NEW JERSEY PARTICIPATES IN ULCHI FREEDOM GUARDIAN '10
By Staff Sgt. Nicholas Young, Joint Training and Training Development Center, Visual Information
Thirty-five New Jersey Army National Guard Soldiers led by Lt. Col. Mark Piterski participated in the joint warfighter simulation Ulchi Freedom Guardian '10 at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan from Aug. 16 – 26, 2010.
The New Jersey team consisted of 21 Soldiers from the Joint Training and Training Development Center and 14 Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the Joint Force Headquarters – New Jersey. This team was assigned an Infantry Brigade Combat Team mission task organized to support the III Marine Expeditionary Force during UFG '10.
UFG is a CFC-led warfighting exercise. It provides the opportunity to evaluate, train, and improves combined and joint coordination, procedures, plans, and systems necessary for the conduct of contingency operations by the Republic of Korea and U.S. forces.
While in Japan, Pvt. Teresa Jara of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 50th IBCT and Pfc. Christopher Caamano of the 102nd Cavalry, were promoted by Piterski and the III Marine Expeditionary Force Chief of Staff, Col. Craig Timberlake. The two Soldiers served as intelligence analysts, and received accolades from all levels of the intelligence community that were involved in the exercise.
"The team was successful in its operations due to the robust intelligence section with bright, energetic and focused analysts like Spc. Caamano and Pfc. Jara," said Piterski.
This year marked the exercise's 34th anniversary. In July 1976, ROK forces combined Exercise Ulchi with the United Nations Command and its U.S. allied forces Exercise Focus Lens. Exercise Ulchi-Focus Lens, as it was called until its name was changed in 2008, was designed to enhance ROK-U.S. interoperability by training both countries' commanders and staff in wartime planning, command and control operations, intelligence, logistics and personnel procedures required for defending the Republic of Korea.