SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) hosted a combined working group to discuss the Mutual Airlift Support Agreement (MASA) Sept. 19-20.
This longstanding agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea allows the exchange of airlift during contingency operations on the Korean peninsula.
The working group, comprised of representatives from the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), Korean commercial air industry, and U.S. Transportation Command, met to discuss updates to the agreement.
“The purpose of this group is to maintain relationships and improve the use of the Mutual Airlift Support Agreement, so that it may be regularly exercised for familiarity,” said USTRANSCOM’s Acquisition Cross-Service Agreement Manager Paul Dismer.
South Korean air force Col. Jong Kya Sun, ROKAF Transportation Branch Chief, said changing requirements and group composition made the meeting necessary.
“We’ve been doing this for 36 years, but industry requirements change and so do our group members,” said Sun.
Sun said ensuring the MASA remains viable requires attention to detail during its use, but strong relationships are the driving factor behind its success.
“This agreement depends heavily on the integrity of the relationships we have with one another, because nothing improves without our collective effort,” said Sun.
USTRANSCOM’s Military Deputy Director for Operations, Air Force Col. David Fazenbaker agreed.
“Relationships like this enable us to respond to any crisis in the world, and sustain the effort for as long as necessary,” said Fazenbaker.
About USTRANSCOM
U.S. Transportation Command is a warfighting combatant command that projects and sustains military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, USTRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the joint force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation’s leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.
