B-52s Participating in US/South Korean Exercise

[N9JCQ]

U.S. flies B-52s over South Korea - CNN.com

 

[ff-medic]

U.S. flies B-52s over South Korea - CNN.com

Formally called "Team Spirit" Military exercise, now as I read.....it is called "Key Resolve".

"Key Resolve" happens about this time ( March ) every year. 30 days of cold, rain, mud, and long hours.

North Korea jumps and hollars, and says it is a prelude to war, when in fact it is a yearly military exercise. Medical, Communications, Aviation, Infantry, Armor, Military Police, Maintenance..and a host of others get in on "War Gaming". Due to the nature of the exercise, and the proximity of opposing forces (North Korea), it is taken very seriously by the Military Commanders. When I was in Korea, it was actually judged. There were numerous "After Action Reviews". God help you if an "AAR" was terrible. Korea is typically a one year stint, so it could make or break a young officers career. Officers are (were) evaluated by their senior officers. A bad officer evaluation by a senior officer, means no promotion in a young officers future. Lieutenants become company commanders, company commanders go to Battalion ( a Majors Slot = S-1 to S-4 ) then they most usually get a Battalion Command ( Lieutenant Colonel )...and on and on..and on. So getting it right, means a successful military career for some. If you don't get it right......you stay at your current rank, and you can only maintain a "rank" ( Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer ) for so long, or the "Army" will boot you out of the military.

Offensive operations, reconnaissance ( Enemy and NBC recon ), patrolling, defensive operations, military communications, react to contact with enemy of a day, react to contact with enemy of a night, mass casuality, NBC ( Nuclear, Biological,Chemical ) - react / decontaminate person and equipment, resupply&resupport ( sometimes with aircraft ), gunnery and weapons practice/firing, geneva conventions - handle &procewss prisoners of war/captured personel, identify opposing forces equipment ( tanks - aircraft- weapons, rank of opposing forces : AK47.AK74, ZSU-23..et.al )...and a host of more stuff. Then after your hard 14-16 hour day of training....you get to pull guard duty. Sometime that night. You might get guard duty after you are done with your daily operations, the middle of the night, OR when daybreak arrives; so you get to "Start the coffee" so to speak.

No big deal to some people, and the press/media. "Its just training". Hard training, but just training. Bad weather and loss of sleep is just two of the difficultys you deal with.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_Resolve

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foal_Eagle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Spirit


FF-Medic ( Formerly a member of the U.S Second Infantry Division - Camp Casey,Korea 89-90 )

 

[Rt169Radio]

That's some interesting info ff-medic.

 

[krokus]

Plus, while I was in Korea, troop movements were limited to east-west directions. That way the DPRK could not claim any northerly movement was aggressive.

 

[ff-medic]

Plus, while I was in Korea, troop movements were limited to east-west directions. That way the DPRK could not claim any northerly movement was aggressive.

I've still got pictures of me and "Team Spirit", Camp Casey, "Warrior Base", DMZ Duty, me and an M-60 machine gun "On the Perimeter" during "Team Spirit", 30 day platoon exercise ( camofladge - patrol - observation post/listening post, again...threat vehicle threat and enemy rank identification, the NBC drauma, map reading and land navigation ), and me and my friends..."Down Range".

Those were the good ole days Krokus. The privledge of having a close knit military family. Ya know what I mean


FF-Medic !!!! ( 89-90 )

 

[ff-medic]

That's some interesting info ff-medic.

Back in the day, it was always training. "Team Spitit", platoon exercises and company level exercises. There was alot of field exercises and evaluations, on top of your military occupation evaluation ( Skills Qualification Test {SQT} - The yearly test to evaluate your individual military occupational speciality ).

It was alot of work, some heartaches and pain. But it was also rewarding, fun, great to be around friends and comrades. Nothing like a nice club, enjoying a beer, conversation, and dancing with the people you trust the most. People whom have your back, and you have theirs.

In Korea - Up north, you find out whom seperates the men from the boys. Again, there is alot of field exercises, inhospitable weather, you are away from your family, phone calls are expensive ( so you write alot of letters), and some people get their tours involuntary extended. The days of hanging around the barracks for an extended time are were over with....so alot of Soldiers got into trouble. And trouble the First Sergeants dealt with.

Korea ( 2nd Infantry ) was one of the units where "Lolly dolly everybody" ( Cooks - Maintenance - Computer whizes..ect..ect..ect ) got in on the field exercises. Guard duty, war gaming,ect,ect,ect.

Stateside, when I "Was in"...Infantry was infantry, maintenace did not deal with it unless they had to pick up a "dead" piece of equipment, Computer folks stayed in the S-2 / S-3 shop, and radio operators were confined to the "Ratt rigs."

Korea & DMZ Duty. The vehicles were "Hardened", name tapes and vehicle I.D's were taped over, you carried a weapon, and you practiced good situational awareness and operational security. You camo'd your face..and hit the brush. It was serious stuff. Each unit rotated ( back in the day ) DMZ duty.

Interesting to a 18-19-20 year old young man. Talk about a wake up. When I was on the DMZ, or there abouts...a tunnel was reported as being found. A tunnel from the north to the south. Then shortly thereafter..again, there was a submarine incident, reportedly a north sub...dropping off North Koreans just inside the South. Sooooo, you have to practice counter-surveillance and counter-intelligence ( eavesdropping and phototaking from afar - such as limit conversation, cover your name with tape on your uniforms - noise and light discipline, personal and equipment camopfladge..ect..ect )

Korea was one of the best times of my life, and in a sense I miss it. The jobs and tasks I had, as well as some of the most terrific people in the world to work with. I liked getting up and going to work.

I have never been - But I hear Turkey is a great duty station. I have been on commercial aircraft, and other places where other "Troops" have bragged about Turkey. I visited Germany, and I reccomend that myself.

Why, I do not know. But as I have heard from others, and along with myself, overseas duty stations are better than any stateside assignment. I belive it. I would have loved to spend my entire career in Korea, or Germany anytime. Not to say I did not have good times at Ft.Hood, but overseas assignements to me....is the best.

FF-Medic !!!

 

[krokus]

Korea was one of the best times of my life, and in a sense I miss it. The jobs and tasks I had, as well as some of the most terrific people in the world to work with. I liked getting up and going to work.

It makes a difference, when you can see where your job means something. It felt good, as a lowly E-5, to have senior officers wanting my input.

 

[ff-medic]

It makes a difference, when you can see where your job means something. It felt good, as a lowly E-5, to have senior officers wanting my input.

( Been away from the computer for awile...Sorry to let this thread go slow )

Yeah. YES IT did.

From a milittary perspective --->There are those whom do their job, and they do it well. Then there is those who stand alone. Those professionals. Those who are truely the "Real Deal". I still shine my boots, I still "try" to keep my uniform perfect ( my uniform pants currently have holes in them, and the pants legs are fraying...but I try.......AND oh my God, has it not ticked some people off about my nice uniform, spit shined boots, and my Foster Grant sunglasses ). But then again, "I am hardcore U.S Military." I have been since 1985, and will continue to always be--------- 1st Cav and 2nd Infantry. God Bless Camp Casey.

You see it almost everyday while on post / base. There are those junior enlisted, whom an officer calls on most all the time. The Captain, to a perosn in the company, or the Major in Brigade, whom calls on that lower enlisted for help, assistance, and or information. When I was in, it was typical. It was so common, that their was nciknames passed out. People became jealous.

The real jealous ones were the people whom 1) Was not willing to step aside away from everyone else. 2) Felt uncomfortable around individuals of that rank. 3) Would not be themselves and talk as a human, to another human being ( believing that officers were "god like" and were scared to be around them ) 4) Was less than good at their MOS's, and lacked people skills.

Everyone has an opinion. And the addage "There is more than one way to skin a cat" holds true --> Everyone has a different way of doing things. Leadership styles amoung people and leaders are different. One guy may pick out a route to drive from point "A" to point "B", and I will say "Why do that? Why not fly ( Blackhawk Helo )?

My biggest gripe in the fire service is leadership. Everyone wants to be in charge, and pass out the orders, few people want to be the indian taking orders from the chief. The guy or gal just arriving to the fire service = Let them run the scene of the fender bender wreck. Let them be the incident commander at that dumpster fire. Being in charge of those small scenes, will help them run the big scenes later. It also gives them a chance to practice leadership skills and decision making. It helps them build inside, what they need to give and do...outside. It gives them self confidence in their decision making, and deducing info.

The Military was where I lived life, and I miss it so much. I got to plan, assist, and aid others. It was really great. It was terrific. Yes, there was some head butting, and again, there was difference of opinions. But wheather you drive the interstate, or the secondary road, or if you fly, you STILL GET to the destination....right. One says take the interstate it is much more convenient. One says take the secondary highway, there is not interstate spurs with lots of heavy traffic and traffic is not congested. One say fly, it is much faster. But in the end......YOU still get to your destination....Right.

People differ. Thoughts and opinions differ. As long as the mission is accomplished in most instances, what is the harm in doing it differently that you would have it? What is the harm in doing it another persons way.

I was taught to have a primary impression of people. Then after some time, deduce a final impression of them. Character, leadership abilty, trust, and work ability.

You could do the same for a task / job. Primary assessment, plan the ways of doing it, resources needed and estimated time it will take to get it done.

Cold rainy nights, rainy days while the wind blew. Guard duty. The day routine. Mud. The smell of gunpowder from hundreds of rounds of "Blank Ammo". Watching the M1 tank drive off the range with its yellow light flashing ( Yellow light = It had been killed in war games ). Avoiding all those vehicles that had a bumper number that ended in a "6" ( Commanders vehicle ), and raising alarm when a vehicle showed up that ended in a "7" ( First Sergeant, or Sergeant Major. This was usually inspection time ).

Reading maps under a light, day marches, night marches, guard duty, radio duty...ect...ect..ect. Those were truely the days. Then.........I become a civilian. What was I thinkin?


FF-Medic !!!

 

[Rt169Radio]

Sounds like you really enjoyed military life ff-medic.

 

[krokus]

Sounds like you really enjoyed military life ff-medic.

Military life is what you make it. I had a lot of fun, a lot of work, and some not-so-fun times during my 21 years. I certainly miss many aspects of it, especially people. (Well, most of them.)

 

[ff-medic]

Military life is what you make it. I had a lot of fun, a lot of work, and some not-so-fun times during my 21 years. I certainly miss many aspects of it, especially people. (Well, most of them.)

Yep. Pickle suit ( Woodland camo for the ones who don't know ) , Spit shined boots, and a crisp hat.

Camoed faces - FTX ( Field training exercises ), REFORGER ( Germany ) , NTC ( National Training Center - California :::: OPFOR Is fun ), and a host of other training that bonds and commits to unit cohesion.

FF-Medic !!!

 

[ff-medic]

Sounds like you really enjoyed military life ff-medic.

It is a community that is unmatched.

Army - Navy - Air Force - Marines - Coast Guard.

There is a career / job within all the branches that one can do.

Combat arms - technical jobs. Somwhere there is a job thats for everyones niche.


FF-Medic !!!