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The commander of the Eighth U.S. Army, Gen. David Valcourt, said Friday the lack of an adequate bomber training range for U.S. pilots after the closure of the Kooni Range in Maehyangri is a "big challenge" for both South Korea and the U.S. Valcourt warned if the problem is not solved, U.S. forces on the peninsula will be unable to maintain military strength and hinted the U.S. Air Force will have to go elsewhere.
The general was speaking during a breakfast meeting at the Korean-American Association, where he also said that Korea is obliged to provide a replacement bombing range according to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the two allies.
Valcourt stressed a training ground was vital for national security, but no one in Korea wanted such a facility in their back yard.
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Members of the U.S. rapid deployment brigade ¡®Stryker¡¯ during a drill at a shooting range in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on August 4, 2003.
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Valcourt said if problem is not rectified, the U.S. Force Korea Air Force contingent will be forced to relocate to a third country: a statement in line with a similar remarks made by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the Security Consultative Meeting last October.
Turning to delays in the return of former U.S. bases to Korea due to disagreements on who should pay for the environmental cleanup, the general claimed the USFK had made ¡°every effort¡± over the 55 years it has been stationed on the peninsula to ensure that there is no substantial damage to the environment. He expressed confidence that the standoff between the two allies will be resolved soon.
Asked about signs of an imminent missile test by North Korea, Valcourt said this was a political rather than a military issue. He said North Korea has enough capability to be considered a threat and added the North¡¯s missile activities have an impact not only on the Korean Peninsula but also on Northeast Asia and the rest of the world.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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