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OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — The U.S. Air Force in South Korea on Monday kicked off a weeklong air war exercise that will see more than 8,000 U.S. airmen honing their wartime skills.

The U.S. Air Force typically holds two such peninsula-wide operational readiness exercises yearly. The first for this year was in January, said Maj. Denise Kerr, spokeswoman for U.S. 7th Air Force (Air Forces Korea).

“It’s a routine exercise,” said Kerr. “It’s not connected to any world events,” she said.

Ground crews will launch and recover jets, pilots will engage in mock dogfights and practice attacking enemy ground targets; airmen will treat mock battle casualties in base hospitals set up for wartime operations; still other airmen will practice defending their bases against enemy ground assault. And airmen will practice doing their jobs under simulated chemical attack.

Also taking part will be the South Korean air force, whose pilots will fly mock combat missions with their American counterparts, Kerr said.

From staff reports

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