YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea (Sept. 1, 2015) — Soldiers, from 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives, or CBRNE, Command completed Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian in South Korea, Aug. 28.
CBRNE, the Department of Defense’s only multifunctional formation that confronts and defeats chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats, deployed to South Korea for the annual exercise, Aug. 17 – 28.
Defensive in nature, the exercise keeps U.S. and South Korean forces ready to deter aggression on the Korean Peninsula and maintain stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Along with U.S. and Republic of Korea, or ROK, forces, the command post exercise included United Nations Command troops from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The 20th CBRNE Command, based on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, deployed its Operational Command Post and more than 100 Soldiers for the exercise.
One of 20th CBRNE Command’s major subordinate units, the Fort Carson, Colorado-based 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, Group, also deployed to South Korea. The 71st EOD Group served with the 2nd Infantry Division, the combined U.S. and South Korean combat division, which serves close to the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Soldiers and civilians, from the 20th CBRNE Command, train with joint, interagency and allied partners to counter weapons of mass destruction, also known as WMD, eliminate CBRNE threats and defeat improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.
“American Soldiers have served in South Korea for more than 65 years and our alliance with our Korean partners has never been stronger,” said Brig. Gen. William E. King IV, the commanding general of 20th CBRNE Command.
A native of Killeen, Texas, King previously served as the Eighth Army assistant chief of staff for operations (3/5/7) in South Korea.
“It was an honor to return to Korea and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Korean allies on Freedom’s Frontier,” King said.