OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Lt. Col. D. Alan Johnson’s name may be printed on the recognition, but the squadron commander said it belongs to the AFOSI team he leads and Korean investigators they spent months building the relationship together.
Johnson, commander of AFOSI’s 5th Field Investigations Squadron, received the Letter of Appreciation from the chief of staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROK) Chief of Staff, Gen. Son Sug Rag, and delivered by Col. Jong Seong Woo, April 21, for his efforts strengthening cooperation between U.S. and ROK military investigators.
“When Col. Woo presented the letter of appreciation, my immediate reaction was profound gratitude, but more importantly, a deep sense of pride in my team,” Johnson said. “This honor truly belongs to all the 5 FIS special agents.”
That emphasis on the team reflects how Johnson has approached both the squadron’s mission, said AFOSI Reg. 6 leaders, and its growing partnership with Korean investigators.
Col. Sarah Hedrick, AFOSI Region 6 deputy commander, said Johnson’s willingness to work alongside his team, while keeping broader organizational goals in view, has shaped the squadron’s success.
“He always gets the mission done, often getting deep in the trenches himself,” Hedrick said. “He’s also a true team player who keeps broader organizational and national goals in mind.”
Since Johnson assumed command in June 2024, AFOSI and the ROK Air Force Investigative Agency have expanded their partnership through three subject-matter expert exchanges, routine coordination and a joint exercise involving complex multinational scenarios.
Johnson said one of the greatest challenges has been aligning two organizations with different authorities, structures and professional cultures.
“The most challenging aspect was bridging the institutional and cultural nuances between two distinct military investigative bodies,” he said. “True partnership goes beyond signing memorandums -- it requires genuine cultural translation.”
According to Johnson, that translation includes understanding differences in investigative approaches, military rank structures, legal requirements and operational tempo between AFOSI and AFIA.
Johnson credited the unit's local Korean Special Investigators (SIs) as “the critical bridge for this effort.”
With SIs serving alongside AFOSI for over a decade and holding advanced degrees, Johnson added these investigators provide the vital linguistic, cultural and operational continuity needed to keep the bilateral relationship thriving despite the frequent turnover of U.S. military personnel.
Established in 2022, AFIA is still expanding its role in counterintelligence and force protection across the Pacific. Johnson said the agency’s development has given AFOSI an opportunity to build working relationships before they are tested by a crisis.
And that partnership has already moved from discussion to practical cooperation.
The first two subject-matter expert exchanges, hosted by AFOSI at Osan Air Base, allowed investigators to compare forensic methods, digital evidence practices and the legal and institutional rules governing their work, he said.
One example of that groundwork being tested was during a joint crime-scene exercise at Osan Air Base, Aug. 25 and 26, 2025, when U.S. and Korean investigators processed a simulated death scene involving casualties from both air forces.
“The August exercise was a milestone,” Johnson said. “It was our first joint exercise featuring AFIA and AFOSI Special Agents processing a complex death scene involving both ROKAF and USAF members.”
More recently, their partnership continued when AFIA hosted the subject-matter expert exchange after AFOSI last month.
During May’s exchange, twenty-eight investigators and specialists shared techniques in crime-scene photography, bullet-trajectory analysis and digital forensics and discussed standardizing procedures for investigations involving both air forces.
Johnson’s assignments in Thailand and India, along with his doctoral studies in cultural psychology, helped prepare him across the Pacific. But he said his Korean counterparts have further shaped his understanding of how enduring partnerships are built.
“My ROK counterparts have reinforced the absolute necessity of patience, deep respect, and the long-term view of relationship building. In American culture, we often prioritize immediate transactional results, but my time with AFIA has shown that investing in the interpersonal foundation first makes the subsequent operational work exponentially faster and more resilient.”
Col. James Merenda, commander of AFOSI Region 6, said Johnson’s long-term approach has strengthened AFOSI’s relationships with Korean and American partners throughout South Korea.
“Lt. Col. Johnson’s collaborative and forward-thinking approach resonates with our international teammates,” Merenda said. “His efforts are making AFOSI the partner of choice across the peninsula.”