Posted on 11/10/2008 9:12:32 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Kunsan Air Base’s commander was relieved of his duties Monday by Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Howie Chandler due to lack of confidence in the colonel’s performance, according to U.S. Air Force spokesmen.
Col. Bryan Bearden, 45, had commanded Kunsan’s 8th Fighter Wing since May — completing six months of a one-year tour.
"The decision was driven solely by duty performance factors," according to a Kunsan news release on Monday.
The wing includes roughly 2,700 airmen and 15 squadrons, including two F-16 squadrons.
Col. Jerry Harris, 13th Air Force director of operations at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, is to replace Bearden.
In the release, Bearden said he had been honored to serve as 8th Fighter Wing commander.
"With our mission comes a significant responsibility and accountability. Clearly, that starts with me and I take full responsibility for performance across this wing," he said.
Bearden will be reassigned to a position outside South Korea. That position had not been determined as of Monday, a PACAF spokesman said.
Officials said they could not comment on how Chandler had measured Bearden’s job performance, or whether the decision to relieve him was based on the results of last week’s peninsula-wide operational readiness exercise, held quarterly at Kunsan.
Bearden was in his third tour in South Korea and his second at Kunsan. He served in Daegu in 1990, and was stationed at Kunsan as a captain in the 80th Fighter Squadron in 1993 and 1994.
During an interview in October, Bearden said team building was the hardest part of his job given Kunsan’s rapid turnover.
This tour was harder than his first tour at Kunsan 15 years ago because he now has two young children, he said. Almost all airmen are sent to Kunsan on one-year unaccompanied tours because of the remoteness of the base.
That remoteness creates a bond among airmen, he said.
"This is a very special place," he said. "People are so much closer here."
Bearden is a command pilot with more than 2,000 flying hours. Before coming to Kunsan, he commanded the 43rd Maintenance Group at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
He has received a number of awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star Medal.
He received his commission from the Texas A&M University Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1987.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
Then neither can we.
Rather harshly, I’d say.
> Almost all airmen are sent to Kunsan on one-year unaccompanied tours because of the remoteness of the base.
It IS remote. My cousin who serves at the DMZ told me once that he couldn’t even believe such a place exists on the peninsula.
No General’s stars for him.Early Retirement.
As the Airforce goes that's true. In the 90's, I commanded the MP Company at Camp Page in Chun'Chon(which I believe has subsequently been closed). While it was quite remote from other US installations, it was in a Korean resort area. Most US units were arrayed in the northwest, between Seoul and Panmunjom. CP Page was in the north central part of South Korea, and kind of out there on our own.
At least today they have the Internet and Satelite T.V.
In 1979 it could get really lonely.
very ronery?
Career over....better get out the fishing reel. Perhaps a quaint job in civil service.
He must of seriously failed an exercise.
Yep, he's histoire...
the infowarrior
Remote?
These guys call an Air Base “remote”...
I guess in the Air Force - that must be true - considering their normal Stateside billets..
If you want to hear about REAL remote - talk to some Marine Grunts who served in I Corps Indian Country and were a lengthy Chopper ride to the nearest fortified friendly positions —— and still no air field.
The Air Force shouldn’t be permitted to use the term “remote”....to describe one of their Air Bases....which I’m certain provided all the creature comforts, hot running water, air conditioning, hot food, telephones, television, Internet, laundry service, medical facilities, etc, etc.....
I’m sure all the Grunts in the forum get my drift..
The closest thing a Grunt has to “creature comforts” in the damned jungle is the company of the leaches attached to his back.....
Isn’t it about time we got out of Korea?
Too bad. I dont know the guy, but clearly at this level, he’s been working his ass off for 25+ years.
One problem, and blammo, derails a career.
Damn. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS should be held to similar standards. Or at least standards that are in the same stratosphere.
However, in retrospect, BH obama will likely be ‘making cuts’ anyway. Has to pay for his civilian security force somehow.
I know the infantry has it rough. When I was a tanker infantry guys used to come to our bivouacs and comment on how plush we had it! When in the field we never slept anywhere but outside on the ground, sometimes we even used sleeping bags, I think that is what impressed the grunts the most, those sleeping bags!
How about Thule, Greenland?
Kunsan isn’t so awfully remote. My husband lives and works there as a civilian contractor. The city would love nothing better than to have the base host American families, just like they do up at Osan AB. As for me, I love the area. There ain’t no danged leaches.
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