CAMP CASEY, South Korea - As part of a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and South Korea, the Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment moved their personnel and equipment from Camp Casey in Area 1 to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.
The multi-day move, which started on Feb. 21 and ended March 10, has seen the battalion relocate its armored vehicle systems via railcar while the rest of their wheeled vehicle fleet moved by way of convoy from Casey to Humphreys.
“We added another storied chapter into our 75-year history,” said Lt. Col. Bryan Harris, the battalion’s commander. “The move south of the Han River was a great training opportunity and demonstrated the unwavering work ethic and leadership of the Soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers in the battalion.”
The bilateral agreement, which was signed in October 2014, aims to consolidate U.S. Forces Korea to two enduring hubs south of Seoul in order to enhance readiness, deterrence and defense posture on the peninsula.
Planning for the move was a joint effort between the battalion, the brigade and the 2nd Infantry Division / ROK-US Combined Division’s 194th Combat Sustainment Support Bn., 2nd Sustainment Bde.
“The CSSB was instrumental in our successful move down to Camp Humphreys,” said Capt. John Adams, the battalion’s logistics officer. “They were integrated in our planning process and were present for our (rehearsal of concept) drills.”
Moving an entire battalion took considerable planning and coordination between all the agencies. The move itself wasn’t without challenges. However, the battalion and its partners were able to overcome those challenges with minimal impact.
“Working closely with the brigade (logistics) shop, brigade mobility, as well as the CSSB and its mobility team, we were able to quickly react to and overcome all of the obstacles we faced during the planning and execution of our move,” Adams said. “We built a large degree of flexibility into our plan and were able to complete the movement plan on schedule.”
The 2nd Bn., 34th Armor Rgmt. is a part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and is currently on a nine-month rotation to the peninsula in order to support the 2ID/RUCD in its commitment to security and deterrence of North Korean aggression. The “Dreadnaught” battalion is the first of the 1st ABCT units to make the move to Humphreys with additional units following suit in the coming months.
USFK units first began moving in July 2016 and the moves will continue until all affected organizations have relocated to one of the two areas. The Combined Forces Command will keep the 210th Field Artillery Brigade in Area 1 until the alliance partners are able to field a comparable capability to carry out the counter fire task force mission.