ROK Battalion Commanders
Enhance Operational Control Over U.S. Companies
Through Combined Air Assault Exercise
The Republic of Korea Army's 1st Infantry Division and the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division (Combined Division) announced on the 11th that they conducted a "ROK-U.S. Combined Air Assault Exercise" at the Mugeon-ri Training Ground in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. This exercise was carried out as part of the 2025 Freedom Shield (FS) exercise.
The exercise was conducted to allow the armed forces of both Korea and the U.S. to master the step-by-step execution procedures of combined air assault operations. The military explained that it served as an opportunity to enhance the ROK Army battalion commanders' operational control over U.S. Army companies and to strengthen the ROK-led combined air assault capabilities.
About 400 personnel participated in the exercise, including one battalion from the 1st Division's Invincible Sword Brigade and one company from the Combined Division's Stryker Brigade. Opposing forces were also deployed to help the ROK and U.S. soldiers hone their combined small-unit combat skills. Additionally, more than 10 pieces of equipment, including six Surion utility helicopters (KUH-1), two BO-105 light combat helicopters, small tactical vehicles, and reconnaissance drones, were deployed to enhance the realism of the exercise.
The exercise began as ROK and U.S. soldiers assembled at the Pickup Zone (PZ). Commanders from both sides coordinated detailed operational procedures and missions once again through a combined tactical discussion before boarding the Surion helicopters. Soon after, U.S. soldiers from the 1st Brigade, boarding six Surion helicopters, air-moved to the Landing Zone (LZ) under the cover of BO-105 light combat helicopters. The U.S. soldiers secured the area around the landing zone and strengthened perimeter security to ensure the safe landing of subsequent ROK and U.S. troops.
Following this, subsequent units boarding six Surion helicopters arrived sequentially under U.S. security support. The arriving ROK soldiers used Switch drones to reconnoiter the target area and shared the information with the U.S. forces. After landing, the ROK and U.S. soldiers split into two teams and simultaneously began maneuvering toward their assigned objectives. During this process, the soldiers engaged in firefights with opposing forces equipped with MILES gear at various points, securing their targets. Ultimately, after securing the objectives, the combined ROK-U.S. forces quickly established and reinforced defensive positions in preparation for enemy counterattacks, concluding the exercise.
Captain Jeong Jin-ung, a company commander who participated in the exercise, said, "From boarding the helicopters to occupying the objectives, the thorough war game allowed ROK and U.S. soldiers to operate as one body," adding, "In particular, sharing combat execution know-how between the two militaries provided an opportunity to further strengthen combat power." Sergeant Jo Jin, a deputy squad leader, stated, "It was a great opportunity to hone combat skills while training with our blood-allied U.S. forces," and added, "It gave me strong confidence that if a battle were to break out tomorrow, we could win together."
Meanwhile, the 1st Division shared the improvements derived from the after-action review with the Combined Division. The 1st Division plans to continue expanding regular combined exercises and tactical discussions with the Combined Division to further enhance the ROK-U.S. combined operational capabilities.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
