U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Company A, 194 Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 2d Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2d Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, and Republic of Korea soldiers assigned to 1113 Engineer Group, Capital Defense Command, conduct water purification training during Ulchi Freedom Shield on Anyang Base in Anyang-si, South Korea, Aug. 19, 2025.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual combined exercise conducted in support of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. This combined exercise program highlights the ironclad commitment between the two nations to maintain a robust combined defense posture and to defend the people of the ROK from any threat.

Pfc. Honie Garcia, a water treatment specialist assigned to 194th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, shows Cpl. Beom-gi Lee, a signalman, and Pvt. Tae-woo Kim, a combat engineer, assigned to 1113th Engineer Group, Capital Defense Command, how to purify water during a water purification training as part of Ulchi Freedom Shield on Anyang Base in Anyang-si, South Korea, Aug. 19, 2025. Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual combined exercise conducted in support of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. This combined exercise program highlights the ironclad commitment between the two nations to maintain a robust combined defense posture and to defend the people of the ROK from any threat.

Purified water is poured into a bottle during a water purification training as part of Ulchi Freedom Shield on Anyang Base in Anyang-si, South Korea, Aug. 19, 2025.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual combined exercise conducted in support of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. This combined exercise program highlights the ironclad commitment between the two nations to maintain a robust combined defense posture and to defend the people of the ROK from any threat.

ANYANG, South Korea — U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Company A, 194th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 2d Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2d Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, conducted combined water purification training alongside Republic of Korea soldiers assigned to the 1113 Engineer Group, Capital Defense Command, at Anyang Base, Aug. 19, 2025.

The training, part of exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield, focused on well digging and water purification operations. U.S. Soldiers operated a tactical water purification system, or TWPS, to gain hands-on experience with their ROK Army counterparts.

“We’re doing this today to test our capability, ensure we can fight tonight and ensure we’re more lethal tonight into this aspect of life: class one bulk storage and distribution,” said Capt. Matto Louis, commander of Company A, 194th DSSB, 2DSB, 2ID/RUCD. “We’re ensuring soldiers from the ROK Army and the U.S. have time on the equipment and seeing how we can mitigate any issues with the equipment.”

Alpha Company’s first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Langston Newsome, emphasized the importance of sustainment operations to large-scale combat.

“Alpha Company is a composite supply company, which is crucial in the sustainment of large scale combat operations,” Newsome said. “Water purification would be one of the primary needs during real-time operations, in addition with class three fuel operations.”

Newsome also touched on his experience working with his ROK counterparts.

“Working with the ROK Army has really brought us to identify how we will be nested with them during real-time operations and allow us to expand our capabilities across the peninsula. If war activities did break out, we would be able to conduct combined water operations in conjunction with the ROK Army.”

Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual combined exercise conducted in support of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. The exercise highlights the ironclad commitment between the two nations to maintain a robust combined defense posture and to defend the people of the Republic of Korea from any threat.

The 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division is the last remaining permanently forward-stationed division in the U.S. Army. The division deters aggression and maintains peace on the Korean Peninsula, and, if deterrence fails, is ready to “Fight Tonight” in support of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance.