III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) and 1st Marine Division successfully completed a significant training milestone alongside their Republic of Korea (ROK) Marine Corps counterparts as exercise Freedom Shield (FS) 25 concludes. While this phase of training ends, the Korean Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) continues throughout the year.
“Freedom Shield 25 was the perfect venue to demonstrate the strength of the combined U.S. and ROK Marine Corps team,” said Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commanding general of III MEF and commander of the Combined Marine Component Command. “These exercises allow us to refine our tactics, strengthen our bonds, and rehearse our response to potential threats.”
During FS 25, units from III MEF and 1st Marine Division integrated with the ROK Marine Corps to form a Combined Marine Corps Component. Throughout the exercise, this combined Marine Corps force focused on realistic, high-intensity training, improved command and control, planned air assault operations, refined communication, and ensured readiness for amphibious operations and other joint and combined missions. This training reaffirmed the interoperability, strength and enduring relationship of the ROK-U.S. Marine Corps.
During concurrent training as part of the KMEP, U.S. and ROK forces conducted joint and combined training, including the Maritime Prepositioning Force onload and offload, aerial refueling, combined air assault exercises, CBRN training, land navigation, bridge construction, underground operations, and a large-scale force-on-force training.
“These exercises were great opportunities for the combined ROK-U.S. Marine Corps to enhance their ability to conduct joint operations and validate interoperability,” said Lt. Gen. Ju Il-suk, commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps. “The ROK-U.S. Marine Corps will continue to play a key role in the alliance by building on our strong bond of brotherhood and sustaining close military exchanges and cooperation.”
Freedom Shield 25 underscores the enduring military partnership between the ROK and the U.S. and is implemented in the spirit of the Oct. 1, 1953, ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty and in support of the Armistice Agreement. FS 25 and the KMEP reinforce the Alliance’s role as a cornerstone for regional peace and security, reaffirming the ironclad commitment between the ROK and U.S. to defend their homelands.
