No plans for immediate redeployment of USFK abroad: commander

By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. does not have any immediate plans for redeployment of its troops in Korea to Afghanistan, Iraq or any other conflict regions, the commander of U.S. Forces in Korea insists.

However, in a roundtable with bloggers at the Pentagon Tuesday, Gen. Walter Sharp
said that the United States, in close consultation with South Korea, will
eventually redeploy some troops to meet regional and global challenges.
"There is no immediate plan for our troops in Korea -- my troops -- to deploy to
Afghanistan or Iraq or anywhere else for that matter at this time," Sharp said,
according to a transcript released by the Pentagon Thursday. "We are not at the
point yet where we are ready to globally deploy. That will come after only much
consultation with the Republic of Korea."
Sharp was discussing plans under way for the construction of housing, schools and
medical and other facilities to accommodate the dependents of U.S. troops in
Korea with the aim of extending tours to three years from the current one.
"It will only come after we are much further along toward normalization, so that
the servicemembers, if we do come to an agreement, would be able to deploy as
units from Korea, leave their families there and then return back to Korea --
very similar to what we do with the troops that we have in Germany right now,"
the commander said.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said earlier this
month that the Obama administration will follow up on the strategic flexibility
posture drawn up by the Bush administration for rapid deployment of U.S. troops
abroad to conflict regions.
"The idea of strategic flexibility is one we are addressing with the South Korean
leadership," Mullen said. "We think it is very important, part of a strategic
concept for security both for the region and globally."
About 28,500 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Korea as a legacy of the
1950-53 Korean War.
Mullen also said in October that discussions are under way about rotating U.S.
troops in South Korea.
Sharp amplified.
"What Admiral Mullen said, it was not that they were going to rotate anytime in
the near future to the Middle East, and what he was talking about is that as we
work with the Koreans to determine what are the capabilities and what do the
forces in Korea need to be able to do, we are working towards being able to have
our forces there, not only what we've been doing for years of deterring and
rapidly executing our war plans, but also to be able to regionally engage and
globally deploy, never forgetting that our No. 1 priority in Korea is to deter
and be prepared to defend," he said.
South Korean officials have denied media reports about a possible troop reduction
in Korea, prompted by remarks by Obama to American soldiers in Seoul last month.
"The story of your service goes beyond this peninsula," Obama said. "Others among
you served in Afghanistan. Others among you will deploy yet again."
Seoul officials say there have been no discussions with the U.S. of a troop
reduction, adding that Obama was talking about a routine rotation of troops
without reducing their number.
In announcing the plans to send a 140-strong Provincial Reconstruction Team to
Afghanistan next year, accompanied by about 320 troops for their protection,
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan recently said that increased aid to
Afghanistan by South Korea is linked to the stable deployment of U.S. troops on
the Korean Peninsula.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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