Capt. Denny Yang, 8th Fighter Wing protocol officer in charge, left, and Tech. Sgt. Jamin Solomon, 8th FW protocol NCO in charge, right, stand in front of a heritage wall at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan. 4, 2023. The 8th FW protocol team is responsible for managing and coordinating distinguished visitor tours, changes of command and other events held on base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Isaiah J. Soliz) ()
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Comprised of the dynamic duo dubbed “Customs” and “Courtesies,” the 8th Fighter Wing protocol office is a two-man team that sets the base up for a successful changeover each year.
While members of the Wolf Pack may be accustomed to witnessing official events or functions ranging from award ceremonies and retirements to annual celebrations, most Airmen may not see the amount of coordination, skill and precision that protocol personnel demonstrate while executing these functions from behind the scenes.
“We are in charge of making sure that any type of event or visit from distinguished guests flows smoothly,” said Tech. Sgt. Jamin “Courtesies” Solomon, 8th FW protocol NCO in charge. “We also make sure that each event meets the intent as set by the wing commander.”
Each distinguished visit is catered to highlight something different, continued Solomon. Each itinerary is created to showcase a particular mission set ranging from mission support to aircraft sortie generation. Other events may be designed to focus on recognizing outstanding Airmen across the wing.
No matter the event, Solomon works in tandem with Capt. Denny “Customs” Yang, 8th FW protocol officer in charge.
“We have a great working relationship,” said Solomon. “He always thinks about the little details that we need to keep in mind while planning events. We bounce thoughts off each other, find answers together and ultimately ensure that events occur as planned.”
Here at Kunsan, one unique factor the protocol team must account for is the one-year time on station most Wolf Pack Airmen experience.
“Change of command is a pretty wild season here at Kunsan,” said Solomon. “(Almost) everyone is here for one year and most of the command teams leave around the same time. That means we’ll have long hours, lots of late nights and a ton of coordinating with various action officers to implement the change of command plans.”
Solomon and Yang concurred that the upcoming change of command season will be occurring on a weekly or even daily basis in some cases.
“One of our squadron commanders reached out to us about her change of command that occurs in June, and I jokingly said she is reaching out so early that she is giving me nightmares already,” joked Yang. “The reality is that since Sergeant Solomon and I have done this before, it’s going to be an easily repeatable event. Setting up for each change of command may be a lot of work but I’m confident that we will be able to execute them smoothly.”
Yang credits his working relationship with Solomon as the key to turning over a base.
“Sergeant Solomon and I do a great job keeping each other accountable while maintaining respect for one another,” said Yang. “We certainly have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am confident we will find our rhythm and successfully execute change of command season.”
The protocol team is slated to manage and coordinate 20 changes of command from May through the end of June.
