Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Black beret, raising its name in UAE

Last December 30, the army special warfare training corps led a send-off ceremony for the 7th Arc Unit, the cooperative military training unit with the UAE.

The ceremony was conducted by Army Chief of Staff Kwon Oh-seong and included Lieutenant Colonel Park Hyeon-sik, approximately 150 soldiers, and 500 family members and relatives.

The Arc Unit consists of naval special warfare flotilla (UDT/SEAL) and a support unit, led by the special warfare, high-altitude, and counterterrorism teams of the special warfare command. They support the UAE special unit with education and training, conduct the Korea-UAE special warfare joint training, and protect our people in the UAE in case of emergency. They also develop all-weather special warfare operating abilities through overseas training in new operational environments such as high temperature of more than 50℃ and deserts.

Soldiers of the 7th Arc Unit, selected after a fierce competition of nearly 6:1 on average, have maximized the necessary tactics and techniques to operate dispatch missions for the last month, with the slogan of “Strongest in the world! The Arc is invincible!” Moreover, they are well-prepared for immediate mission completion, being a military diplomacy team that represents Korea by learning the local situation and receiving culture-related education, such as Arabic and Islamic culture.

“The Arc Unit is the first dispatched unit to the UAE in terms of military cooperation since the ROK Army has been established. Also, the UAE government has selected our world-class Arc Unit as a role model of its military reformation. I hope all you soldiers as well as Lieutenant Colonel Park Hyeon-sik make the best effort to complete missions with pride and self-esteem,” said Army Chief of Staff Kwon.

By Seung-Bok, Lee < yhs920@dema.mil.kr >
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