▲ This photo, provided by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on March 14, 2023, shows the U.S. Navy's Guam transport vessel departing from Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan, on March 3, 2023. The vessel was used to transport U.S. Marines for the combined Freedom Shield exercise with South Korean troops. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

US Marines-allied drills

U.S. sending Marines from mainland, Japan to Korea for joint drills

SEOUL, March 14 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Marines based in the United States and Japan are taking part in ongoing annual combined drills with South Korea on the Korean Peninsula, according to the Indo-Pacific Command on Tuesday.

Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) in Okinawa, and the 1st Marine Division stationed in California "joined their ROK counterparts" for the Freedom Shield (FS) exercise, it said. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, which is South Korea's official name.

The U.S. Marines has its base, Camp Mujuk, in Pohang, 272 kilometers southeast of Seoul. "Mujuk" means unbeatable in Korean.

The allies kicked off the FS computer-simulated command post training Monday for an 11-day run with a plan to stage some 20 field drills, including the Ssangyong (double dragon) amphibious practice, under the Warrior Shield program.

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