210th Field Artillery Brigade and ROK Army 5th Artillery Brigade Team up for Joint Community Clean-up

Photo By Capt. Avery Smith | From Left to Right: Lt. Col. Elijah Ward, the commander of 3-13th Field Artillery Regiment; Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Ball, the command sergeant major of 210th Field Artillery Brigade; and Command Sgt. Maj. Theodore Holley, the command sergeant major of the 6-37th Field Artillery Regiment each carry two full bags of trash that was cleaned up in Damteo Valley.  

POCHEON, 41, SOUTH KOREA

10.25.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Felix Mena and Capt. Avery Smith

210th Field Artillery Brigade

CAMP CASEY, South Korea– The 210th Field Artillery Brigade and the Republic of Korea Army, 5th Artillery Brigade joined together in a joint effort Saturday, October 23, 2021 to clean-up the training area located in Damteo Valley, South Korea. Each Brigade sent their command teams, accompanied by approximately 40 soldiers to assist in the clean-up effort.
The Damteo Valley training area is a frequently used training area for both the US and ROK Army. Maintaining community relations with Damteo Valley residents and business owners is of great importance to both units.
“This is really important for us to continue building relationships with not only our ROK Army counter-parts but also with the local community,” said Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the 210th Field Artillery Brigade. “We want to be a part of their community and demonstrate we are invested in keeping the valley a safe, clean environment for everyone to use.”
While both the 210th FAB and ROKA 5th Artillery Brigade make use of Damteo Valley separately, both units ensure the beautiful area is well maintained. The relationship the units have forged over the years is key to mission success on the Korean Peninsula. Community outreach events like the Damteo Valley clean-up further solidifies the US-Korean Alliance.
“Community outreach efforts such as this, is the basic foundation of mitigating potential conflicts between the local civilians and the military units that utilize the area for training,” said Brigadier General Yang, Gi-yeol, commander of ROKA 5th Artillery Brigade. “The civilians had been taking it solely upon themselves to clean-up the area, but with the joint efforts of the US and ROK Army, the civilians have a more positive attitude towards us when we use the area for training and they are grateful for our joint clean-up event.”
In addition to their soldiers, the ROKA 5th Artillery Brigade provided trash bags, tools and safety vests for the joint effort. The clean-up lasted several hours, in which time, US and ROKA soldiers were seen establishing friendships, exchanging unit patches and taking photos together. The event proved to be a great success in furthering the US-ROK partnership and maintaining good relations with the local community.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2021
• Date Posted: 11.18.2021 20:47
• Story ID: 407899
• Location: POCHEON, 41, KR