PCS Guide: 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, Korea Published Oct. 3, 2011 By Connie Hempel 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Osan Air Base is one of two major airfields operated by the U.S. Air Force in the Republic of Korea. It is the only base on the peninsula that was planned and built by the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. The base, which falls under Pacific Air Forces and Seventh Air Force, is located 4.7 miles southwest of the town of Osan-Ni, for which the base was named, and about 20 miles south of Seoul, the capital city of the ROK. Prior to the invasion of the ROK by the North Korean communists in 1950, the area was occupied by several small farming villages on the hillside, and a large number of rice paddies along the Chin Wi River where the runway now lies The 51st Fighter Wing is headquartered at Osan Air Base and is the most forward deployed wing in the world. The 51 FW provides combat-ready forces for close air support, air strike control, counter air, interdiction, theater airlift, and communications in the defense of the Republic of Korea. The wing executes military operations to beddown, maintain and employ follow-on forces for the combined arms base that includes three major flying tenants and large multiservice fighting units. 51st Fighter Wing Mission: Provide mission ready Airmen to execute combat operations and receive follow-on forces. Â 51st Fighter Wing Vision: The 51st Fighter Wing providing preeminent, stability, premier combat support and precise combat operations on demand. The 51 FW holds F-16 and A-10 squadrons, along with a C-12 airlift flight, and other numerous base support agencies. Every member of the Osan team is vital in maintaining stability in Northeast Asia. Osan is also home of Seventh Air Force, the oldest numbered Air Force. The Seventh AF serves as a key part of a proud and powerful joint/combined team. The mission of Seventh Air Force is ... deter, protect and defend the Republic of Korea from attack from North Korea. The Seventh AF provides "ready to fight tonight" air power - precise, intense, and overwhelming; whenever and wherever needed. The Army Air Corps first activated Seventh Air Force on Nov. 1, 1940, as the Hawaiian Air Force, to control the growing number of air units arriving in the Territory of Hawaii that year. The serenity of this idyllic home station which garnered the unit the glib designation "Pineapple Air Force" was shattered on Dec. 7, 1941 when members of the Hawaiian Air Force became America's first Airmen to come under hostile enemy fire--and respond in kind--in the infamous surprise air attack by Japan. On Sept. 8, 1986, Seventh Air Force activated at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, and assumed the mission of maintaining the fragile armistice on the Korean peninsula. Since then, the Seventh Air Force has been an integral part of deterring aggression from North Korea. Osan Air Base history and information are gathered from historical facts.