An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian ends

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Emerson Nunez
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian came to a close Aug. 30 following two weeks of training.

Servicemembers from the U.S., Korea and seven United Nations sending states descended on the peninsula to participate in the exercise, one of the largest and most complex Joint Staff-directed command and control exercises in the world.

"Ulchi Freedom Guardian is critical for strengthening the readiness of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Airpower Team," said Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, Combined Air Component Commander and 7th Air Force Commander. "These exercises demonstrate our commitment to the Alliance and enhance our ability to respond to any potential contingency."

Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian is an annual combined and joint command post exercise executed under various scenarios with the purpose of honing the skills necessary to defend the Republic of Korea. The exercise is designed to increase Alliance readiness, protect the region, and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula by improving ROK-U.S. forces' operational capabilities and simulating the deployment of reinforcements.

"I am extremely proud of all the hard work everyone has done for UFG," said Jouas. "The challenges were laid out in front of us, and we swiftly utilized Airpower to overcome every one of them. We exercise to be ready to fight tonight with our allies, and I am confident in our abilities to accomplish our mission to deter aggression, defend the Republic of Korea, and if necessary, defeat any attack against the Alliance."

Routine training exercises like Ulchi Freedom Guardian are carried out in the spirit of the 1953 ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty. These exercises highlight the longstanding partnership and enduring friendship between the two nations, help to ensure peace and security on the peninsula, and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to the region.