Freedom Shield, taking place in the spring, sets up an operating environment to reflect the Korea Theater of Operations, while the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield reflects a range of realistic threats and lessons learned from recent conflicts.

Assuming a pivotal role in these two exercises, Navy Reserve logisticians provide immediate and critical wartime operational logistics support to the CNFK Logistics Readiness Center (LRC) if and when a conflict engulfs Korea.

“As the operational level of war continues to increase in importance, CNFK Reservists who man and run the LRC learn, practice, and gain essential logistics skillsets that make them invaluable and indispensable in an armed conflict,” said Cmdr. Karim Shabazz, LRC director during UFS 2024. “They are intimately involved in planning and operating the LRC in coordination with the joint forces and partner nations.”

Members qualify for their duties by completing the LRC job qualification requirements before taking their assignments to familiarize with the center operations and learn of their respective roles. The gap between learning and executing adds a sense of urgency and realism. “Once we reported to the LRC, we had to ramp up fast,” said Cmdr. Peter Boll, the Defense Logistics Agency liaison officer during an exercise last year. “It spoke volume to our Reserve logisticians’ preparedness and ability to do their jobs. They practiced the skills needed to accomplish their assignments and continued to develop their experience and expertise.”

“Our team encountered constant simulated injects that required deliberate actions to best mitigate any crisis,” said Lt. Cmdr. Linda Rodriguez, 2024 Ulchi Freedom Shield LRC chief. “We learned to collaborate and synchronize with our Republic of Korea (ROK) counterparts.”

The combined exercises enable the valuable exchange of knowledge between the combined team, said Lt. Cmdr. Todd McAlister, an LRC member. “I learned a lot from working with a Korean Service Corps liaison officer whose wealth of knowledge about the ROK’s Wartime Host Nation Support program helped expedite the acquisition of local materiel and services during the reception, staging, onward movement, and integration evolution.”

The LRC team’s operations throughout the exercises matter the most when members alert the commander of U.S Naval Forces Korea of all logistical effort and function. “Our junior enlisted members, even our 3rd class petty officers, prepared and updated the commander daily and sometimes hourly so that the commander could make the best informed decision in any particular wartime scenario,” said Chief Logistician Shannon Harden, an LRC member. “This rare opportunity to show up and showcase what we as reservists bring to the fight rivals none. If you are a reservist ready to make a positive, lasting impact, CNFK is the command to roger up.”