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Ulchi Freedom Guardian Preps for ROKAF transfer

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Elliott Sprehe
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  With summer comes bright sunny days, rain, humidity and the annual exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian which, upon completion, will be the 33rd consecutive successful exercise conducted with Republic of Korea - U.S. Forces. 

Formerly Ulchi Focus Lens, UFG is a command post exercise that will provide valuable training as well as evaluate and improve combined and joint coordination, procedures, plans and systems necessary for the conduct of contingency operations in defense of Republic of Korea. 

The annual, regularly scheduled event includes forces from major ROK units representing all services to include joint U.S. forces and ROK military. 

More than 10,000 servicemembers will participate in the exercise across the country and it will be the second such exercise which features ROK military assuming the supported role while U.S. servicemembers will be in the supporting command. 

U.S. forces will be commanded by Gen. Walter Sharp, USFK Commander and ROK forces will be under the command of ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Tae-Young Kim.
By ROK assuming the supported role, it prepares everyone for the OPCON transition in 2012, when Korea Command is scheduled to be activated. 

"The ROK Military is a tremendous military organization and will be ready to assume the lead role in the defense of their nation," said Brig. Gen. Michael Keltz, 7th Air Force vice commander. 

Seventh Air Force, which assumes the role of Combined Air Component, helps during the exercise to showcase air superiority between ROK-JCS and KORCOM. 

UFG is a combined/joint computer simulation driven exercise conducted annually. It helps to demonstrate the ROK-U.S. interoperability, capabilities and the U.S. commitment to defend Korea. 

"UFG training is essential to all military forces to hone and retain unit and individual skills," said General Keltz. In a bi-national defense organization such as Combined Forces Command it is very necessary to ensure readiness of the forces. 

The yearly exercise provides the forum for all military forces to hone and maintain unit and individual skills that are essential between the U.S. military and the ROK military. 

The ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command was established in November 1978 by agreement between the ROK and U.S. governments for the sole purpose of deterring acts of external aggression against the ROK and, if deterrence fails, to defeat an armed attack.