2ABCT’s Mustangs prepare to fight tonight

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class John Healy | Pfc. Matthew Manuel from Orland, California, a member of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, tests the turret on his teams M1 Abrams during a maintenance check at Camp Casey, South Korea, June 16. The purpose of the troops stationed in South Korea is to both deter aggression, and if needed, be able to fight tonight. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. John Healy, 2BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)  

CAMP CASEY, SOUTH KOREA

06.15.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. John Healy 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

CAMP CASEY, South Korea - The Soldiers of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division have spent the last month crossing the Pacific Ocean to assume their posts among the camps bordering the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.

Their arrival signals the end of an era as the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team deactivates after 50 years of service in South Korea to make way for the Cavalry Soldiers.

The change comes as part of the U.S. Army’s new Korea Rotational Force, which replaces one of the 2nd Infantry Division’s existing combat brigades with a rotational brigade combat team assigned to the 2nd ID for a nine-month tour.

“Our mission is to maintain the readiness of the brigade and to basically maintain the strategic alliance that we have with the Republic of Korea Army,” says 1st Lt. Michael Froebel, 1st platoon leader of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd ABCT, Rogue Platoon, and a native of Cypress, Texas.

To the U.S. Soldiers stationed in Korea, readiness is paramount. The 2nd Infantry Division’s motto is “Fight Tonight.”

With the enhanced readiness posture comes an increase in emergency deployment exercises, alerts, and last minute calls to arms.

“It’s practice for if there was any sort of attack or if we needed to upgrade our readiness level to be able to react and get all the tanks and vehicles ready and get staged for whatever movement comes next,” said Froebel.

The need to remain combat ready at all times presents interesting challenges for the Soldiers of Rogue Company.
“You never know when we’re going to get called to action so there needs to be a lot of cross-training going on,” said Froebel. “We’re all going to need to learn each others jobs. Drivers need to learn how to be loaders and loaders need to learn how to be gunners.”

“These nine months, we’ll be here without our families which is unfortunate but it’s a good opportunity to train really hard and focus on becoming better soldiers and better leaders,” said Froebel.

For some Soldiers in the 2nd ABCT, this will be their first time setting foot in a foreign country. Luckily, there are many Soldiers who have previously been stationed in Korea to guide them.

“It was a good experience the first time,” said Spc. Brian Francis from Danville, Virginia, who is returning to Korea after less than a year. “My favorite thing about coming back here is that I get to experience it through other peoples eyes.”

“People will talk about how exciting it is,” said Francis. “It’s fun to watch them experience the culture change.”

With so many new Soldiers being exposed to a foreign culture for the first time, it’s necessary to ensure that they are aware of social customs and traditions, so that they may represent the Army in a positive light, said Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Coscia, the 1st platoon sergeant for Rogue Company, from Center Reach, New York.

“We did some cultural training prior to arriving,” said Coscia. “We’re still learning all that so that when we go out, we do things right.”

Coscia has taught his Soldiers how experiencing Korean culture can enrich their lives and give them a better understanding of the world.

“You’ve got to let them know that we’re not ignorant to their lifestyle, that we’re willing to learn,” said Coscia. “Its not just the way we run things, we’re their guests.”

• Date Taken: 06.15.2015
• Date Posted: 06.26.2015 00:16
• Story ID: 168225
• Location: CAMP CASEY, KR
• Hometown: BROOKLYN, NY, US
• Hometown: CYPRESS, TX, US
• Hometown: DANVILLE, VA, US
• Hometown: ODESSA, TX, US