Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Army’s first Korea-U.S. combined training in the U.S.

Korea-U.S. military exercise to be conducted in the U.S. for the first time.

The Army said that, from June 9 to July 1, a training unit formed with the mechanized infantry company as the parent organization will be sent to the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California, and conduct a tactical training for small units. 

“This training is for the improvement of combined operational capability through exercises in a simulated battlefield environment just like an actual fight. The training unit consists of 170 soldiers from one mechanized infantry company and one special forces,” a relevant Army official said.

NTC is the best training field in America where various types of combined arms exercises and combined training is made possible with the area of 2,400 ㎢ and the closest environment to an actual fight. Our Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC) is known for benchmarking the NTC.

This four-week training is composed of arrangement and self-exercise such as topographic reconnaissance and combat firing practice in the first and second weeks, offense/defense training with opposing forces as a combined training for small units in the third week, and after-action reviews in the last.

As a part of the general chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) exercise training conducted on the tactical level in particular, the training includes a variety of programs such as reconnaissance of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their detection and removal training as well.

A relevant MND official said, “This training doesn’t consider a special situation such as a sudden change in North Korea by any manner of means. It will be an opportunity to upgrade the combined operational capability by mastering small combined unit combat skills and checking out the operational capabilities through this training.”

By Seok Jong, Lee < seokjong@dema.mil.kr >

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