63rd Armed Forces Day Live Fire

by SGT Kenneth G. Pawlak

POCHEON, South Korea- Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade participated in a live-fire exercise with the Republic of Korea army to celebrate the ROK’s 63rd Armed Forces Day festival here Sept. 30.

Nearly 125 U.S. Soldiers and more than 1,000 ROK soldiers confirmed the strength of the 60-year U.S.-ROK alliance during the exercise in front of a crowd of local civilians, soldiers, family members and school children at Seung-Jin Range.

“We were asked to participate in the Republic of Korea-led coalition exercise to celebrate their 63rd Armed Forces Day,” said Capt. Jared W. Britz, officer-in-charge of the U.S. contingent.

“The exercise gave us a great opportunity to see how the Korean army operated,” said Britz. “And the U.S. Soldiers practiced how to operate in a combined environment.”

The exercise gave the U.S. and ROK forces the chance to showcase new and existing weapon systems to the visitors.

During the exercise, both forces also strengthened their communication skills by working together to engage the exercise objectives on the range.

“Language barriers and different procedures because of our dissimilar airframes – US AH-64D Apache Longbows and ROK AH-1S Cobras – are always challenging,” said Chief Warrant Officer Jack T. Hayek, tactical operations officer for the 4th Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment, 2nd CAB. “But the use of each aircraft’s strength minimizes the other’s weakness, which makes this effort a potent war-fighting capability.”

The ROK and U.S. forces lived, trained and planned together for the week leading up to the exercise. Both forces faced challenges, said one Soldier, but they were able to overcome those challenges and build a stronger, more confident alliance.

“Our two armies operate differently and what seems like common sense to one is very confusing to the other,” said Chief Warrant Officer Stephen H. Murray, 4-2nd Avn. tactical operations officer. “Even though we have so many differences in TTPs and terminology we are all Soldiers, aviators, attack pilots, and that really gives us more in common than differences.

“Each exercise brings us closer to removing the challenges completely as we prepare to ‘fight tonight’ together,” Hayek added.

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