Tag: USFK

The exercise may go on, but there may be some units missing if they get deployed to fight Iran:

U.S. and South Korean forces will proceed with a major joint military exercise next week despite the United States’ involvement in the conflict with Iran, a pair of generals said this week. The 10-day Freedom Shield exercise — one of the two largest drills conducted by the allies each year — is slated to begin Monday. Brig. Gen. Moon Han-ok, a deputy commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, which combines both U.S. and South Korean units, said the training will continue as planned. “Actually, we are strengthening readiness thinking North Korea might show some provocations,” she said Wednesday at the division’s headquarters on Humphreys. “We will conduct the exercise as planned and maintain readiness.” Freedom Shield comes as the U.S. and Israel are engaged in military operations against Iran, which began Saturday. During a joint interview with reporters, Moon and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. W. Bochat said the conflict in the Middle East would not affect the focus of the drills.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the Pentagon is planning for a protracted conflict with Iran considering they are discussing with the ROK the deployment of USFK assets to the Middle East:

Seoul was cautious Thursday on news reports that South Korea and Washington are discussing the potential redeployment of some United States Forces Korea assets, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

A Cheong Wa Dae official, declining to be named, said Thursday, “It would not be appropriate for our government to comment on the operational employment of USFK.”

The official added, “The mission of USFK is to maintain a strong combined defense posture with South Korean forces and contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. To that end, South Korea and the United States will continue close communication and coordination.”

The official addressed earlier reports by local media that Seoul and Washington are holding consultations regarding the operational use of USFK and the possible redeployment of certain capabilities to the Middle East.

The Ministry of National Defense also remained cautious on the matter.

“The goal of USFK is to maintain a strong combined defense posture with South Korean forces and contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Chung Bin-na said at a regular briefing Thursday, echoing the official in the presidential office. “To that end, Seoul and Washington remain in close communication regarding the operational employment of USFK forces.”

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but considering that USFK deployed two Patriot missile batteries to the Middle East during the 12 Day War last year; it is likely air defense batteries will be sent again for this war.

My guess is that the Lee administration will probably not have the ROK military do combined field training with the U.S. this year in an effort to appease North Korea. I guess we will see what happens:

The militaries of South Korea and the United States said Wednesday they will stage their annual joint springtime exercise next month to strengthen their combined defense posture, but they have yet to agree on details of related field training in a rare move.

The Freedom Shield (FS) exercise is scheduled to take place from March 9-19, involving the field training exercise dubbed “Warrior Shield,” according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

The allies’ militaries said the upcoming drills will help further strengthen the alliance’s readiness and capabilities through combined, joint, all-domain operations.

“This exercise will also serve as an opportunity to support ongoing preparations for a condition-based wartime operational transition, consistent with alliance agreement,” they said in a joint statement.

South Korea is seeking to achieve the “conditions-based” handover of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the U.S. within President Lee Jae Myung’s five-year term that ends in 2030.

A JCS official explained some 18,000 troops are expected to take part in this year’s FS exercise, a level on par with around 19,000 personnel last year.

But in a rare move, the allies announced the FS exercise plan without reaching an agreement over the scope of field training exercises that will be simultaneously carried out, only saying that they are still in consultation over Warrior Shield.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This Yonhap article has a completely deceptive title saying “USFK Chief Expresses ‘Regret” to Seoul Defense Minister Over Air Standoff Incident with China”. When you read the article Gen. Brunson did not show regret for conducting the exercise that led to the air stand off; the regret was that he did not personally notify the Defense Minister:

The commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has expressed “regret” to the South Korean defense minister that he was not briefed on the recent U.S. Air Force drills over the Yellow Sea on time, the USFK said Tuesday.

Gen. Xavier Brunson made the remarks during a phone call with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back last week to discuss the situation surrounding the U.S. Air Force drill staged from last Wednesday to Thursday.

In a statement to the press, the USFK said the commander had spoken directly with Ahn to reiterate that “notification had been provided to the Republic of Korea side,” and expressed regret that the defense minister and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) “were not briefed in time.”

“U.S. Forces Korea conducts regular training to maintain the highest level of readiness and ensure it can fulfill its mission,” it said in the statement, adding, “We don’t make apologies for maintaining readiness.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link and The Korea Times did the same thing was a misleading headline of “USFK Commander Reportedly Apologize Over West Sea Drill. If you read the article he once again only shared his regret that the Defense Minister was not notified. He did regret or apologize for conducting the exercise. In both articles USFK says that the ROK military were notified of the exercise. It is not Brunson’s fault that the ROK military failed to inform their senior leadership.

I think Gen. Brunson has learned you do not apologize when you did nothing wrong because the news media will twist it. Instead Gen. Brunson should have asked Defense Minister Ahn if the Russians and Chinese call him to let them know when they fly right through South Korea’s ADIZ multiple times with fighters and bomber aircraft?

I am very curious to know what the ROK Defense Minister was protesting to the USFK Commander about?:

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back checks the readiness of the military, in this file photo taken on Feb. 15, 2026, and provided by the Ministry of National Defense. (Yonhap)

South Korea’s defense minister has lodged a protest with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) early this week over its brief standoff with Chinese fighter jets during a rare air exercise, military sources said Saturday.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has delivered a complaint in a call with Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of the Combined Forces Command and the United States Forces Korea, immediately after he received a report of the incident on Wednesday, according to the sources.

Gen. Jin young-sung, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also lodged a complaint in a call with Gen. Brunson, they added.

On Wednesday, U.S. and Chinese fighter jets engaged in a rare standoff over the Yellow Sea during a training operation of the U.S. Air Force, which involved some 10 USFK F-16 fighter jets. 

The F-16 jets reportedly flew to an area between the respective air defense identifications zones of South Korea and China, prompting the Chinese military to dispatch its own fighter jets to the scene, but no clash occurred.

The USFK had notified the South Korean military of its plan ahead of the exercise but apparently did not elaborate on the details, including the purpose of the drills, officials have said.

Yonhap

The U.S. planes were flying in international airspace. Is there some kind of policy agreed to between the ROK and USFK that they will not fly military aircraft in international airspace in the Yellow Sea? According to this Korea Herald article the exercise near the Chinese ADIZ was unusual and could be signaling that USFK was transforming towards deterring China which is what the ROK Defense Minister may be upset about:

The deployment of a significant number of USFK Air Force assets near the Chinese ADIZ is considered unusual, prompting interpretations that the exercise may have been aimed at signaling deterrence toward China.

The drills come amid growing speculation that Washington may seek to adjust USFK’s role as it shifts focus toward countering China and encourages allies to assume greater responsibility for regional security.

Korea Herald

It is interesting that the ROK government is this upset about an air exercise in international waters near China when the Chinese and the Russians have flown aircraft straight through the the ROK ADIZ on multiple occasions. The last time they did it was just this past December when nine Russian and Chinese aircraft violated in the ROK ADIZ to the South and East of the peninsula. Where was the ROK government’s protests to China and Russia over those incursions? Yet it is going to complain to Gen. Brunson about flying USFK aircraft in international waters?

If the ROK government had properly coordinated for the investigators to enter Osan Airbase none of these changes would have been necessary:

Osan Air Base, a key hub for South Korea-US air operations, has become the center of controversy over how sensitive personal data of Korean nationals is handled — raising concerns about consent, oversight and control over when such information is collected and retained by a foreign military authority.

According to multiple sources on Sunday, the South Korean Air Force’s Operations Command headquartered at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, is collecting full resident registration numbers of reservists mobilized for training and submitting them to the US 7th Air Force, which operates the base jointly with South Korean forces.

“In the past, reservists could enter the base under Korean military escort,” a South Korean Air Force official told The Korea Herald, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But since US forces now manage access control, identity verification standards have changed.”

“Previously, the Military Manpower Administration provided only basic information such as name, contact details, and date of birth,” the official added. “Now, US forces are requesting full resident registration numbers.”

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It has long been speculated that the Pentagon has been looking to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Korea and it appears the 5-17 Air Cav is one unit being looked at for deactivation:

A Pentagon official said Friday that no decision has been made on the fate of a U.S. Army squadron in South Korea, which was reported to have been deactivated as part of a military transformation initiative.

The remarks came after a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report said that the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (5-17 ACS) at Camp Humphreys, a key U.S. base in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, ceased operations on Dec. 15.

“No decision has been made and we do not comment on pre-decisional force structure matters,” the official said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency, apparently indicating that the squadron is still active.

The CRS report on the unit’s deactivation added to speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration could seek a ground troop reduction of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea as part of an adjustment to better counter threats from an assertive China.

5-17 ACS is known to have had hundreds of personnel, as well as aviation and reconnaissance assets, including AH-64E Apache helicopters and RQ-7B Shadow drones. It has served in Korea to support the 2nd Infantry Division since May 2022.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.