Veteran Couple Pilots to Participate Together in Overseas Joint Training

A veteran couple of pilots, each with over 1,500 hours of flight time, will participate together in overseas joint training.

According to the Air Force on the 20th, Major Kang Myung-jin (59th class of Air Force Academy) and Major Yoon Hae-rim (60th class of Air Force Academy), who are married, will participate together in a multinational joint air combat training called 'Red Flag Alaska', organized by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, from the 12th to the 27th of next month.

Major Kang and Major Yoon are currently serving as the flight commander of the 162nd Fighter Squadron and the lead pilot of the 161st Fighter Squadron, respectively, at the 19th Fighter Wing in Chungju.

For this training, the Korean Air Force will dispatch 11 aircraft, including KF-16 fighter jets and KC-330 multi-role air refueling transport aircraft, along with over 100 personnel.

In early next month, Major Kang, who will travel to Alaska on a KC-330 with the training participants, will take on the overall planning and management role for the entire training.

Major Yoon will serve as a ferry pilot, directly piloting a KF-16 across the Pacific. This is the first time a female pilot has undertaken ferry duties in overseas joint training.

Major Yoon, who has always dreamed of leading a KF-16 across the Pacific, stated that she applied without hesitation when the topic of overseas training came up.

Major Yoon emphasized that "it doesn't matter whether the mission pilot is male or female; what matters is the pilot's skill and readiness."

The two met as upperclassmen and underclassmen at the Air Force Academy, and their relationship began when Major Kang expressed his strong interest in Major Yoon.

After dating for seven years, the couple got married in 2015. Living together at the same base in Chungju, they reported that every moment they encounter each other on the runway feels new.

With a 2-year-old son, Major Kang and Major Yoon will be away from home for five weeks due to their participation in this training, and they have entrusted childcare to their parents.

Major Yoon expressed her gratitude, stating, "I am always thankful for my husband, who supports my life as a fighter pilot," and added, "As good partners and fellow pilots, we will protect the airspace of the Republic of Korea together."

Image Source: Major Kang Myung-jin and Major Yoon Hae-rim couple / Photo courtesy of the Air Force, showing Major Yoon's KF-16 fighter jet receiving aerial refueling from a KC-330 multi-role air refueling transport aircraft prior to participating in 'Red Flag Alaska' training / Photo courtesy of the Air Force.