Eighth Army accelerates sustainment modernization through ROK Navy

Photo By Spc. Keli Luangrath | U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Henrikson, 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Duddy, 194th Division Sustainment Battalion, and Maj. James Buensuceso, 2ID, are guided by South Korea Navy service members through a navy shipyard for close interaction with 3D printers used for their equipment, Changwon, South Korea, March 25, 2026. This inspection gauges the potential future use of these 3D printers within 2ID and possibly Eighth Army by networking across the Korean peninsula and the Korean military and using Warrior Work, a one stop shop for everything innovation in 2ID. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Keli Luangrath)  

CAMP HUMPHREYS, SOUTH KOREA

03.31.2026

Story by Dae Hwan Kim 

8th Army

In direct support of its modernization strategy, the U.S. Eighth Army is leveraging its alliance with the Republic of Korea (ROK) to build a more resilient and responsive sustainment enterprise for its forward-deployed forces. A recent technology exchange with the ROK Navy’s maintenance depot serves as a key case study, turning the strategic vision for advanced manufacturing—like that demonstrated by the Secretary of the Army at the 2025 AUSA conference—into a tactical reality.

“This engagement is a tangible example of our broader modernization strategy at work,” said Col. Melan Penafiel Salas, Eighth Army’s Director of Innovation, Cyberspace, and Electromagnetic Activities. “While this visit focuses on sustainment, it represents a methodology we are applying across a portfolio of innovation initiatives to ensure we are ready for a multi-domain fight. The insights gained here are invaluable as they shape the next phase of our modernization roadmap, which includes several efforts already underway.”

On March 25, personnel from the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division (2ID/RUCD) and Materiel Support Command-Korea (MSC-K) visited the ROK Navy facility to explore opportunities for future collaboration. The visitors toured advanced metal and non-metal additive manufacturing labs, where they examined quality inspection processes that adhere to international standards (ASTM, ISO). The Eighth Army team was briefed on the ROK Navy depot’s successful system, which has produced thousands of parts since its establishment. The briefers cited specific examples, such as using metal 3D printing to repair high-value components on front-line destroyers. One such repair cut maintenance time from three months to just one week, saving the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars and providing a powerful, proven model for the Eighth Army to adapt.

The visit comes as the division’s own innovation program, "Warrior Works," prepares for the full operational capability of its new lab on May 1. Learning from the ROK Navy’s scaled program is a logical next step to accelerate these efforts, which have already included developing an emitter platform used as a live target in a recent Division-wide sensor-to-shooter exercise.

By combining the lessons from the ROK Navy’s established program with the agile innovation of the Warrior Works lab, the alliance is building a more robust, modern, and interoperable sustainment network, ensuring it is ready for any challenge.

For more information, contact the Eighth Army Public Affairs Office at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 03.31.2026
• Date Posted: 04.01.2026 21:15
• Story ID: 561793
• Location: CAMP HUMPHREYS, KR