S. Korean officers to train at U.S. military academy

Dozens of South Korean non-commissioned officers (NCOs) will receive leadership training at a U.S. army base in South Korea this spring, officials said Tuesday.

The South’s Army said 65 NCOs will enter a four-week program starting in April at the Eighth U.S. Army Wightman Non-Commissioned Officers Academy. The academy is based in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul.

According to South Korean officials, 50 NCOs will enter the academy’s “Warrior Leader Course,” and 15 more will join the “Instructor Training Course.”

For the leader course, the Army will select top NCOs who are squad leaders or deputy leaders of platoons in battalion-sized or smaller units. The instructor course will be open to outstanding NCOs serving as drill instructors at the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy or Korea Army Training Center.

The Army said the selected NCOs will enter the programs in different groups every month starting in April. They will also be required to take on-line English language courses beforehand.

“By training at the Eighth U.S. Army, our officers will be able to acquire practical combat skills and instructing skills from the American forces,” said Col. Jeong Young-gi, who is in charge of the Army’s education and training programs. “We expect them to come out of the programs as combat experts. We hope to reach a further agreement with the U.S. army to establish a stable system for similar commissioned education.” 

(Yonhap News)