U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and Republic of Korea Ship Dokdo (LPH 6111) moored at Busan. Blue Ridge is in Korea for exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2009. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Greg Mitchell/Released)
By Lt. Cmdr. Denver Applehans, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet Public Affairs
OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- Several members of the Amphibious Force 7th Fleet staff, including the Amphibious Force Commander embarked Republic of Korea Ship Dokdo (LPH 6111) as part of exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) last week.
During the week of the pierside embark, American personnel experienced day-to-day life working aboard a Republic of Korea naval vessel.
Amphibious staffs from both nations worked together to develop plans and execute operations in a computer simulation driven exercise aimed at supporting a turnover of operational control (OPCON) of the defense of ROK in 2012.
"Moving toward Korean OPCON in 2012, an embark such as this enables us to work and train side-by-side with our Korean counterparts in their command and control environment," said Rear Adm. Richard Landolt, Amphibious Task Force Commander. "The ROK military is outstanding at all levels, and it was a pleasure to see them in action on Dokdo."
The vessel, commissioned into the ROK Navy in April 2007, has a state of the art operations center that proved extremely capable for coordination, communication and command and control.
"Living and working aboard Dokdo gave us a unique opportunity to train and learn from our Korean counterparts as they prepare to assume operational control of the defense of the ROK in 2012," said Lt. Col. Evan Holt, embarked U.S. personnel and Amphibious Force 7th Fleet plans officer.
UFG 09 is part of a series of annual U.S.-Korean bilateral defensive exercises designed to evaluate and improve combined and joint coordination, procedures, plans and systems for conducting contingency operations between ROK and U.S. forces.