U.S. Think Tank with Links to Defense Secretary Recommends Large Troop Cuts to USFK
This seems to be a trial balloon warning of what could happen to USFK if the ROK is not cooperative in allowing U.S. military units in Korea to be used to respond to regional crisises. The recent deployment of Patriot missile defense units off the peninsula shows that the ROK was cooperative with that deployment:
A U.S. think tank recommended a reduction of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troop level to about 10,000 from the current 28,500 in a report released Wednesday, amid speculation that the Pentagon might weigh the idea of a troop drawdown on the Korean Peninsula to prioritize deterring Chinese threats.
Defense Priorities, a Washington-based institution, released the report, titled “Aligning global military posture with U.S. interests,” saying that the U.S. troop presence should be reduced even further if Seoul limits the U.S. ability to use USFK assets to address other regional security crises outside the peninsula.
The report was written by Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at the think tank, and Dan Caldwell, a former senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The think tank recommended cutting all ground combat units not tied to base security from South Korea, along with Army signal, intelligence, and headquarters units, and some of their associated support and sustainment units — a reduction that would remove most of the 2nd Infantry Division from Korea, including the rotational brigade combat team and Army combat aviation units.
It also said that the U.S. should cut airpower based in Korea, moving two fighter squadrons from U.S. bases in South Korea back to the U.S. and that about a third of air maintenance and other support units and personnel can also be returned stateside.
“In total, this would reduce the total U.S. military presence in South Korea by more than 50 percent, leaving about 10,000 personnel along with two fighter squadrons (including a larger super squadron) and support forces.
“The ground personnel left would be primarily for support, sustainment, logistics, and maintenance, leaving the responsibility for combat operations in the event of any crisis on the peninsula to South Korean forces.”
You can read more at the link.
