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Regional Japan-U.S. Forces Protecting Common Interests in KEEN EDGE / YAMA SAKURA 2007 Indian Navy Enhances Amphibious Capability Building Trust and Security Strengthening the ROK-U.S. Alliance in RSOI/FOAL EAGLE 2007 War On Terror :: Winning in the Pacific: The Special Operations Forces Indirect ApproachAMAN 2007: Nations United Against Maritime Terrorism Humanitarian Partnership for Health in Vietnam Partnership for Peace and Security in BALIKATAN 2007 Focus Area :: U.S. Commitment to Asia-Pacific Security: F-22A Fighter Happenings :: |
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Dive Training “We share a common language with diving, which involves hand signals,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Stephen Schwedhelm. “This training teaches us how to provide capability to clear out damaged pier areas so ships can safely pull into port. We were able to share knowledge during this training.” Counter-insurgency
Training ROK Air Force military policemen and U.S. Marines and sailors conducted the counter-insurgency exercise on ROK Air Force Base Yecheon. The situation simulated farmers, upset with a recent free-trade agreement, gaining access to the base using improvised explosive devices. An ROK guard sounded the alarm notifying the military police that the farmers had broken onto the base and were holding a defensive position just inside the West Gate. ROK and U.S. service members quickly responded to the scene. ROK forces arrived on armed troop carriers and set up a perimeter and flanking positions. The U.S. Marines arrived in two Humvees equipped with MK-19 and .50 caliber Browning machine guns and slowly approached the insurgents from the front. A negotiator unsuccessfully tried coaxing the farmers into surrendering, while whistle blasts from the ROK commanding officer signaled the Americans to close in and the Koreans to come from behind and capture them. The service members then secured the scene by patrolling for any unexploded bombs. ROK policeman PVT Sunkyu “Sunny” Kim said, “We don’t get to do this often, but once a year during FOAL EAGLE, we get the chance. Everything went excellently. We appreciate [U.S.] participation, and we will train with you anytime.” For the U.S. Marines and sailors, the day was a chance to observe some of their host country’s tactics, and everyone left with a better understanding of their role in these types of situations. Fixing a Damaged
Runway The two forces used a flush “foreign objects and debris cover” to patch the runway and keep air traffic rolling. They took only 17 minutes to roll out a 3,000-pound (1,361-kilogram) fiberglass cover, and then interlock it with metal grommets. “The most difficult part of this is getting the holes lined up,” said U.S. Navy SN Lee Seltenreich. Trucks and construction vehicles then filled the hole with dirt and smoothed it over before the Seabees covered it. The entire process took a little over 40 minutes. Rodriguez
Range The Strykers are crewed by two soldiers — the vehicle commander and a driver. The commander controls the vehicle’s main weapon: either a .50 caliber machine gun or an MK-19 40mm grenade launcher. The U.S. soldiers were impressed with the support they received from the Korean Service Corps (KSC) workers who run range operations. Kim Yong-un, one of the KSC workers, said he was more than happy to do what he could to make the exercise as effective as possible. That included constructing a plywood “shoot house” that the soldiers used to practice clearing buildings and wooden frames from which to hang targets for individual weapons drills. Sea Transit Once the transit began, ROK and U.S. amphibious squadrons embarked aboard Essex shifted warfare commander responsibilities to an ROK destroyer squadron. This command and control shift was a crucial element during the transit. “In order to shift command and control over to the ROK, everyone needed to be on the same page,” said U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Bradford C. Tonder. “This portion of the exercise was used to see how personnel who don’t normally do this type of maneuver react to the situation. Everyone performed well to achieve this.” The watch team aboard the USS Essex carefully tracked the geospatial positioning of the ships within the convoy during the transit and made recommendations so all ships stayed on course. “Because of the numerous ships within the convoy transit, it was a challenge to keep track of each one and make sure we had communications with each one. But with cooperation from our watch team, we communicated effectively and were able to give appropriate inputs so that the ships went in their designated directions,” said U.S. Navy PO3 David Vinas. The transit not only served as training in threat defense, but also for planning as the ROK and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps worked closely in combined amphibious operations. “Our staffs and our navies share a close relationship, which leads to both sound planning and successful execution,” said ROK Navy Capt. Kim Changkuk. “I am confident that we will be satisfied with the end result. The FOAL EAGLE exercise will enhance both countries operational capability. This annual exercise is a chance to make the alliance between U.S. and the ROK even stronger for years to come.” Cross-Decking Aboard the USS Essex, the ROK command element established a 24-hour fully manned watch in the same physical space as the U.S. command staff. “It is great to have [ROK amphibious squadron] operating literally two feet away from us,” said Lt. j.g. Bradford C. Tonder. “It makes for a centralized and truly combined command. Their proximity also guarantees that we are both operating on the same page and with the same understanding.” “This is my first time operating with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,” said, ROK Lt. Dae Gil Kim, through a translator. “Language is a problem, but the [U.S.] staff is kind and cooperative and willing to help when we have questions. We are able to get the answers we need together. The informal daily interactions between watch standers are equally, if not more so, effective than official meetings when it comes to gaining a clear command picture,” he added. The two forces forged bonds from eating and working together aboard the ships. They shared everything from gym space to flag plot (combined command and control) space and ultimately shared parts of their lives with each other, despite language barriers. “It was very exciting to come onboard and I look forward to working with the U.S. forces,” said ROK Marine Sgt. Jaehuiun Lee. Aboard Essex, the ship’s band “Take Notice” conducted a special performance for embarked ROK personnel. After the performance, ROK sailors and Marines participated in karaoke on the mess decks. Juneau and Tortuga hosted similar activities. ROK personnel said they enjoyed the experience aboard U.S. Navy ships and interacting with their U.S. counterparts. “We are very thankful [for their hospitality],” said ROK Marine LCpl. Joo Song Lee. “In the end, we feel closer to U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy personnel.”
E-mail: apdforum@apan-info.net
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