Commander deploys to Koren exercise Published Aug. 15, 2008 By Tyler Hemstreet Staff writer MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Col. Jeffrey Stephenson, 62nd Airlift Wing commander, deployed to Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, Republic of Korea, this week in support of the Combined Forces Command's Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2008 exercise. The colonel will serve as the deputy director of mobility forces for the exercise, which starts Monday and runs through the end of the week. "Exercises such as this one challenge young military personnel, as well as senior leadership, to practice and refine tactics and procedures while utilizing emerging technologies," Colonel Stephenson said. "I feel privileged to be able to deploy in support of this combined exercise, enhancing interoperability between the U.S. and the ROK military." The annual ROK/U.S. combined exercise is based upon a computer simulation, and as with all other CFC exercises, is a defensive-oriented exercise and designed to improve the command's ability to defend the ROK against external aggression. Until this year, the exercise was named Ulchi Focus Lens. This year's exercise will be historic in that it will be the first time the ROK warfighting headquarters will serve in a lead role while the U.S. headquarters will serve in a supporting role in preparation for Operational Control transfer in 2012. United Nations Command has informed the Korean People's Army in North Korea about UFG 08 and assured them that this is a defensive military readiness exercise and that it is not meant to be provocative in any way.