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Tent city provides comfort from ravages of simulated war at Osan

PACAF News

Release Date: 8/15/2003

By Master Sgt. Tanya Gregory Ulchi Focus Lens Public Affairs

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - It's an oasis for the real war fighter of a simulated war. It's where they rest, recuperate and phone home.

Osan's tent city provides more than just a place for airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines to bunk out while participating in Ulchi Focus Lens. It provides a place of comfort for the UFL warrior.

"Our job [as the tent city command staff] is to build this place up so it is a world-class dorm without a ceiling that provides a safe haven for the war fighter to rest and relax and get ready to fight the 'war'," said Lt. Col. Marc Guttman, UFL tent city commander.

Colonel Guttman has been the UFL tent city deputy commander since 1995. When he's not participating in UFL, he is a reservist and self-employed businessman living in Colorado. But for now, he says he's the tent city "mayor."The city has enough tents and hardened shelters to house more than 1,000 people, he said. To date, more than 320 military members from around the globe have been processed into tent city for their stay to support the peninsula-wide exercise that is designed to evaluate and improve combined and joint coordination, procedures, plans and systems.

The tent city staff said it is their responsibility not only to ensure residents' comfort, but their well being as well.

"I make sure people have what they need," said Master Sgt. Christine Colbert, tent city first sergeant.

Providing what residents need could be anything from ensuring they have enough hot water to just having a sense of what their morale is like. "Sometimes it may be just saying 'How are you doing today,'" she said. "I make sure people feel safe and comfortable."

According to Colonel Guttman, by the time the exercise officially starts on Aug. 18, the city should have approximately 850 residents.

The colonel said the staff's biggest challenge in running the city is accountability. If emergencies come up, the staff needs to be able to locate any tent city resident.

"All we ask is that if people are going to leave the local area, that they let someone on the command staff know," he said. The command staff has had to process three emergency leaves for tent city residents already. If the staff had not known how to find the residents, it would have taken longer to get them home to loved ones.

"Ultimately the tent city staff's goal is to provide the best accommodations with the best service we can possibly provide," said Colonel Guttman. (Courtesy of Pacific Air Forces News Service)