The new leader of 7th Air Force, Lt. Gen. David Iverson, salutes his airmen during a change-of-command ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Jan. 30, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — An F-15 Strike Eagle pilot took command of the 7th Air Force during a ceremony here Tuesday, 30 years after his father led the organization.
Lt. Gen. David Iverson relieved Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, who was scheduled to leave the Korean Peninsula that day to become the Air Force’s director of staff at the Pentagon. The ceremony, inside a hangar, was led by the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, Army Gen. Paul LaCamera.
Osan, roughly 35 miles south of Seoul, is home to the 7th Air Force, U.S. Space Forces Korea and the South Korean air force’s Operations Command.
In addition to a handful of “direct report units” at Osan, the 7th Air Force includes the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan and the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, 80 miles to the south.
Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, presents Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, outgoing 7th Air Force commander, with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Jan. 30, 2024. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
Airmen salute new 7th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. David Iverson during a ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Jan, 30, 2024. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
Speaking to an audience of about 300 people, Iverson said serving with the South Korean military is one of “the best parts of living here.”
“Our steadfast dedication forged in shared sacrifice has built a common bond between us and led to deep and lasting friendships,” he said. “Serving here, standing beside all of you, protecting the freedom and democracies of our nations, is truly an honor.”
He received his commission in 1991 through the ROTC program from the University of Virginia. He graduated flight school in 1993 from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and has since clocked in over 5,400 flight hours, 1,500 in combat.
Iverson is the son of Lt. Gen. Ronald Iverson, also an F-15 pilot who commanded the 7th Air Force from 1994 to 1997.
The 7th Air Force “develops the total air campaign and reinforcement plans” for the defense of South Korea and Northwest Asia and maintains the readiness of 117 operational units and 8,300 U.S. Air Force personnel, according to Pacific Air Forces.
The 7th Air Force’s mission is to employ airpower to deter aggression and maintain the armistice between U.N. Command and North Korea and defend South Korea.
Pleus, who took command in 2020, said it was an honor to serve here.
“While this is my third assignment to Korea, I can confidently say that the mission here is like no other,” Pleus said. “Throughout seven decades of hard work and dedication, the service members … stand ready to deter aggression, and if required, defend [South Korea].”
The 7th Air Force oversaw several key military developments during Pleus’ tenure, such as the first B-52H Stratofortress landing in South Korea in at least 30 years in October and the first combined airpower demonstration by U.S., South Korean and Japanese aircraft that month.
Those drills were held amid a series of North Korean ballistic-missile launches; the communist regime fired 24 such weapons last year.
“These accomplishments would not be possible without the exceptional effort and innovative problem-solving capabilities of this alliance,” Pleus said.
LaCamera thanked the two generals for their service. The 7th Air Force commander is also USFK’s deputy commander.
“Under the leadership of these two leaders, the 7th Air Force has been and will always be ready to fight tonight and win,” he said.
