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CAMP HUMPHREYS, SOUTH KOREA – In January, Maj. Gen. William D. “Hank” Taylor, Director of Operations, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea, oversaw the Joint Cyber Center's first Technical Effects Tabletop Exercise. Taylor drew upon his past combat experience for this tabletop exercise.
“Technical effects can leverage capabilities with allies and partners to enable synchronized Combined Joint All Domain Operations," Taylor emphasized.
"Technical effects enables the U.S. and allies to leverage classified capabilities across the Tri-command,” explained Lt. Col. Rene A. Mahomed, lead technical effects planner and exercise participant. “Collaboration is crucial because United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea each possess unique wartime capabilities, at various classifications specific to individual nations.”
While relatively new to USFK, technical effects formalize existing practices within combined commands. This formalization ensures interoperability and maximizes both lethal and non-lethal effects through full Tri-command participation. Introduced during Ulchi Freedom Shield 2024, the recent tabletop exercise further refined the process.
The process begins with military components identifying target effects unattainable through their organic capabilities. These desired effects are then presented to potential capability providers across the Tri-command during a Technical Effects Working Group. Finally, capability providers meet to assess and assign these nominations in a process called "the auction."
Technical effects increase interoperability between South Korea, the U.S. and United Nations Member States, during UFS24, several member states actively contributed with niche capabilities to support Tri-command objectives.
Building on the success of technical effects in UFS24, the tabletop exercise addressed concerns raised by U.N. Member States, such as approval latency from governmental organizations and network interoperability. The tabletop exercise also revealed difficulties in coordinating powerful technical resources, due to necessary tools and expertise scattered across the Tri-command.
“The most challenging endeavor is organizing and massing effects from the vast contribution among our partners,” highlighted Col. Silas J. Calhoun, Director of Cyber Electromagnetic Activity, Eighth Army. “Combined and joint force warfighting operates with a distributed force posture which complicates massing technical effects.”
Through the tabletop exercise a shift from using organic capabilities to address unique threats facing an individual unit, including cyber, is now being replaced by a wholistic effort of sharing capabilities and massing technical effects across a dispersed force.
“Seamlessly leveraging technical effects increases the U.S. asymmetric advantage against regional adversaries,” said Col. James D. M. “Matt” Beall, Director of Information Operations, USFK. “Continuous improvement, through the Korean and tabletop exercises, enhances the Tri-command’s overall lethality.”
“Additionally, the tabletop exercises continue to provide ‘reps and sets’ to execute Combined Joint All Domain Operations and build readiness withing the Tri-command.” Added Col. Brian J. Newill, Chief of the Combined Joint Fires Element, USFK.
We are maturing technical effects developed in UFS24 and the recent tabletop exercise, with upcoming focus on Freedom Shield 25 and a planned Joint Cyber Center exercise later this year. These technical effects will continue bolstering the Tri-command's ability to deter aggression and ensure regional stability.
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2025 00:12 |
| Story ID: | 492455 |
| Location: | CAMP HUMPHREYS, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], KR |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Command Collaboration: USFK and CFC Technical Effect Tabletop Exercise, by Carrie Castillo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
