Photo By Lt. Col. Ryan Donald | Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 8th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team,...... read more read more
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea – A sea of Army green filed out of the aircraft and onto the tarmac as Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 8th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division arrive at Osan Air Base, South Korea Oct. 15, for a nine-month rotation.
New to the region but well trained and fully prepared, 3-8th Cav., out of Fort Hood, Texas, arrived on the Peninsula geared up and ready to embrace our Korean allies and the “Fight Tonight” mission.
The battalion will fall under the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division during its rotation to South Korea.
“Of course I believe the unit is ready,” said Lt. Col. Elliott Rogers, the commander of 3-8th Cav. Regt. “After 60 days of training in triple digit temperatures there at Fort Hood, you are not going to find a more ready combined arms battalion than 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. Our troops are trained and ready, and our families are ready.”
Traditionally, Soldiers arrive on the Peninsula for individual 12-month tours and are integrated into preexisting units within United States Forces Korea. The 3-8th Cav. will be replacing 1st Battalion, 12th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division as the second combined arms battalion to arrive as a unit for a nine-month tour. Deploying as a unit allows these troops to arrive confident and prepared to rely on each other and their training.
“I think this is the right thing,” said Rogers. “I think arriving here as a complete unit trained and ready, would allow the Army the flexibility that it needs. We were able to get all of that training at home station. We were able to arrive here on the Peninsula, ready to fight tonight.”
Eager to take on its new mission, 3-8th Cav. is configured with Soldiers who are familiar with their place in the formation and thus providing a well-equipped fighting force.
“The whole unit’s here, we didn’t have to do any plug and play,” said Capt. Daniel Rowe, 3-8th Cav. assistant operations officer. “The personnel we had when we left are the personnel we are going to have on the ground here so that just makes it even better for us and a better opportunity for the country here as a whole. Basically just having the same unit that we had at Fort Hood moving here is a combat multiplier, not only for us but for the South Korean people.”
After months of planning and preparation, these troops are committed and ready to begin training in their new environment and with their Korean allies.
“We cannot wait to get up to the live-fire ranges and be able to do combined live fire with our ROK partners,” said Rogers. “That’s one of the things we are looking forward to, to put a Korean tank next to a United States Army tank is going to be outstanding.”
Soldiers will experience the alliance within their own formations. Korean Augmentation to the United States Army soldiers will be wearing the same uniform and training alongside 3-8th Cav. troops over the next nine months.
“KATUSAs, in my opinion, are one of the best ideas that the Army’s had,” Rowe said. “It allows that integration with the host nation. Your soldiers learn a lot from them. There’s the exchange of ideas from them to us and us to them. It’s just a combat multiplier for everybody involved.”
South Korean soldiers provide a valuable asset within the ranks. The KATUSAs fill in cultural gaps and facilitate communication between American Soldiers and their host nation.
“Last time I came here, it was a great joy to have other soldiers and it was a great help for us to work within their country,” said Spc. Robert Brown, 3-8th Cav. and on his second assignment in South Korea. “They trained me and I trained them. It was a good experience.”
Troops are most looking forward to training with the Koreans and learning about the culture while being guests in South Korea during this short tour, said the leadership.
“The biggest thing that we were told, that I’ve been told by people that I know here, is that over the last 30 to 40 years South Korea has just really become this great country …” said Rowe. “It’s a beautiful country, very up-to-date with everything. It’s a great experience to come here and the people are very welcoming. It’s a good experience if you get a chance to come.”
The unit is anxious to get familiarized with the country and get to work, knowing they have a strong system of support back home in the Killeen, Texas community.
“We are just really proud of our Soldiers,” said Rogers. “Command Sergeant Major Luera and I are so proud of the work they’ve done over the last six months getting ready. We are proud of our families, how resilient and ready they have become. We are just thankful for the support the Killeen, Fort Hood community is going to provide throughout our entire deployment.”
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2014 21:34 |
| Story ID: | 145586 |
| Location: | OSAN AIR BASE, KR |
| Hometown: | KILLEEN, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 615 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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