Army units from across U.S. take part in Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2012

By Staff Sgt. Christina J. Turnipseed, Eighth Army Public AffairsSeptember 10, 2012

Army units from across U.S. take part in UFG 2012
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea (Sept. 7, 2012) -- United States Army Soldiers flew thousands of miles from several of the 50 states, including Hawaii, California, Maryland, Alabama and Utah, to support the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance during 2012 Ulchi Freedom Guardian Exercise in South Korea.

Subject-matter experts, PhDs, maintenance crews, military police and observer controllers are just a few of the skill sets added to this year's Ulchi Freedom Guardian, or UFG, which ran from Aug. 13 to Aug. 30.

"During this UFG, the commanders of the theater enabling commands in the United States Army Reserves are actively engaged in performing their wartime mission. The training they are receiving is realistic, stressful and allows the staffs to work through their processes in support of the CFC commanders objectives," stated Maj. Gen. Eldon Regua, Eighth Army deputy commanding general.

The skill set provided by the Consequence Management Unit from Maryland was chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear expertise, according to Col. Gregory Val Loch, deputy commander of the CMU.

"We are the only CMU of this kind in the entire Army," said Gregory.

Another unit who offered their expertise to the alliance was the 368th Military Intelligence Reserves unit from California, which brought roughly a dozen Soldiers to cover a wide variety of proficiencies from maintenance to intelligence support, according to Spc. Richard Lesher from Salinas, Calif., who is part of the 368th MI Battalion.

"We have the Colorado National Guard with the Chaplain's section," said Staff Sgt. Tysean Chapman, with the Eighth Army Chaplain's Department.

Other units here from the east coast and west coast of the U.S. were the 4-75th from Birmingham, Ala., and the 152nd Theater Information Operations Group based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Participants from Hawaii included the United States Army Pacific who brought 71 Soldiers, the 18th Medical Command who supplied 43 Soldiers and the Eighth Theater Sustainment Command, who contributed 71 Soldiers.

"UFG 12 has been a tremendous opportunity for the USARPAC Contingency Command Post to validate our capabilities across the Pacific area of operation. Participating in operations like this force our Soldiers to think on a strategic level and continue to refine our own internal systems of doing things," said Sgt. Major Christopher D. Grant, sergeant major of the U.S. Army Pacific Contingency Command Post.

Other alliance supporters were the 200th Military Police from Fort Meade, Md.; the 52nd Ordnance, based at Fort Campbell, Ky.; the 20th Support Command, based at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; and the 75th Training Division Mission Command, based in Houston, Texas.

The newly formed 658th Regional Support Group, a local Reserve unit, also assisted during UFG providing more than a dozen Soldiers to assist in various functional areas.

"Continuing to participate in UFG and Key Resolve should be sustained by off peninsula units so they are prepared to fight tonight should they be called on to mobilize in defense of the Republic of Korea and United States Alliance," said Regua.

Related Links:

Eighth Army

Eighth Army trains for new mission in South Korea during UFG

Johnson: Ulchi Freedom Guardian increases readiness

Army.mil: Asia and Pacific News

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