By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
A South Korean Air Force unit in Kuwait held a farewell ceremony Wednesday to commemorate its successful four-year-long mission to assist in the aerial transportation of military supplies and troops in Iraq, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday.
The ceremony took place at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait ahead of Seoul's planned troop pullout from Iraq and Kuwait by Dec. 20, the JCS said in a news release.
The unit of the 58th Air Mobility Wing has 160 troops.
Vice JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Joong-ryeon officiated the ceremony participated in by key coalition commanders in Kuwait, including Brig. Gen. Al-Deai Khaled, chief of the air base, and 250 other local people, it said.
``The Dayman contingent has completed its mission with coalition partners as of today, but will continue operations to support withdrawal of the Zaytun Division in Iraq,'' a JCS official said.
Last month, the Ministry of National Defense announced plans to withdraw about 500 South Korean troops and military equipment from Iraq by Dec. 20. The division has conducted humanitarian and rehabilitation operations in the war-torn Middle East nation since 2004.
The Dayman unit with four C-130H airlifters has transported over 43,000 troops and some 4,400 tons of equipment and supplies during its deployment, JCS officials said. The unit has recorded 6,000 hours or 3.2 million kilometers of perfect flight as of last month, they said.
Dayman means ``always with you'' in Arabic.