– From Eighth Army Public Affairs Office

Eighth Army began its portion of Freedom Shield 2025 Sunday, March 9.

Freedom Shield is an 11-day exercise conducted by the Republic of Korea and the United States consisting of training to reflect the Korea Theater of Operations – a combined, joint, multi-domain, and interagency operating environment. The exercise schedule is March 10-21.

Eighth Army along with the ROK Army are the ground component of U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command. Extensive combined training is conducted on both training ranges and within combined operations centers throughout South Korea. All six of Eighth Army’s major subordinate commands participate.

Field training events throughout FS25 include urban combat operations, field hospital operations, mass casualty treatment and evacuation, field artillery exercises, air assault training, wet gap crossing, air defense artillery asset deployment and validation, and a joint assault exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps.

The command and control portion with the ROK Army allows for seamless coordination and combined operations, enhancing Eighth Army’s overall defense capabilities.

These multi-domain training exercises strengthens interoperability, reinforce the alliance’s combined defense posture and increase combat readiness and lethality.

Eighth Army exercise participants include 2nd Infantry Division, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, 65th Medical Brigade, 1st Tactical Theater Signal Brigade and 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

Freedom Shield 25 underscores the enduring military partnership between the ROK and the U.S. and is implemented in the spirit of the Oct. 1, 1953, ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty and in support of the Armistice Agreement fortifying the combined defense posture and enhanced response capabilities. It reinforces the role of the alliance as the lynchpin for regional peace and security, reaffirming the ironclad commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea to defend their homelands.

Imagery will be available at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/FreedomShield25 once it is released.

For more information, contact the Eighth Army Public Affairs Office at 0503-355-8275 or 010-4142-1036.