Army chief, 8th Army commander inspect sustainment capabilities amid joint drills

▲ A U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter airlifts a pontoon bridge during a joint South Korea-U.S. river-crossing drill on the Imjin River in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, on March 14, 2026. The maneuver was conducted as part of the annual Freedom Shield combined exercise. (Yonhap)

▲ Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha, U.S. Army. Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commanding general of Eighth Army, and other officials visit a facility at Camp Carroll, a U.S. military installation in the southeastern county of Chilgok, on March 16, 2026, in this photo provided by the Eighth Army. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-commanders

Army chief, 8th Army commander inspect sustainment capabilities amid joint drills

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the South Korean Army and the commander of the Eighth Army, the U.S. Army stationed in the South, made a joint visit to a U.S. military installation in the southeastern county of Chilgok on Monday to inspect their combined sustainment capabilities, officials said.

The visit by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha and Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commander of the Eighth Army, to the Army Prepositioned Stock-4 (APS-4) facility at Camp Carroll came as South Korea and the United States were conducting their annual springtime Freedom Shield military exercise, according to the officials.

Their visit was organized to reaffirm the steadfast South Korea-U.S. alliance and combined defense posture and discuss ways to strengthen and modernize their combined sustainment capabilities in the event of a contingency, the South's Army said.

"Given that capabilities to sustain operations are an important factor to ensure victory in modern warfare, we will seek to advance such capabilities through the on-site visit," Kim said, calling the alliance and the combined defense posture "cornerstones" supporting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Hilbert called Kim's visit to the facility "a testament to the readiness and modernization" of their alliance.

"These stocks are not just equipment in a warehouse; they are a clear, physical demonstration of our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea," he said in a separate release by the Eighth Army, calling South Korea by its formal name.

The APS-4 program strategically positions entire sets of combat equipment, ranging from tanks to wheeled vehicles, in climate-controlled facilities, dramatically shortening deployment times, according to the U.S. military command.

The ongoing Freedom Shield exercise is set to wrap up on Thursday after an 11-day run.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved