ID :
19533
Mon, 09/15/2008 - 12:33
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/19533
The shortlink copeid
USFK chief orders largest-ever amphibious drill of S. Korean, U.S. marines
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Gen. Walter Sharp, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), has ordered the combined forces of the two countries to conduct the largest-ever landing exercise later in the year, involving the entire U.S. marine forces stationed in Japan, a military source said Thursday.
The top U.S. general in South Korea has already ordered a temporary deployment of the regiment-size 31st U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) based in Japan's Okinawa for the joint exercise, according to the source.
Seoul, however, apparently remains lukewarm about what will be the largest amphibious exercise in history as it believes such a large-scale military drill
could further chill its relations with communist North Korea, according to
officials at the Defense Ministry.
The U.S. general has the wartime command of all South Korean and U.S. forces
stationed here. He is set to hand over the wartime operational command, often
called OPCON, of South Korean troops back to Seoul in April 2012.
Sharp's original plan and his order was to combine the U.S. marines from Japan
with Korea's two regiment-size marine units to conduct a division-size amphibious
exercise for the first time in South Korea's history that will involve over
10,000 troops, according to the source.
"Gen. Sharp said the countries needed to demonstrate to North Korea that
their combined forces are well capable of conducting such a large-scale
amphibious operation," the source said, asking not to be identified.
Sharp made the order on July 28 during his first visit to the Command of the
South Korean Marine Corps.
Amphibious operations in Korea, a peninsula, were proven very effective during
the 1950-53 Korean War when a joint operation of some 70,000 U.S. troops and some
8,000 South Korean forces in the famous 1950 landing at Incheon turned the tide
of the war for the first time to South Korea's favor.
South Korea claims to have independently conducted a division-size amphibious
exercise of its marines in 2006, but officials noted the 2006 drill did not
involve enough troops or equipment to be called a complete exercise.
The joint exercise, if held, will be conducted late October when the South Korean
marine is already scheduled to conduct its annual drill, called Hoguk Exercise,
ministry officials said. The U.S. marine in Okinawa had participated in last
year's Hoguk Exercise, but only with a company-size unit, usually consisted of 70
to 200 troops.
Seoul has yet to set an exact date for the joint exercise or the number of South
Korean and U.S. troops to be involved, but officials noted the country wishes to
keep the size of the drill at that of last year.
Money is definitely a factor as it costs a lot of money to host such a large
number of U.S. troops, according to an official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity. But more importantly the government fears such a large-scale exercise
could trigger unnecessary reactions from the North.
The two Koreas technically remain at war as the Korean War ended only with a
ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
The U.S. currently maintains some 28,500 troops in South Korea as a deterrent to
possible aggression from the North.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Gen. Walter Sharp, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), has ordered the combined forces of the two countries to conduct the largest-ever landing exercise later in the year, involving the entire U.S. marine forces stationed in Japan, a military source said Thursday.
The top U.S. general in South Korea has already ordered a temporary deployment of the regiment-size 31st U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) based in Japan's Okinawa for the joint exercise, according to the source.
Seoul, however, apparently remains lukewarm about what will be the largest amphibious exercise in history as it believes such a large-scale military drill
could further chill its relations with communist North Korea, according to
officials at the Defense Ministry.
The U.S. general has the wartime command of all South Korean and U.S. forces
stationed here. He is set to hand over the wartime operational command, often
called OPCON, of South Korean troops back to Seoul in April 2012.
Sharp's original plan and his order was to combine the U.S. marines from Japan
with Korea's two regiment-size marine units to conduct a division-size amphibious
exercise for the first time in South Korea's history that will involve over
10,000 troops, according to the source.
"Gen. Sharp said the countries needed to demonstrate to North Korea that
their combined forces are well capable of conducting such a large-scale
amphibious operation," the source said, asking not to be identified.
Sharp made the order on July 28 during his first visit to the Command of the
South Korean Marine Corps.
Amphibious operations in Korea, a peninsula, were proven very effective during
the 1950-53 Korean War when a joint operation of some 70,000 U.S. troops and some
8,000 South Korean forces in the famous 1950 landing at Incheon turned the tide
of the war for the first time to South Korea's favor.
South Korea claims to have independently conducted a division-size amphibious
exercise of its marines in 2006, but officials noted the 2006 drill did not
involve enough troops or equipment to be called a complete exercise.
The joint exercise, if held, will be conducted late October when the South Korean
marine is already scheduled to conduct its annual drill, called Hoguk Exercise,
ministry officials said. The U.S. marine in Okinawa had participated in last
year's Hoguk Exercise, but only with a company-size unit, usually consisted of 70
to 200 troops.
Seoul has yet to set an exact date for the joint exercise or the number of South
Korean and U.S. troops to be involved, but officials noted the country wishes to
keep the size of the drill at that of last year.
Money is definitely a factor as it costs a lot of money to host such a large
number of U.S. troops, according to an official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity. But more importantly the government fears such a large-scale exercise
could trigger unnecessary reactions from the North.
The two Koreas technically remain at war as the Korean War ended only with a
ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
The U.S. currently maintains some 28,500 troops in South Korea as a deterrent to
possible aggression from the North.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
