CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea –
On July 17, 2024, Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, were notified they would leave Fort Bliss, Texas, for a no-notice deployment readiness exercise. Six days later, they began drawing combat equipment at Camp Carroll, South Korea.
Pacific Fortitude is a standard, routine readiness validation where a U.S. Army unit is tested on its ability to rapidly deploy personnel successfully to a given environment, conduct training and redeploy back to their home station.
“The United States military can deploy forces at a moment’s notice from the continental United States into South Korea and be prepared to defend the South Korean homeland and liberty abroad,” said Col. Michael Long, Eighth Army Strategy, Plans and Policy (G5) director. “What we need to do that is 1st Armored Division’s capability, we need all the great equipment that exists at 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and we need 2nd Infantry Division’s ability to train it. All that together helps us make that continuous commitment to the alliance.”
This exercise also tests the swift deployment and decisive utilization of vehicles and equipment already present on the Korean peninsula. Army Prepositioned Stock-4 or APS-4 are strategically placed caches of Warfighting equipment in Korea and Japan that serve as a critical component of the U.S. Army’s ability to rapidly project combat power throughout the INDO-PACIFIC.
“Army prepositioned stock provides speed of readiness to combatant commands across the world; APS-4 is located here in Korea and provides that speed of response for the ROK-U.S. alliance for planning and contingency requirements,” said Brig. Gen. Jin Pak, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command commander. “Having this critical equipment already in place allows us to project this power at the right time and at the right speed.”
19th ESC’s comprehensive network of master U.S and Korean logisticians work together with the 1AD Soldiers to transport APS-4 equipment to Rodriguez Live Fire Complex where they will train and validate combat readiness.
“This deployment readiness exercise proves to our allies that the United States is committed to the defense of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and that we have the capabilities to project combat power into this peninsula,” Pak said.
19th ESC uses exercises like this to improve operations, refine logistical processes, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure the necessary resources are readily available when needed.
Pacific Fortitude enhances the U.S. Army’s combat readiness and the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture, and further strengthens security and stability on the Korean peninsula. All professional militaries train on routine and continuously executed events to maintain readiness, proficiency, credibility, and trust.
For Pacific Fortitude imagery, please visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/pacificfortitude