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SEOUL, South Korea — As Freedom Shield 26 gets underway across the Korean Peninsula, UNC, CFC and USFK forces are reaffirming what military professionals across the world know: readiness is perishable. Every professional military trains, not as an act of aggression, but as a condition of competence. The ROK-U.S. Alliance is no different.
Freedom Shield 26 brings together more than 18,000 combined ROK, U.S. and United Nations Command member state forces to conduct joint training across ground, sea, air, space and cyberspace domains. The exercise is annual, transparent and entirely consistent with the 1953 Armistice Agreement. It is the same agreement that has preserved peace on the Korean Peninsula for more than seven decades.
Underscoring that commitment to transparency and compliance, the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), established under the Armistice Agreement itself, is observing training activities during Freedom Shield 26. The NNSC’s presence is a direct reflection of the Alliance’s confidence that its exercises are conducted lawfully, openly and in full accordance with the commitments both nations have upheld since the ceasefire. No alliance that seeks to hide aggressive intent invites neutral observers to watch.
“Every professional military in the world trains, because readiness is perishable,” said Col. Ryan Donald, UNC/CFC/USFK spokesperson. “The ROK-U.S. Alliance conducts Freedom Shield to maintain the combined readiness and interoperability that deters conflict and, if necessary, defeats any threat. These exercises are defensive in nature, consistent with international law and observed by neutral nations under the Armistice Agreement. That is not the behavior of an aggressor. That is the behavior of a credible, professional and committed alliance.”
Professional militaries do not train to provoke. They train because competence in the defense of a nation cannot be improvised. Skills degrade. Interoperability between alliance partners requires constant cultivation. Command and control procedures, combined arms integration and the ability to operate seamlessly across domains are not capabilities that can be switched on at will. They are built through repetition, honest assessment and shared commitment to excellence. The ROK-U.S. Alliance is committed to all three.
Freedom Shield 26, like every iteration before it, is a defensive exercise. It is not oriented toward any offensive objective. It is designed to ensure that Alliance forces can detect, deter and, if necessary, defend against any threat to the Republic of Korea and regional stability. The Alliance has never initiated conflict on the Korean Peninsula and has no intention of doing so. Its posture has always been and remains one of principled, capable defense.
Outside voices may characterize this training as they choose. The Alliance will be judged by what it does: train hard, stand ready and stand together. The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will bear witness to the lawful and professional nature of these exercises, just as it was designed to do.
| Date Taken: | 03.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2026 22:35 |
| Story ID: | 560340 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Freedom Shield 26: Alliance Readiness Is Not a Provocation, It’s a Requirement, by COL Ryan Donald, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
