KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- After nine months of utilizing various facilities here to accomplish their mission, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 613 is finally finding their way back to their fully renovated workspace.
The $730,000 project began nearly 18 months ago with the main goal of creating a more efficient and effective space to accomplish mission requirements, while maintaining the safety and security of agents and their Korean partners.
“Our liaison program with the Korean National Police is imperative to our success as a detachment,” said Special Agent Dustin Paulus, AFOSI Det. 613 commander. “The upgraded administrative areas enhance communication and provide our agents with the space they need in order to focus on relationships with base and local law enforcement agencies.”
To reveal the newest upgrades, the detachment held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their newly renovated building at Kunsan, May 23. Col. Dave Patterson, AFOSI 6th Field Investigations Region vice commander, attended the ceremony to recognize the tremendous support the det has received from the 8th Fighter Wing and Korean National Police partners.
“The infrastructure they’ve been able to achieve through the new designs and upgrades is huge for our mission and this detachment,” Col. Patterson said. “The way offices are set up can greatly help or hinder the success of an organization. It sounds like a small thing, but it can be extremely impactful.”
The renovation included upgrades to the interview rooms, storage areas and the creation of a designated waiting area. A kitchen, two locker rooms and a new heating and cooling system were also installed. Plus, three distinct office spaces were created and designed around the unit’s three specific mission sets.
“Our three main mission sets of counter intelligence, criminal and fraud investigations each require unique skills and knowledge,” said SA Paulus. “The new dedicated work spaces are now set up and equipped to allow for efficient day-to-day training and operations on these specific mission sets while fostering an environment where agents can receive and apply instantaneous feedback to become better investigators.”