Operation Key Resolve strengthens ties between South Korea, US

Photo By Sgt. Michael Orton | Warrior Base lies near the border of North Korea and the South Korea. The base houses ROK and U.S. soldiers during training exercises, such as operation Key Resolve.  

WARRIOR BASE, 26, SOUTH KOREA

03.16.2013

Story by Spc. Michael Orton 

106th Public Affairs Detachment

WARRIOR BASE, South Korea – For the first time in the six-year history of operation Key Resolve, also known as KR13, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff is taking charge of the major training exercise.

The regularly-scheduled, annual exercise is designed to demonstrate the commitment of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and is under way March 11 - 21, 2013.

Through enhanced battle-space simulation, officials are improving the South Korea and U.S. militaries' in-theater capabilities, while strengthening their combined and joint-training interoperability.

“A strong United States-Republic of Korea alliance is one of the most important factors for maintain peace and security on the peninsula and in the region at large,” said Gen. James D. Thurman, the commander of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea.

This year, KR13 also establishes a basis for transitioning wartime operational control over to South Korea. The exercise is dedicated to improving stability in the region. Through the Command Post of the Future tracking system, military officials can improve the combat-readiness of the South Korean and U.S. militaries through battlefield scenario training.

Operation Key Resolve also improves the U.S. military’s ability to operate within multinational and joint infrastructures. The event underscores the importance of the long-standing relationship between South Korea and the U.S.

The collaborative history between the two nations began more than 60 years ago. South Korean army Gen. Paik Sun-yup, the most decorated war hero in the history the South Korean army, has first-hand experience with how cooperative the two nations have been and is excited about what this training provides the ROK, he said.

“Historically, the relationship between the U.S. Army and the Korean army has been very well handled,” Sun-yup said. “This military training style came from the United States Army to the Korean army, and it has become a wonderful system.”

The Command Post of the Future tracking system allows the U.S. military to command, monitor and control forces in theater. This operational control allows troops to train as they fight, with real-world scenarios.

KR13 also helps the U.S. Eighth Army refine their abilities to operate within a joint-service and multinational operational environment. Tasked with the responsibility for deterring aggression from South Korea and with non-combatant evacuations from the Korean peninsula, the Eighth Army is taking full advantage of this training exercise.

"Key Resolve enables us to train for our primary mission," said Eighth Army Deputy Commanding General for Operations Maj. Gen. Walter M. Golden. "It ensures we are ready to confront and defeat a wide variety of threats, and it demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the Republic of Korea-United States Alliance."

More than 13,000 service members participate in the exercise, approximately 3,500 of whom are U.S. servicemen and women. About 2,500 of the U.S. personnel are from locations other than the Korean peninsula, and include military units from the Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy. All South Korean military services are represented as well.

South Korea and the U.S. are not the only countries to take part in the exercise either. Forces from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark and the United Kingdom are all participate in the event. Supervisors from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission are also attending.

With South Korean and U.S. forces working, eating, training and sleeping in close proximity to each other, operations such as Key Resolve are essential for participants to hone and retain unit and individual skills.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2013
• Date Posted: 03.16.2013 22:56
• Story ID: 103591
• Location: WARRIOR BASE, 26, KR