ROK and U.S. Amphibious Assault Vehicles assemble in front the ROK tank landing ship Seongin Bong (LST 685) in preparation for a beach landing during RSOI/ FOAL EAGLE 2004. Photo by JO3 Stephen Haynes, USN

“The exercise was a tremendous success,” said Maj. Killeen. “This is the force that we’re going to go into combat with should it become necessary. The opportunity to learn how they do business and for them to learn how we do business has been invaluable.”

ROK Officers Participate Aboard USS Fort McHenry

ROK Navy aviators look over an AV-8B Harrier during a tour of the USS Essex (LHD 2). The Essex stopped in Pohang to off load equipment and personnel and to embark liaison officers from the ROK Navy before participating in the exercise.

The USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), a dock-landing ship, hosted several ROK Navy and Marine liaison officers while participating in RSOI/FOAL EAGLE 2004 off the ROK coast. The exercise provided training opportunities to help teach and mentor service members while exercising senior leaders’ decision-making capabilities. RSOI/FOAL EAGLE’s mission is to build interoperability between ROK and U.S. Armed Forces, said U.S. Navy Lt. Thomas Ulmer. “This is done through bilateral training in areas such as amphibious planning and operations, naval surface and sub-surface operations, mine-warfare, and air operations.”

Before the exercise, representatives from both sides came aboard Fort McHenry for a brief on everything from hand signals to what the troops could expect when they came aboard. “Communication is key,” said Lt. Ulmer. “We exchanged liaison officers with each other’s forces to assist in overcoming the language barriers . . . to operate more effectively.”

“When we first took in the Korean AAVs [Amphibious Assault Vehicles], it was difficult, because we didn’t know what the capabilities of their vehicles were,” said U.S. Navy PO1 E. J. Alinea. ROK Marine GySgt. Myung De Sung helped explain some of the ROK equipment and capabilities to the Fort McHenry crew.

“Even though Korean troops couldn’t communicate to American troops due to the language barrier, everybody felt they could work together as a team,” said GySgt. Myung De Sung through an interpreter. “Since this was their first time working with American troops, and being on an American ship, the Korean troops feel they have gotten more training out of the exercise than they expected.”

A ROK Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) maneuvers to assemble with other AAV’s after launching from the well deck of the USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) during an amphibious assault exercise. Photo by JO3 Stephen Haynes, USN