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POHANG, South Korea - Paul J. Yi has fond memories of visiting the Republic of Korea as a child. Yi, a Los Angeles native, recalls visiting Jeju Island when he was eight years old.
“You have to take a plane to get to the island,” Yi said. “I remember going there with my family. We went horseback riding, clam fishing and hiking in the mountains. We ate good seafood and got to sleep near the beach. It’s probably one of my best memories of Korea.”
As Yi grew older, he had fewer opportunities to travel to Korea, however, and the last time Yi visited was 15 years ago.
“I had a cousin who was born, so my family and I went to visit,” said Yi, a native of Los Angeles. “That was the last time I went back.”
But Yi’s desire to serve in the military has brought him back to Korea in an unexpected way. Yi joined the Marine Corps in January 2014 because of a desire to serve and a line of family members in the ROK military.
“I have an Uncle who was in the ROK Marine Corps, and my father and grandfather were in the ROK army,” Yi said. “My family didn’t expect me to serve, but I chose to do it on my own. They are happy I joined and have made it this far.”
Now a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense specialist with 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Yi returned to the Republic of Korea to serve as an interpreter during the Peninsula Express 15 exercise June 27 – July 11, 2015.
Peninsula Express is this year’s eighth iteration, of the Korean-Marine Exchange Program, a series of exercises between the U.S. and Republic of Korea Marine Corps designed to build interoperability and tactical familiarity between partner nations.
“I was really excited to come here,” Yi said. "When I took the defense language proficiency test, I never thought I would actually be used as an interpreter, and I never thought that I would even be here for annual training.”
Attached to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, Yi translated for officers and staff non-commissioned officers from both the U.S. and ROK Marine Corps, so they could complete their training in mountain warfare, amphibious operations, military operations in urban terrain and combat marksmanship.
"He was invaluable," said Capt. Mark Beres, executive officer with Company G, 2/24. "During training like this, communication is always a barrier. Yi being attached to the company allowed the training to occur."
In order to accomplish his mission, Yi had to navigate through both U.S. and ROK military worlds.
"It was mentally exhausting," said Yi, a senior at University of California San Diego studying bioinformatics. "I had to learn how to adapt in this environment. I had to constantly switch between Korean formal mode and American Marine Corps mode. I had to talk to the ROK officers one way and our officers in another way."
In addition to translating, Yi also participated in the training, from learning the basics of rappelling and fast roping, to riding in an amphibious assault vehicle during a simulated amphibious assault.
"This is my first time being attached to an infantry unit,” Yi said. “This is what I expected when I joined the Marine Corps, and this is what I wanted to get out of the Marine Corps. I didn't want to just be in an office, so I really enjoyed being out there with them."
Even though the exercise was demanding, Yi is grateful for the experience and enjoyed interacting with the ROK Marines.
"The best part of being with Golf Company was having free time after the first day of MOUT training,” Yi said. “We were hanging out and trading MREs with the ROK Marines.”
The interaction after training days was an important part of the experience, Yi said.
“We're supposed to train together,” he said. “However, if you don't know each other personally, there is no way we can function as a cohesive group."
Yi believes the camaraderie he built with the ROK Marines while training is the most important thing he will take away from the exercise.
| Date Taken: | 07.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2015 14:44 |
| Story ID: | 169689 |
| Location: | POHANG, KR |
| Hometown: | LOS ANGELES, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, An Exercise in Translation, by Sgt Ian Leones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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