Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Keith Anderson | U.S. Army Lt. Col. Douglas Hayes, commander, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery...... read more read more
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In first-of-its-kind training in the peninsula, special forces Soldiers from South Korea trained with U.S. Soldiers to direct fire from U.S. and NATO aircraft, artillery, and naval vessels from April 18 -28.
Soldiers in the course also learned to provide close air support targeting information to joint terminal attack controllers or forward airborne controllers; how to talk directly to pilots; and autonomous terminal guidance operations providing targeting information to pilots.
The training, hosted by Soldiers of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team “Ironhorse,” 1st Cavalry Division; and taught by instructors from the 428th Field Artillery Brigade, Fires Center of Excellence, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was three years in the making.
“We’ve been waiting for and preparing for this program for three years, and we finally got it,” said Capt. Jong jin Kim, Republic of Korea Army’s Special Warfare Training Group. “Because if we have a war in the future we need to be able to combine our live fire, so that’s why we’re here.”
Part of the delay to get into the program was hashing out a Memorandum of Agreement, required for all countries participating.
“The official 2016 Joint Fires Memorandum of Agreement is about to be released, it’s just waiting on a few signatures, and new to that will be the Republic of Korea,” said Therese Glover, JFO course manager from 428th FA.
ROK Soldiers spent 16 days learning the procedures and techniques to direct fire alongside 11 Soldiers from Ironhorse brigade, two Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division, three Soldiers from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and one Soldier from Eighth Army.
The standardized instruction included a classroom portion with simulators. During the course there were six exams, and a final all-inclusive ‘check ride’ exam, said Glover. All Soldiers in the class, regardless of country, must be able to speak English as part of JFO requirements.
“That’s the neat thing about having a memorandum of agreement - it doesn’t matter if you go to the Marines, to Germany, or if you go to Australia - they all are in accordance with the MOA,” said Glover. “So your training is the same as you got at Fort Sill, same as New Zealand, or the same as the Marines.”
During the class, the ROKA students interacted and learned alongside Ironhorse Soldiers. This interaction has helped both students get through the difficult course.
“I speak a little Korean, so the ROKA master sergeant and I are able to interact,” said Sgt. Lafond Freeman, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st ABCT.
“Something might happen and I’ll tell him a Korean word for it to help him understand.
The intensity from the ROK students helped encourage Ironhorse Soldiers as well.
“Master sergeant pumps me up, seeing him committed to the program - it just makes me want to go as hard as I can,” said Freeman.
By the end, seven ROKA students graduated the course, alongside 10 students from Ironhorse brigade. The honor graduate for the course was Republic of Korea Army Capt. Bum Seok Lee from the Special Warfare Training Group, Special Warfare Command.
"It's an amazing experience; I appreciate all the help,” said Lee. “I hope we have more after this. The schedule was very tight, with evaluations every day, it was a difficult course."
The course improves interoperability between the US and South Korea.
“You are our link to that joint war fighting capability, whether it be surface to surface, working with the Air Force, or working with the Navy,” said Lt. Col. Douglas Hayes commander, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st ABCT, speaking to Soldiers at the course graduation ceremony.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2016 05:52 |
| Story ID: | 197354 |
| Location: | CAMP CASEY, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], KR |
| Web Views: | 733 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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