RICHMOND, Va. –
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Gate City-based 1030th Transportation Battalion travelled to the Republic of Korea to participate in the multi-national exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield Aug. 16 - 29, 2024, at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, Republic of Korea.
Twenty-five Soldiers assigned to the 1030th’s Headquarters Detachment and other units within the battalion traveled overseas for the exercise. Ulchi Freedom Shield is a joint exercise between South Korea and the United States, and also includes service members from 12 other United Nations member states. According to a U.S. Forces Korea news release, the exercise helps “fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats. It will feature live, virtual, constructive and field-based training, engaging personnel from the military services and other federal agencies.”
The 1030th was integrated with USFK and Combined Arms Command, with Soldiers performing a variety of logistics-related missions, including managing commodities like petroleum and oil, construction materials and ammunition. Other missions the 1030th participated in included sealift, airlift, rail and mortuary affairs.
It’s the second year in a row the 1030th has participated in Ulchi Freedom Shield.
“Last year, 1030th augmented the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command with a heavy non-combatant evacuation operations focus,” said Maj. Dax Farnsworth. “In 2024, we integrated with several staff sections within the USFK J4, as well as assisting the Combined Force C4, performing a variety of sustainment operations. Having the majority of personnel participate in 2023 allowed the unit to quickly orient to the environment, establish comms with active-duty counterparts and integrate quickly to the operation.”
Despite the long travel time and scope of the multi-nation exercise, the contingent of 1030th Soldiers performed admirably, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Ricky Barley, senior enlisted leader for the battalion.
“The Soldiers were able to work at a much higher level than what they are used to,” said Barley. “This mission helps them better understand the big picture, and also they can take the knowledge and experience back to the unit level.”
“There were some long days and nights but overall, the morale stayed high,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Colburn. “The Soldiers worked well as a team while learning from each other and building alliances that will last a lifetime.”
With the large-scale exercise involving multiple countries as well as multiple training locations, keeping track of the 1030th’s personnel presented one of the bigger challenges of the mission, according to Maj. Derrick Hall, 1030th officer-in-charge.
“One of the main challenges was accountability,” Hall explained. “We were assigned to four different sections, working in three different locations. We placed an OIC/NCOIC in each group, utilized the buddy-system, and created a group chat where we could all communicate with each other.”
In addition to exercise-related missions, the Soldiers were able to experience some of South Korea’s culture and sights. One highlight was being able to see the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the buffer between the heavily-fortified borders of South and North Korea.
“Highlights were working with other branches of the military and experiencing the food and culture,” said Sgt. Veronica Gilliam. “Also, visiting the DMZ and being out of the country doing something other than the normal annual training.”
Read more about the 1030th at https://vngpao.info/1030thTB.