CAMP YONGIN, South Korea - I Corps successfully completed the computer-simulation Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2014 on Aug. 28, at Camp Yongin, South Korea.
"It was great to be here to train with the [Korean] army," said Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, I Corps commanding general. "The exercise continues to build our partnership with our strategic allies here and to sustain the defense of South Korea."
Lanza said the exercise provided the ability to train the corps battle staff and to operationalize the headquarters to sustain the corps' readiness for future operations and contingencies.
"It also contained a certain leader development component as we worked to build the new staff and leadership skills in a variety of different areas that allow us to get ready for future operations."
The I Corps Joint Operations Center joined multiple other units, simultaneously communicating and coordinating movements during the large-scale exercise, stressing their decision making process and digital systems.
"You deploy with the mindset that this is [a real scenario] and set yourself up for an operation and not an exercise," said Col. Ross Davidson, I Corps operations officer. "We looked for two distinct things, what are we doing well and what do we need to improve on."
Upon the completion of UFG, I Corps immediately shifts focus to upcoming exercises in the Pacific theater. Within weeks, I Corps subordinate units will begin exercises in Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan and the corps headquarters staff is already planning Exercise Yama Sakura with Japan and the Australian Exercise Talisman Saber.
"There is a certain leader development component here as we work building the new staff and our leadership skills in a variety of different areas that allow us to get ready," Lanza said. "We learned a couple of significant takeaways and things we will work on as we continue training in the future."
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