ROK Navy personnel and U.S. sailors and Marines remove debris accumulated during a reconstruction project at St. Mary’s Sunshine Village for the elderly. The cooperative effort occurred during a community relations project conducted to assist the village in building a common area for the senior citizens. Photo by PH1(AW/SW) Essex D. Moore, III, USN

U.S. sailors and Marines present a check to Sister Lourenz, Director of St. Mary’s Sunshine Village. Photo by PH1(AW/SW) Essex D. Moore, III, USN

One of the most significant differences in the two navies is the basic operating procedure. The ROK Navy is a regional navy, concentrating mainly on the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula, while the U.S. Navy is global, patrolling and operating in the oceans around the world. “Being allies, we need to become familiar with each other’s capabilities and limitations,” said Capt. Landolt. “Korea has one of the most daunting terrains on the planet. Their defense systems are designed for this, while we need to adapt ours for it.” Capt. Landolt added, “By engaging our allies in exercises such as RSOI/FOAL EAGLE, we get to know the leaders of the ROK Navy and Marine Corps. Having personal interaction with them will pay big dividends later on.”
Helping Senior Citizens

To create an outdoor sitting and recreation area for the elderly living there, over 80 ROK and U.S. sailors and Marines joined to remove several thousand pounds of wood scraps from an outdoor storage area at St. Mary’s Sunshine Village in Pohang.

U.S. Navy DT3(SW) Mira Lee, who was born in Seoul, ROK, helped with Korean and English translations. DT3(SW) Lee said the need for translation was minimal, as everyone knew what he or she had to do and worked well together. “People talked together with their hands, and with their eyes,” she said. “Everyone was able to pretty much communicate on his or her own. . . . It’s nice the Blue/Green team could come and help out to make this [community relations project] as great as it was.”

In addition to the dozens of ROK Navy personnel on hand, local Korean news media covered the event. U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Phil Pelikan noted that getting the word out to the local community was a positive morale booster for people in a politically tense region of the world. He said that Korean and U.S. personnel working together at the center for the elderly “showed the local community how well American and ROK militaries are getting along.” The Community Relations Planner/Coordinator Korean Region, Kyong-Ho Pak, said the balance of all parts involved and finding the right project is always the key to making a successful community relations project. “This was really a great mix of many people, giving tremendous effort to make the village a nicer place. The wood we collected had built up over years and was full of nails, bugs, and dirt, but people stayed focused as a team,” he said.


Conclusion

The coordination between ROK and U.S. forces throughout RSOI/FOAL EAGLE provided valuable lessons for both forces and highlighted the strength that comes from teamwork.

ROK Navy personnel and U.S. sailors and Marines pose with Sister Lourenz, Director of St. Mary’s Sunshine Village for the elderly, during the community relations project. Photo by PH1(AW/SW) Essex D. Moore, III, USN