GIMHAE, Korea –
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein visited Defense Contract Management Agency’s Korea office and Korean Airlines during his latest tour to the Republic of Korea. He was greeted by Air Force Lt. Col. Chris Wood, DCMA Korea commander, upon arrival to the DCMA location.
Wood provided Goldfein a DCMA overview brief, to include the agency's mission and organization; DCMA Korea’s oversight of Department of Defense programs at Korean Airlines; 2017 aircraft delivery data and an assessment of Korean Airlines overall performance.
Air Force Capt. Edward Carlin, Air Force Master Sgt. John Kneen and ChangHyo Lee, managing vice president of Korean Airlines’ Defense and Aircraft Modernization Plant also had the opportunity to meet and speak with Goldfein while leading him on a tour of the Korean Airlines’ aircraft depot.
“It is an honor to have such a diverse job that brings the unique challenges offered in the defense acquisition environment,” Carlin said. “It keeps me flying, and provides rare opportunities like this to brief the Air Force chief of staff.”
Carlin serves as a DCMA Korea government flight representative and F-15 pilot. He conducts all F-15 inputs, functional check flights and deliveries to warfighting squadrons at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
Kneen, who serves as a government ground representative, discussed each of the rotary wing programs, including Air Force HH-60, Navy CH/MH-53, and Army UH-60 and AH-64 programs. “Being in this position showcases the importance of joint operations, which is becoming more common in the Department of Defense.
“Leaders at all levels — strategic, operational, and tactical — need to embrace joint operations as the norm as we move forward,” Kneen said. “Being able to highlight this to chief of staff was an amazing opportunity.”
DCMA Korea is comprised of 30 joint, multi-national, multi-skilled personnel, including active duty Air Force and Marines, DoD civilians and Korean national civilians. In 2017, DCMA Korea oversaw the successful delivery of 73 DoD aircraft from the Korean Airlines facility to warfighting units from all four services.
To read more about the Air Force chief of staff’s visit to Korea, visit the
U.S. Pacific Command official website.