Korean exercise tests post-discharge process.Far from his home assignment in Hawaii, strategic planner Jim Staege tests military planning in the distant Republic of Korea. "I need these coastal security updates translated into Hangul (the written Korean language Korean language Official language of North Korea and South Korea, spoken by more than 75 million people, including substantial communities of ethnic Koreans living elsewhere. )," said Staege, as his fingers race across the keyboard to add final details to the Combined Forces Command brief. It is still early morning at the Combined Seaport Coordination Center at Pier 8 in Pusan, Korea, but the operations temp picks up at once. Staege's details add to the simulated, combined/joint command post exercise An exercise in which the forces are simulated, involving the commander, the staff, and communications within and between headquarters. Also called CPX. See also exercise; maneuver. scenario that is unfolding. Updated information must be added to the daily brief for the Combined Forces Command staff--which is scheduled in 15 minutes. Staege, of the 599th Transportation Group, Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii, is one of 60 detailed soldiers and civilians working in the Combined Seaport Coordination Center during the March exercise. MTMC's 837th Transportation Battalion provides the building and some of their Korean Army The phrase Korean Army can refer to:
The exercise tests the ability of transporters to perform the critical steps of Reception, Staging, Onward movement and Integration for incoming cargoes--critical force projection The ability to project the military element of national power from the continental United States (CONUS) or another theater, in response to requirements for military operations. Force projection operations extend from mobilization and deployment of forces to redeployment to CONUS or home capabilities. The exercise coordinates combined seaport and sealift sea·lift tr.v. sea·lift·ed, sea·lift·ing, sea·lifts To transport (troops or supplies) by sea, as when ground or air routes are blocked. n. A system or an instance of such transport. operations and provides insights on operational issues. Teamwork is the key to the exercise's success, said Col. Peter J. Gitto, the Commander of the 599th Transportation Group. "Through integrating our trained and ready professionals into the exercises," said Gitto, "we improve joint and combined interoperability--as well as increase the U.S. Pacific Command's ability to enhance regional cooperation. The exercise allows both the United States and the Republic of Korea to use stevedores, equipment, port facilities, coastal shipping and other assets other assets Assets of relatively small value. For financial reporting purposes, firms frequently combine small assets into a single category rather than listing each item separately. to ensure throughput of cargo, said Gitto. The 599th Transportation Group also participates in 10 or more similar exercises with Pacific Rim nations every year. Participants said the exercise, involving 7,000 military and civilian personnel, was of outstanding value. "Besides executing battle-focused training directly related to our Mission Essential Task List, we also helped define Military Traffic Management Command's role as the Single Port Manager in the Pacific Command," said Col. Bill Landon, an Army Reserve augmentee serving as a co-coordinator of the exercise. The exercise was concentrated in two areas: Conducting thorough seaport analyses when considering vessel operations, and dominating information flow. "I believe the Combined Seaport Coordination Center was successful on both counts," said Landon. The operation's success was echoed by his Korean counterpart, Col. Lee, Kye-sung, Commander, Republic of Korea Port Operations Group A task-organized unit, located at the seaport of embarkation and/or debarkation under the control of the landing force support party and/or combat service support element, that assists and provides support in the loading and/or unloading and staging of personnel, supplies, and equipment . Lee, who recently served a tour with the Combined Forces Command, Seoul, Korea, had high praise for participants' enthusiasm and cooperation. The diverse mix of transportation experts included some special participants--Korean augmentees to the U.S. Army. "They (the Korean augmentees) enabled the U.S. staff to engage in dialogue with their Korean counterparts," said Lt. Col. Larease Mims, an Army Reserve augmentee. "The constant dialogue is the crux of what this combined staff is all about." Exercise participants represented the Republic of Korea Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROK Army, ROKA, hangul: 대한민국 육군; hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍) is by far the largest of the military branches, with over 560,000 members as of 2004. , the Republic of Korea Navy Harbor Defense Command, the Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, or MOMAF, is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It oversees a variety of government offices, including the marine police. , the 8th U.S. Army, the Military Sealift Command A major command of the US Navy, and the US Transportation Command's component command responsible for designated common-user sealift transportation services to deploy, employ, sustain, and redeploy US forces on a global basis. Also called MSC. See also transportation component command. , and the 599th Transportation Group. |
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