Army Gen. Leon LaPorte, commander of US Forces Korea, told reporters that there has been a “noticeable reduction” in DMZ incidents, but he stopped short of saying that the North Koreans have reduced their forces along the highly fortified zone. Under the Pentagon’s restructuring plans for South Korea, LaPorte noted that US troop strength will drop below 30,000 by the end of the year.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.