REPUBLIC OF KOREA In 1951, Soldiers of 1st Battalion 64th Armor Regiment and other military units took part in Task Force Hawkins, an operation during the Korean War that was key to securing Korea's Iron Triangle.
Just shy of 50 years later, Soldiers from 1/64 Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division returned to the Republic of Korea as part of Task Force Hawkins II to participate in the annual combined joint training exercise Foal Eagle, March 5.
Foal Eagle combines U.S. forces with Republic of Korea forces to test their capability to defend the nation from any outside aggression Lt. Col. Ross Coffman, 1/64 Armor commander, said.
"Our mission, as part of the Foal Eagle exercise, is to test our militaries' readiness and validate our capability to draw equipment and vehicles to outfit a unit from the continental United States to aid in the defense of the Republic of Korea," said Coffman.
That process is critical to mission success said Lt. Col. Raymond Jensen, Army Field Support Battalion-Northeast Asia, commander.
The process of drawing equipment includes fully testing tactical vehicles as well as taking inventory of all maintenance equipment needed by those vehicles.
After the vehicles were track-tested, Soldiers loaded the vehicles on rail cars to move the vehicles further north. Although the rail movement was the most dangerous operation of drawing equipment, the Soldiers' safety was the highest priority Command Sgt. Maj. Frankie Thumhart, 1/64 Armor senior enlisted advisor, said.
"We have many Soldiers who have never participated in rail operations before, so safety is by far the most important thing out here," said Thumhart, "You have to learn to crawl before you can run."
Coffman said it was an honor to be selected for this exercise.
"For 1/64 Armor to be chosen to represent our nation's commitment to the Republic of Korea, it is a great honor, as well as a humbling (honor) to be chosen to up hold the heritage of the 3rd Infantry Division in a foreign land," Coffman said.
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