American and Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, or KATUSA, soldiers train together at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, May 20-22, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
POCHEON, South Korea — U.S. and South Korean troops recently held live-fire drills near the North Korean border, aiming to sharpen their combat readiness as tensions continue to tick up on the peninsula.
American and Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, or KATUSA, soldiers trained together at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, May 20-22. Mixed squads — part of Theater Air Naval Ground Operations, or TANGO, security force — moved through the day-to-night exercises under live-fire conditions, simulating battlefield scenarios designed to build trust and coordination.
Their weapons included M4 carbines, M320 grenade launchers and M249 machine guns.
“We’re training all the time,” U.S. Army Capt. Moses Sun, commander of the 72-soldier security force, told Stars and Stripes during the training. “We’ve developed standard operating procedures internally to be able to operate outside of the limited language barrier.”
American and Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, or KATUSA, soldiers train together at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, May 20-22, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
The force, stationed at K-16 Air Base in Seongnam, is a combined light infantry company that provides security for Command Post TANGO, a facility for Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, during armistice and active hostilities.
Yun Mo Koo, the unit’s first KATUSA team leader, called the training a turning point for unit cohesion.
“My team has grown to trust me,” he said. “I’m commanding my team during field operations and we’re performing great. I’m confident in our abilities and the training we’re getting.”
American and Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, or KATUSA, soldiers train together at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, May 20-22, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
American and Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, or KATUSA, soldiers train together at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, South Korea, May 20-22, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
The drills followed a simulated North Korean nuclear counterstrike earlier in May and the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, events that have added volatility to the region.
Roughly 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as part of a longstanding defense alliance aimed at deterring aggression on the peninsula.
