Guard security forces headed to Korea for exercise

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bob Oldham
  • 189th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  A 13-member team of the 189th Security Forces Squadron departs for an exercise in South Korea March 9 - April 1. 

The exercise, is an annual Republic of Korea command post exercise and field-training exercise, demonstrating U.S. resolve to support South Korea against external aggression. 

The 189th Security Forces Squadron team will participate in the reception, staging, onward movement and integration phase of the exercise. 

Maj. Todd Stuff, 189 SFS commander, said the deployment will give his Airmen an opportunity to hone their skills in preparation for next year's operational readiness inspection. 

He expects they'll spend much of their time guarding high-priority assets, such as airplanes and providing base security. 

RSO&I is the first of the three-part exercise on the Korean Peninsula and involves simulating the large-scale movement of troops onto the Korean peninsula.
At this stage of the simulated engagement, a war with North Korea is imminent, but actual fighting has not yet begun, according to Globalsecurity.org. 

The second of the three exercises is Ulchi Focus Lens, where the first few days of engagement are practiced in a computer-simulated environment. 

Foal Eagle, the third phase, continues the scenario and expands upon it using real troops and actual assets in live training environment exercises. 

The SFS team will work in and around Daegu Air Base in South Korea. The duty won't be all work and no play, though. Team members might have the opportunity to visit the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea.