Key Resolve is an extraordinary exercise encompassing all facets of the US Military. At the end of the exercise S. Korea holds a victory party in a swanky hotel in Seoul.
US Ambassador Lippert making an appearance after his attack. You can see the stitches on his face, but are unable to see his bandaged hand.
In the center dressed in a traditional Hanbok is Scholar Ha, Yeon-soon, our host.
During the Korean War, a young S. Korean boy walked to and from school every day. One afternoon and American Soldier offered the boy a ride in their jeep and a candy bar. Six decades later, Ha, Yeon-soon, is one of the preeminent Confucian scholars in S. Korea and repays this act of kindness every opportunity he gets.
N. Korea uses this exercise each year as an excuse that S. Korea along with the US Military are inciting warfare and N. Korea threatens they will retaliate. N. Korea should be intimidated! Key Resolve is an awesome show of military infrastructure and force behind S. Korea. However...it is an exercise and even N. Korea performs exercises.
The 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment conducted their final combined arms live-fire exercise in Korea. This exercise was the last time a 1 ABCT unit will participate prior to their inactivation in July 2015.
Rodriquez Range A little smoky from the live-fire from aircraft, MCLC and tank fire.
With no monsoon season last summer and virtually no snow fall for a second winter Korea is very dry. This drought will affect the food source in N. Korea drastically. We shall see what the summer will bring.
