a myriad of electronic failures / anomalies. Depending on where the aircraft is at the time, friendly or enemy territory, the course of action may change. An F-16 pilot must ask himself some questions, "If I move a certain switch now, how will this affect my ability to shoot missiles or drop bombs...now that I've lost a certain system, how does that affect my combat capability...should I proceed into enemy territory or return to base?"

The flight evaluations grade the pilots ability to execute either instrument procedures or mission specifics tasks and focuses on the pilot's highest level of qualification (i.e. wingman, flight lead or instructor)...the more qualified, the more is expected. With all of this comes more responsibility on my part to know the procedures and tactics so I can effectively evaluate another F-16 pilot. It's a position I gladly accept! Check six!

77th Fighter Squadron - Gamblers

Change of squadrons...a few weeks ago I posted we were going to be part of the 79th Fighter Squadron once at Shaw. Well, I received confirmation yesterday in an email from the 77th Fighter Squardon Commander that I'll be a part of the Gamblers. The new motto...Double Down! The time is quickly approaching when I will leave Korea and the Pantons and head back to the USA. It's already less than 3 weeks away! Having been in Europe / Korea for the past 4 years, I may have a bit of a culture shock to get over once I'm back. I know Lana will, but we're looking forward to a new location and adventure as we get settled in a new place...it's God's plan for us and we're excited about it!

Guam...Where America's Day Begins

Where in the USA is it summer all year around, do you find both Spanish and Japanese influence in it's history and the locations of a major US military offensive during WWII? Yep, it's Guam! Lana and I just finished a week traveling around Guam...our last trip before leaving Korea. It was filled with both sun and rain (a typhoon had just passed the island a couple days prior to our arrival), but still was a very enjoyable and relaxing vacation for us both before the baby arrives! There are two US military bases on Guam, and we stayed on the US Naval Base since it is more centrally located on the island and because Andersen AFB would not guarantee room availability before arriving.

Our days usually started with a trip to the base gym and then making a determination on what we thought the weather would do. Thankfully we only had to wait one day for the sun and we were able to enjoy the beaches on both bases. Some of the nicest beaches on the island are located on the bases since they see less tourists and are in great locations...a few times Lana and I were the only ones enjoying the scenery. The Navy Base has Gab Gab Beach and a great lagoon at the bottom of old Spanish Steps (from sometime in the 1700s), while Andersen's most picturesque is Targue Beach. The lagoon reminded us of our time in the Philippines, and the best part was we had the whole place to ourselves during our time there! Both Gab Gab and the lagoon had great snorkeling! When we arrived at Targue Beach we could hardly believe we were on an Air Force Base...might be requesting an assignment there in the future when it's time for me to sit behind a desk for a few years. We finished our days with a nice meal, to include our favorite, Indian, a couple times!

The middle of the week was filled with clouds and rain, so Lana and I visited a few of the WWII memorial sites from the Battle of Guam, specifically where the Marines landed at Agat and Agana Beaches. I didn't realize Guam, or for that fact, most of the Mariana Islands were locations of major US battles against the Japanese during WWII. Probably one of the better known islands is Tinian, where the bombers took off to drop the Atomic bombs on mainland Japan. Apart from the memorial sites, there are many reminders of past war. On both bases, there are many Japanese pillboxes (or bunkers) cut into the sides of cliffs where soldiers waited for the coming attack from the USA. There are even remains of a US Marine Corps F-4U Corsair crash out in the jungle on the the Navy Base.

The last couple of days cleared up again, so naturally we spent the time at the beach snorkeling and enjoying the sun. Early Friday morning we took a boat out just of the west coast of the island and were soon surrounded by many dolphins. Had I been quicker with the camera, I'd have a picture of a couple of them jumping out of the water. Sadly, our enjoyable trip came to an end and now we're back in Korea wrapping up our last few weeks. Perfect timing...today was Korea's first snow fall of the winter. Can you say a drastic change of climate?!

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Guam

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Our Sweep Is Next

When a Panton leaves the 35th Fighter Squadron, we have a party to remember their year or two in the squadron and wish them the best as they move on to their next assignment. We call this party a Sweep, which has many traditions. One of these traditions is the Sweep shirt you see Lana and I in below. This past weekend we had a Sweep, and it's both exciting and sad to realize we'll be "swept" away at the next Sweep in December. As much as there is to dislike about Kunsan, Lana and I have come to enjoy our time here in Asia with the many new friends we have made over the past year on base and from our church. It's been MUCH better now that Lana is with me more due to the fact she's on maternity leave while pregnant.

We will be spending Thanksgiving with some good friends of ours who are stationed at Osan before enjoying a great week in Guam the following week. Upon our return, we'll have 3 weeks to pack up, outprocess the base and celebrate Christmas and New Years together. The 2nd of January we'll be wheels up on a plane bound for the USA...essentially 4 years after I left the USA bound for Italy. God has been good and we're looking forward to what He has for us in the years to come!

Naejangsan (내장산) National Park

Lana and I spent Veteran's Day at Naejangsan National Park (내장산), which is about 1 hour from Kunsan. It was a perfect blue sky day for a hike in the park after the previous few had been filled with clouds and rain. The temperature was pleasant and some of the trees still had their colored leaves on them... shades of red, orange, and yellow. We had such a good time and are a little bummed we didn't do more hiking in the parks around over the past 10 months or so.

After parking, we entered the park and hiked about a mile to the gondola station which ran about 1000' up a small mountain where we had a nice view of the valley below. We also had lunch, even though there wasn't too much we found appetizing...would you like bugs for lunch, seriously?! Since it was such a nice day, we hiked down from the mountain to a temple complex. It was made up of many different buildings, most of which had a idol of Buddha inside and Koreans worshiping. It reminded me of Psalm 115 where is says, "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them."

It was a great day for Lana and I...it's these days together here in Korea where we appreciate the chance we've had to live in Asia. If the temperature doesn't drop too quickly and we have another spare weekend, we hope to do the same again. Six weeks and counting...

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Naejangsan National Park

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Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

This past weekend Lana and I finally made it to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The DMZ was established roughly along the 38th parallel at the end of the Korean War in 1953 and runs the entire width of the peninsula...155 miles. The DMZ is a 4km wide "zone" of land providing a 2km buffer on the north and south sides of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Each buffer line is marked by a tall fence with barbed wire and observation posts every now and then to sound the alarm in case of an attack from the north.

The main sites we visted were the Joint Security Area (JSA), Dorasan Station and Tunnel 3. The JSA is where high level talks used to take place between Generals of North and South Korea. It has also been the location of a few fights over the years at tensions always are high. Even though it has become a well known tourist attraction, we could even feel the tension in the air while there. Directly across the MDL in the JFA is a well known North Korean building where a lone soldier stands at the top of a set of steps and peers through a set of binoculars every now and then. From the JSA the "Propaganda Village" can also be seen...a town built to make viewers think everything is just fine in the North when in reality people outside the military have it very tough. Dorasan Station is the northern most railway station in South Korea. The tracks actually connect the two countries, but is rarely used. For some, it is a symbol of hope that one day the North and South will be reunited. Towards the end of our trip we visited a Tunnel 3 or the Third Tunnel of Aggression. In all, 4 tunnels have been found crossing underneath the DMZ from the North. It wasn't found until 25 years after the war ended, so it's unknown how many soldiers actually crossed through before it was found.

Touring the DMZ again reminded me of why we still have so many American troops in South Korea. I personally don't think North Korea will attack merely because the leadership isn't willing to give up their control (they would because we'd crush them if a war broke out), but it's not worth gambling with the lives of the South Koreans until they are fully able to take care of themselves.

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Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

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Low Level Flying In Alaska

Having flown the F-16 for almost 4 years now, there are fewer and fewer instances where I think after landing, "Wow, that was an amazing / cool flight!" Not that the flights are any less interesting than they were as a young wingman, but at this point I've done many great things in the F-16. For instance, air-to-air refueling, dropping 2000lb bombs, or flying low and fast isn't as "cool" as it was the first time I did them. This is the case with many things in life...

Well, this past Wednesday I flew a low level route with my 4-ship through the Denali Mountain Range after which I had to say, "Wow, that one of the coolest things I've done in the F-16!" After dropping our bombs and shooting the 20mm gun on the range just north of Mt. McKinley, we flew a low level through the mountains along many glaciers through the range. The guys in the squadron refer this low level as the "Low Level of Justice," which translates..."the coolest low level you'll ever fly!" Flying 500ft above the glaciers at 500mph with mountain peaks a few thousand feet above the jet on either side is why it such a cool place to fly. This is the #1 low level of all those I have flown in the past 4 years. The pictures I posted from the internet will hopefully give you a small glimpse into what the scenery looked like.

Today is our last day in Alaska, and we're going to do some sight seeing. We hope to see some salmon running up one of the local rivers nearby...the end to an enjoyable 5 weeks in the far north!

Alaskan Travels

Lana and I have had the weekends to do some traveling together and see some of the local sites while in Alaska. During the week, Lana and some of the other wives had a chance to do some traveling too. Since North Pole is just up the road, why not visit Santa's House and pass a "hello" to Rudolph right? The first weekend after Lana arrived, we did just that...where it's Christmas 365 days a year.

During the next week, Lana and the ladies made one big trip towards Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park. Like I mentioned before, the park is closed so sadly they weren't able to get close enough to see the snow covered Mt. McKinley itself. It was an enjoyable trip for her nonetheless. The following weekend we spent a night at the Chena Hot Springs about 45 min from Fairbanks. The hot spring is in the middle of nowhere, and the actual road leading to it dead ends at the resort. It was relaxing to soak in the natural hot water while the outside air was about 30 F.

The last weekend, we took a trip south to the town Delta Junction which is a small town where two large rivers join together. The Alaskan Salmon run during the summer months, with certain species later into the fall, so we caught the end of the run and saw thousands of salmon making their way up the river to spawn (see video below). It's pretty amazing when you realize the fish have traveled hundreds of miles. After taking some pictures, we drove further south towards the Alaskan Mountain Range...very nice and scenic! To see many of the sites people think of in Alaska, Lana and I will have to take a cruise or fly back to Anchorage some other time. But, as long as we see a bunch of snow this next week, it'll seem a little more like we're in Alaska!

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Alaska

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Alasksan Salmon Run

Red Flag at Eielson AFB, Alaska

This past Friday wrapped up our two weeks of Red Flag Alaska here at Eielson AFB. Each large formation exercise (LFE) consisted of multiple "blue" (friendly) and "red" (hostile) forces, with two each day. A typcial blue force consisted of 16 F-16s (air-to-ground, air-to-air, and SEAD), 12 F-15Cs (air-to-air), 8 A-10s (air-to-ground), 4 KC-135 tankers (air refueling), 2 B-52s (air-to-ground), an AWACS (command and control) and sometimes a C-17 (cargo drop) or helicopter (personnel recovery). The red forces consisted of between 10-14 F-16s, from the 18th Aggressors Squadron. Aggressors are full time Air Force pilots who train solely to provide blue forces in a Red Flag event with professional threat replication...or in other words, simulate aircraft the US could potentially fight against in future wars. The Aggressor aircraft are painted with a cool paint scheme of either black/grey/white or blue/light blue/white.

In a majority of the LFEs I flew in, I lead a 4-ship to the tanker, ingressed to the target area low at 500ft and 500kts through the Alaskan mountains, dropped my bombs and then egressed low as well. There isn't much better in the F-16! In couple of them, we ingressed medium altitude and then picked up an air-to-air role after expending our ordinance on the target. We would rejoin with the tanker north of the Yukon River, get our 4000lbs or so of fuel, proceed to our holding point and then push towards our targets just to the north or Mt. McKinley...about 250 miles. Flying in low to the target area has advantages and disadvantages, but overall it kept us below the air threat (the Aggressors) and make it difficult for the surface-to-air missile (SAM) site radars to track us through the mountainous terrain. The Alaskan flying airspace is some of the best in the world, and the scenery is great as well. I really enjoyed leading some of the new wingmen in their first Red Flag experience...I can still remember mine back in the summer of 2006 as young pilot (click here for that post).

It's been 4 weeks since we flew into Alaska with 1 more to go. This next week we'll continue to make use of the great airspace and bombing ranges before flying back to Korea next Saturday. Lana and I have enjoyed our time here in the far north parts of America, even though we haven't seen as much as we had wanted to. Denali National Park is closed for the winter and Anchorage is an 8 hour drive. But, we can now say we've been here and it will be a good memory for us. Until next time...

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Eielson AFB, Alaska

Next Assignment: Shaw AFB, South Carolina

This past Friday, Lana and I found out our next assignment will take us to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina in the city of Sumter to continue flying the F-16...block 50 this time around! Shaw if part of Air Combat Command (ACC) with a base designator on the tail of SW. God has continued to bless me at work and I'm thankful to have another flying assignment. The Air Force F-16 community is quickly drawing down to make way for the new F-35, so getting a third F-16 flying assignment is rare. We'll arrive in SC sometime around the March / April time frame and we're looking forward to being back together permanently again after my year in Korea. It'll be where our first child is born (Lana is about 8 weeks now) and a location easier for my US family to visit. Lufthansa also flies direct from Charlotte to Munich, so the location will work well to get to Germany easily.

In all my previous F-16 flying assignments, I have flown the block 40 F-16 which primarily focuses on precision strike (dropping laser and GPS guided bombs) and close air support (CAS) for the Army. Shaw flies the block 50 F-16 which primarily focuses on suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), targeting enemy radar sites, but can also do the block 40 missions. It'll be good for me to learn this mission in addition to what I have learned up to this point in the block 40. Initially I won't be an instructor in the SEAD mission, but that will come with time as I learn.

Lana and I are still here in Alaska, and will be traveling back to Korea in a couple weeks. The time in Korea has seemed long at times, but at others to go very quickly. I'll update the blog with a more specific timeline of when we'll be moving as soon as I get that info. Until then, fly safe and check six!

In Alaska...

Late last week, the 35th Fighter Squadron flew 12 F-16s across the north Pacific Ocean to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska for a TDY until late October. I was #3 of the first 6-ship which flew an 8.3 hour sortie with 9 air-to-air refuelings along the way. We departed Kunsan at 0200 on a Friday and landed around 1700 on Thursday evening in Alaska...strange to cross the international dateline and "go back" 24 hours in time (for the non-military folk, that's 2:00 AM and 5:00 PM). Our route of flight took us east across Japan, northeast across the Pacific, along the Aleutian Islands, and then on towards Fairbanks. Eielson AFB is located about 20 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Thankfully the weather along our route of flight was nice the entire way allowing for smooth tanking. I was able to use my mp3 player, read a bit and eat some food along the way to keep awake and from getting too bored in the small cockpit. As we flew in from the west towards the base, we had a nice view of Mt. McKinley which is part of Denali National Park. Other than the mountains, it was wide spread forest as far as the eye could see...perfect for flying low in the F-16.

The day after landing, we headed to the base dining facility for lunch where I ran into my cousin Cameron who was just finishing up his outprocessing from the KC-135 tanker unit at Eielson. The last I had heard he moved to Spokane, WA a month prior so it was a cool surprise to see him. Before he left, we were able to grab dinner one night and shoot some trap/skeet here at the base range over the weekend.

Our first week of flying is half way done and I've flown 3 times already. Monday's flight was a local area orientation (LAO) flight to get used to and see the layout of the local flying area. It involved a very nice low level (500ft / 500kts) out to the east of the base and then down to the southwest towards Mt. McKinley...the weather didn't allow us to fly too close to the range, but nonetheless it was an enjoyable flight. Yesterday's flight was more of the same from the previous day. Today, I led a 4-ship to a nearby bombing range to drop 2xMK-82 AIR inert bombs (inert just means they don't go "boom" on impact). The first flights of the day we cancelled due to snow and bad weather but we were able to takeoff later in the day and drop our bombs. The landscape in the course of a day has turned from yellow / brown with the leaves towards the end of their colorful season to white. The temps aren't too cold here yet, but are expected to drop quite a bit over the course of our time here.

In the beginning of October we'll be starting our Red Flag Alaska training for 2 weeks just like I did back in 2006 at Nellis AFB, Nevada. After Red Flag we'll have another week filled with dropping more bombs, so lots to look forward too. Lana will be here late next week, so it'll be great to have her here with me. I'll update more as our time goes along...