260313-A-WJ162-1948

U.S. Army pilots assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2d Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division, fly a CH-47 Chinook unloading a M30 Bridge Erecting Boat during a wet gap crossing exercise as part of Freedom Shield near Yeoncheon, South Korea, Mar. 14, 2026. Bridging across complex terrain demonstrates the interoperability between U.S. and ROK forces, showcasing the combined force’s ability to operate as one team to overcome battlefield obstacles and reinforce the strength of the ROK–U.S. Alliance. Freedom Shield is an annual combined exercise conducted in support of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. This combined exercise highlights the ironclad commitment between the two nations to maintain a robust combined defense posture and to defend the people of the ROK and the United States from any threat or adversary. (U.S. Army photo by KCpl. Minhoh Choi)