Us And South Korean Forces Are Conducting The First Live Fire Exercises Since The New Unit Was Created

CNN was one of two Western media organizations invited to attend the training. “There is no stronger alliance in the world than the US-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance,” Col. Brandon Anderson of the US Army’s 2nd Infantry Division and deputy commander of the RUCD, United States Republic of Korea, told CNN. “The bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance, or the bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance,” Anderson said, before US and South Korean tanks and artillery blasted targets simulating enemy troops, armor and positions in the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. tucked into the mountains north of Seoul. Commanders did not specifically name that enemy and said their exercise was defensive in nature, but its location — the firing range is just 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea — leaves no doubt to whom his message was addressed. The South Korean commander of the combined division, Brig. Gen. Kim Nam-hoon, said the US-ROK alliance plays to the strengths of both sides. “The reason is CFC [Combined Forces Command] can perform best on the Korean peninsula is due to the harmony between US capability and Korean knowledge of operation and geography,” Kim said. The two allies brought together this unique division seven years ago to take advantage of it.

Forces ‘must be ready’

At a command center perched on a hill above the firing range, US and South Korean troops shared targeting information for South Korean K-1 tanks and US M1 Abrams, as well as calling in artillery strikes from South Korean K-9 and the American Palladin batteries that are not seen behind a slope. The command center shook with a concussion five seconds after smoke appeared on the facing mountainside, about a mile away. Tanks launched bubbles filled with concrete that exceeded 600 meters [1,969 feet] at 700 meters [2,297 feet] in front of them. The rounds traveled hundreds more yards down the hillside after hitting their marks. That’s because if they detonated as they would in a real battle, the targets would disappear with the first shot, a US officer said. US and South Korean troops in the command center adjusted their fire as targets were removed and new ones appeared on the range in the distance. Computer screens flashed as targets were hit. Other views showed the tank’s crews loading shells into the tank’s gun and its gun recoiling as it fired. “Nothing says reassurance like military training,” Anderson said. “Both US forces and Romanian forces must be ready.” And certainly, US and South Korean forces are increasing their readiness.

A “special” alliance

A live-fire exercise like Wednesday’s has not been staged since 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump suspended such drills, saying such war games had no place while he engaged in diplomatic talks with North Korea. leader Kim Jong Un. But Trump and his then-South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in failed to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. Their successors, Joe Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol, have taken a much harder line on the North. With its missile tests and tough rhetoric, North Korea shows it has no interest in talks, so joint exercises like Wednesday’s are imperative. And it’s a change from what the U.S. military, at least, has faced in real combat for a long time, given that in Iraq and Afghanistan, the enemy’s weapons and tactics were very different from what a battle might entail. with North Korea. “We didn’t stop looking at the Middle East, but we got out of how we fight [and] it can [we] refocused on near-peer opponents,” Anderson said. A near-peer opponent is one with similar weapons, force numbers, and tactics. “If we’re going to look at a close opponent, we’ve got to do tougher adversity. We’ve got to do it with someone who’s capable of damaging us,” he said. US and South Korean officials have said they believe cooperation can limit that damage. “Interoperability is essential for real combined operations,” said Kim, the South Korean general. And the combined unit is strengthened by 72 years of history working together, Anderson said, recalling the 1950-1953 Korean War. “We’ve been here since the 1950s … It’s not uncommon to see second- or third-generation American service members on the Korean peninsula. And I’m telling you that because I don’t know of any other alliance that’s that special,” he said. .

title: “Us And South Korean Forces Are Conducting The First Live Fire Exercises Since The New Unit Was Created Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-28” author: “Cecil Thomas”

CNN was one of two Western media organizations invited to attend the training. “There is no stronger alliance in the world than the US-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance,” Col. Brandon Anderson of the US Army’s 2nd Infantry Division and deputy commander of the RUCD, United States Republic of Korea, told CNN. “The bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance, or the bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance,” Anderson said, before US and South Korean tanks and artillery blasted targets simulating enemy troops, armor and positions in the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. tucked into the mountains north of Seoul. Commanders did not specifically name that enemy and said their exercise was defensive in nature, but its location — the firing range is just 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea — leaves no doubt to whom his message was addressed. The South Korean commander of the combined division, Brig. Gen. Kim Nam-hoon, said the US-ROK alliance plays to the strengths of both sides. “The reason is CFC [Combined Forces Command] can perform best on the Korean peninsula is due to the harmony between US capability and Korean knowledge of operation and geography,” Kim said. The two allies brought together this unique division seven years ago to take advantage of it.

Forces ‘must be ready’

At a command center perched on a hill above the firing range, US and South Korean troops shared targeting information for South Korean K-1 tanks and US M1 Abrams, as well as calling in artillery strikes from South Korean K-9 and the American Palladin batteries that are not seen behind a slope. The command center shook with a concussion five seconds after smoke appeared on the facing mountainside, about a mile away. Tanks launched bubbles filled with concrete that exceeded 600 meters [1,969 feet] at 700 meters [2,297 feet] in front of them. The rounds traveled hundreds more yards down the hillside after hitting their marks. That’s because if they detonated as they would in a real battle, the targets would disappear with the first shot, a US officer said. US and South Korean troops in the command center adjusted their fire as targets were removed and new ones appeared on the range in the distance. Computer screens flashed as targets were hit. Other views showed the tank’s crews loading shells into the tank’s gun and its gun recoiling as it fired. “Nothing says reassurance like military training,” Anderson said. “Both US forces and Romanian forces must be ready.” And certainly, US and South Korean forces are increasing their readiness.

A “special” alliance

A live-fire exercise like Wednesday’s has not been staged since 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump suspended such drills, saying such war games had no place while he engaged in diplomatic talks with North Korea. leader Kim Jong Un. But Trump and his then-South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in failed to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. Their successors, Joe Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol, have taken a much harder line on the North. With its missile tests and tough rhetoric, North Korea shows it has no interest in talks, so joint exercises like Wednesday’s are imperative. And it’s a change from what the U.S. military, at least, has faced in real combat for a long time, given that in Iraq and Afghanistan, the enemy’s weapons and tactics were very different from what a battle might entail. with North Korea. “We didn’t stop looking at the Middle East, but we got out of how we fight [and] it can [we] refocused on near-peer opponents,” Anderson said. A near-peer opponent is one with similar weapons, force numbers, and tactics. “If we’re going to look at a close opponent, we’ve got to do tougher adversity. We’ve got to do it with someone who’s capable of damaging us,” he said. US and South Korean officials have said they believe cooperation can limit that damage. “Interoperability is essential for real combined operations,” said Kim, the South Korean general. And the combined unit is strengthened by 72 years of history working together, Anderson said, recalling the 1950-1953 Korean War. “We’ve been here since the 1950s … It’s not uncommon to see second- or third-generation American service members on the Korean peninsula. And I’m telling you that because I don’t know of any other alliance that’s that special,” he said. .

title: “Us And South Korean Forces Are Conducting The First Live Fire Exercises Since The New Unit Was Created Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-31” author: “Ernesto Ostler”

CNN was one of two Western media organizations invited to attend the training. “There is no stronger alliance in the world than the US-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance,” Col. Brandon Anderson of the US Army’s 2nd Infantry Division and deputy commander of the RUCD, United States Republic of Korea, told CNN. “The bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance, or the bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance,” Anderson said, before US and South Korean tanks and artillery blasted targets simulating enemy troops, armor and positions in the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. tucked into the mountains north of Seoul. Commanders did not specifically name that enemy and said their exercise was defensive in nature, but its location — the firing range is just 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea — leaves no doubt to whom his message was addressed. The South Korean commander of the combined division, Brig. Gen. Kim Nam-hoon, said the US-ROK alliance plays to the strengths of both sides. “The reason is CFC [Combined Forces Command] can perform best on the Korean peninsula is due to the harmony between US capability and Korean knowledge of operation and geography,” Kim said. The two allies brought together this unique division seven years ago to take advantage of it.

Forces ‘must be ready’

At a command center perched on a hill above the firing range, US and South Korean troops shared targeting information for South Korean K-1 tanks and US M1 Abrams, as well as calling in artillery strikes from South Korean K-9 and the American Palladin batteries that are not seen behind a slope. The command center shook with a concussion five seconds after smoke appeared on the facing mountainside, about a mile away. Tanks launched bubbles filled with concrete that exceeded 600 meters [1,969 feet] at 700 meters [2,297 feet] in front of them. The rounds traveled hundreds more yards down the hillside after hitting their marks. That’s because if they detonated as they would in a real battle, the targets would disappear with the first shot, a US officer said. US and South Korean troops in the command center adjusted their fire as targets were removed and new ones appeared on the range in the distance. Computer screens flashed as targets were hit. Other views showed the tank’s crews loading shells into the tank’s gun and its gun recoiling as it fired. “Nothing says reassurance like military training,” Anderson said. “Both US forces and Romanian forces must be ready.” And certainly, US and South Korean forces are increasing their readiness.

A “special” alliance

A live-fire exercise like Wednesday’s has not been staged since 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump suspended such drills, saying such war games had no place while he engaged in diplomatic talks with North Korea. leader Kim Jong Un. But Trump and his then-South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in failed to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. Their successors, Joe Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol, have taken a much harder line on the North. With its missile tests and tough rhetoric, North Korea shows it has no interest in talks, so joint exercises like Wednesday’s are imperative. And it’s a change from what the U.S. military, at least, has faced in real combat for a long time, given that in Iraq and Afghanistan, the enemy’s weapons and tactics were very different from what a battle might entail. with North Korea. “We didn’t stop looking at the Middle East, but we got out of how we fight [and] it can [we] refocused on near-peer opponents,” Anderson said. A near-peer opponent is one with similar weapons, force numbers, and tactics. “If we’re going to look at a close opponent, we’ve got to do tougher adversity. We’ve got to do it with someone who’s capable of damaging us,” he said. US and South Korean officials have said they believe cooperation can limit that damage. “Interoperability is essential for real combined operations,” said Kim, the South Korean general. And the combined unit is strengthened by 72 years of history working together, Anderson said, recalling the 1950-1953 Korean War. “We’ve been here since the 1950s … It’s not uncommon to see second- or third-generation American service members on the Korean peninsula. And I’m telling you that because I don’t know of any other alliance that’s that special,” he said. .

title: “Us And South Korean Forces Are Conducting The First Live Fire Exercises Since The New Unit Was Created Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-30” author: “Annalisa Whitman”

CNN was one of two Western media organizations invited to attend the training. “There is no stronger alliance in the world than the US-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance,” Col. Brandon Anderson of the US Army’s 2nd Infantry Division and deputy commander of the RUCD, United States Republic of Korea, told CNN. “The bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance, or the bigger the threat, the bigger the alliance,” Anderson said, before US and South Korean tanks and artillery blasted targets simulating enemy troops, armor and positions in the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex. tucked into the mountains north of Seoul. Commanders did not specifically name that enemy and said their exercise was defensive in nature, but its location — the firing range is just 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea — leaves no doubt to whom his message was addressed. The South Korean commander of the combined division, Brig. Gen. Kim Nam-hoon, said the US-ROK alliance plays to the strengths of both sides. “The reason is CFC [Combined Forces Command] can perform best on the Korean peninsula is due to the harmony between US capability and Korean knowledge of operation and geography,” Kim said. The two allies brought together this unique division seven years ago to take advantage of it.

Forces ‘must be ready’

At a command center perched on a hill above the firing range, US and South Korean troops shared targeting information for South Korean K-1 tanks and US M1 Abrams, as well as calling in artillery strikes from South Korean K-9 and the American Palladin batteries that are not seen behind a slope. The command center shook with a concussion five seconds after smoke appeared on the facing mountainside, about a mile away. Tanks launched bubbles filled with concrete that exceeded 600 meters [1,969 feet] at 700 meters [2,297 feet] in front of them. The rounds traveled hundreds more yards down the hillside after hitting their marks. That’s because if they detonated as they would in a real battle, the targets would disappear with the first shot, a US officer said. US and South Korean troops in the command center adjusted their fire as targets were removed and new ones appeared on the range in the distance. Computer screens flashed as targets were hit. Other views showed the tank’s crews loading shells into the tank’s gun and its gun recoiling as it fired. “Nothing says reassurance like military training,” Anderson said. “Both US forces and Romanian forces must be ready.” And certainly, US and South Korean forces are increasing their readiness.

A “special” alliance

A live-fire exercise like Wednesday’s has not been staged since 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump suspended such drills, saying such war games had no place while he engaged in diplomatic talks with North Korea. leader Kim Jong Un. But Trump and his then-South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in failed to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. Their successors, Joe Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol, have taken a much harder line on the North. With its missile tests and tough rhetoric, North Korea shows it has no interest in talks, so joint exercises like Wednesday’s are imperative. And it’s a change from what the U.S. military, at least, has faced in real combat for a long time, given that in Iraq and Afghanistan, the enemy’s weapons and tactics were very different from what a battle might entail. with North Korea. “We didn’t stop looking at the Middle East, but we got out of how we fight [and] it can [we] refocused on near-peer opponents,” Anderson said. A near-peer opponent is one with similar weapons, force numbers, and tactics. “If we’re going to look at a close opponent, we’ve got to do tougher adversity. We’ve got to do it with someone who’s capable of damaging us,” he said. US and South Korean officials have said they believe cooperation can limit that damage. “Interoperability is essential for real combined operations,” said Kim, the South Korean general. And the combined unit is strengthened by 72 years of history working together, Anderson said, recalling the 1950-1953 Korean War. “We’ve been here since the 1950s … It’s not uncommon to see second- or third-generation American service members on the Korean peninsula. And I’m telling you that because I don’t know of any other alliance that’s that special,” he said. .