Lt. Col. James Parack, 8th Army Provost Marshall’s

Lt. Col. James Parack, 8th Army Provost Marshall’s Office speaks with Capt. Nicolai Birch the U.S. Army Pacific Contingency Command Post Provost Marshall in the Combined Operations and Integration Center at the 8th Army Main Command Post, Command Post Oscar, Camp Walker, Korea during exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2013 Aug. 17. The 8th Army Rear Command Post consists of members of 8th Army and augmenters from U.S. Army Pacific, the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, the U.S. Air Force and members of the 2nd Operational Command, Republic of Korea Army. UFG 13 runs from 6-30 Aug. and is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-sponsored, Commander, USPACOM-directed, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea Command annual joint/combined command post exercise. The exercise is designed to enhance the combat readiness of ROK and U.S. supporting forces through combined and joint training while improving ROK-U.S. combat readiness, joint/combined interoperability and interoperability among United Nations sending states. Improving participating units readiness so they can maintain stability on the Korean peninsula is also a priority of the exercise. Approximately 3,000 U.S. personnel from the U.S. and bases throughout the Pacific region are augmenting the more than 28,500 U.S. forces already stationed in the ROK to participate in the exercise. UFG is carried out in the spirit of the ROK/U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed between the nations in 1953. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kevin P. Bell) (RELEASED)