Drinking Sessions Mobilizing Military Bands Held Across All Air Force Wings

[Anchor]

Yesterday (November 1), we reported that an Air Force wing held a drinking gathering starting at 5:00 p.m., even mobilizing soldiers from its military band. However, it has been confirmed that such drinking gatherings took place across all Air Force wings during the first half of this year. The Ministry of National Defense has launched an audit.

Defense correspondent Kim Tae-hun reports.

[Reporter]

Officers dressed in flight suits jump up and down with both hands raised, shouting.

Standing in the center are a three-star lieutenant general, Commander of the Air Force Education and Training Command, and a one-star brigadier general, the Wing Commander.

This is video footage from a "communication gathering" held for about three hours starting at 5:00 p.m. on April 29 at a dining facility of the Air Force's 3rd Flying Training Wing in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

Viewing the details disclosed by the SBS report as a grave issue, the Ministry of National Defense immediately launched an inquiry to verify the facts.

[Jeong Bit-na / Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson: "We view this as a very serious matter. The Minister of National Defense has instructed the Office of the Inspector General to strictly verify the facts."]

The Air Force stated that such drinking gatherings, where military band soldiers were mobilized and alcohol was served in abundance, were held across all Air Force wings during the first half of this year.

The Ministry of National Defense's Office of the Inspector General plans to closely examine whether regulations governing the mobilization of military band soldiers for unit events were observed and how significantly the drinking hours encroached upon regular duty hours.

It is also understood that authorities will investigate whether there were additional instances of flight cancellations caused by the aftermath of drinking at these gatherings, beyond the wing in question.

The communication gatherings were events organized by Air Force Headquarters to boost troops' morale in the wake of a series of aircraft accidents.

While frequent aircraft accidents were rooted in widespread lapses in discipline across the service, Air Force Headquarters effectively ended up further encouraging lax discipline by staging drinking sessions under the guise of boosting morale.

With the Air Force yet to express any regret, the Ministry of National Defense has initiated audits into Air Force Headquarters, the Air Force Education and Training Command, and the 3rd Flying Training Wing, among others.

Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Choi Jin-hwa
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.