The U.S. and South Korean militaries are on schedule for the transfer of wartime operational control authority in 2022 and are taking steps to improve readiness, though the two leaders would not say if large-scale military exercises would return to the peninsula. South Korean Defense ...
The U.S. pays the bulk of costs to keep U.S. troops in Japan and South Korea, but the expenditure is shared with the host nations and provides substantial strategic benefits in the Indo-Pacific, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on March 13 leaves on his first international trip, aimed at “revitalizing” relationships with Indo-Pacific allies while top U.S. diplomats will meet with Chinese officials. Austin will begin the trip by visiting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii, at ...
While the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building happened thousands of miles away from his office at Osan Air Base, South Korea, 7th Air Force Commander and U.S. Forces Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Scott L. Pleus said the event’s aftershocks still were felt ...
The White House declassified its Indo-Pacific strategy on Jan. 13, revealing its hopes to bolster the military strength of India as a counter to China. It also aims to strengthen a “quadrilateral” alliance with Australia, India, and Japan to share advanced technology and protect democratic ...
Col. Andrew J. Campbell, commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, declared a public health emergency at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Dec. 16, and rolled out an extensive set of mandatory COVID-19 mitigation measures for U.S. and host-nation personnel—including mandatory contact-tracing for U.S. troops, DOD ...
As America's first approved coronavirus vaccine is shipped across the country and frontline workers are getting their first jabs this week, National Guardsmen have been activated to assist with transportation. Military airlifters are standing by to support commercial shipping networks as well. Governors in 26 ...
The Senate passed the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill 84-13 on Dec. 11 after a bumpy few weeks for the key annual legislation. “We must protect freedom, democracy and peace, and support our troops. This is the heart of the National Defense Authorization Act, and ...
The 8th Fighter Wing is repurposing elements of the “agile combat employment” concept to enhance its ability to defend Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, Wing Commander Col. Chris B. Hammond told Air Force Magazine on Oct. 7. Hammond said the wing’s new approach to ...
U.S. forces in South Korea have not conducted theater-level exercises on the Korean Peninsula for about two years now, and pilots must leave the country for live-fire training, but the head of U.S. Forces Korea said Sept. 10 his readiness remains high despite the challenges. ...
U.S. Air Force bases in South Korea closed or limited operations as Typhoon Maysak hit the country early Sept. 3 local time, bringing high winds and heavy rains shortly after grazing bases in Japan. Kunsan Air Base announced at about 3 a.m. that it was ...
While Defense Department leaders have not issued an order to draw down the number of troops in South Korea, Pentagon leaders have left the door open to the possibility that U.S. forces will leave the Korean Peninsula, though key weapons systems will remain. Defense Secretary ...