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Joint South Korea-US military command
Military unit
ROK/US Combined Forces Command
(CFC) is a joint warfighting headquarters comprising the
Republic of Korea
military and
United States Forces Korea
. It was established in 1978. During wartime it would serve as the operational command headquarters for all of the South Korean and U.S. ground, air, sea (including Marine) and special operations forces fighting on the Korean peninsula. Since November 2022 CFC has been headquartered at
Camp Humphreys
, in Pyeongtaek, Korea. Previously it was headquartered at
Yongsan Garrison
in Seoul.
The CFC is commanded by a four-star
U.S. Army
general, with a four-star
ROK Army
general as deputy commander. This pattern exists throughout the CFC command structure: if the chief of a staff section is Korean, the deputy is American and vice versa.
The American general also serves, concurrently, as the Commander of
United Nations Command
and Commanding General, U.S. Forces Korea.
CFC's mission is to "Deter hostile acts of external aggression against the Republic of Korea by a combined military effort of the United States of America and the ROK; and in the event deterrence fails, defeat an external armed attack against the ROK." To accomplish this mission the CFC has operational control over more than 600,000 active-duty military personnel of all services, of both countries. In wartime this would expand to include some 3.5 million ROK reservists as well as additional U.S. forces deployed from outside the ROK.
It is important to note that, despite the impression of total American control of the Republic of Korea's armed forces via the CFC, during peacetime the Korean units are wholly independent. Only during wartime would the Korean military come under the operational command of the CFC.
[1]
Commander
[
edit
]
| No.
|
Commander
|
Term
|
Service branch
|
| Portrait
|
Name
|
Took office
|
Left office
|
Term length
|
| 1
| | Vessey, John W. Jr.
General
John W. Vessey Jr.
(1922?2016)
| 7 November 1978
| 10 July 1979
| 245 days
| 
U.S. Army
|
| 2
| | Wickham, John A. Jr.
General
John A. Wickham Jr.
(born 1928)
| 10 July 1979
| 4 June 1982
| 2 years, 329 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 3
| | Sennewald, Robert W.
General
Robert W. Sennewald
(1929?2023)
| 4 June 1982
| 1 June 1984
| 1 year, 363 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 4
| | Livsey, William J.
General
William J. Livsey
(1931?2016)
| 1 June 1984
| 25 June 1987
| 3 years, 24 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 5
| | Menetrey, Louis C. Jr.
General
Louis C. Menetrey Jr.
(1929?2009)
| 25 June 1987
| 26 June 1990
| 3 years, 1 day
|
U.S. Army
|
| 6
| | RisCassi, Robert W.
General
Robert W. RisCassi
(born 1936)
| 26 June 1990
| 15 June 1993
| 2 years, 354 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 7
| | Luck, Gary E.
General
Gary E. Luck
(born 1937)
| 15 June 1993
| 9 July 1996
| 3 years, 24 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 8
| | Tilelli, John H. Jr.
General
John H. Tilelli Jr.
(born 1941)
| 9 July 1996
| 9 December 1999
| 3 years, 153 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 9
| | Schwartz, Thomas A.
General
Thomas A. Schwartz
(born 1945)
| 9 December 1999
| 1 May 2002
| 2 years, 143 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 10
| | LaPorte, Leon J.
General
Leon J. LaPorte
(born 1946)
| 1 May 2002
| 3 February 2006
| 3 years, 278 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 11
| | Bell, B.B.
General
B.B. Bell
(born 1947)
| 3 February 2006
| 3 June 2008
| 2 years, 121 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 12
| | Sharp, Walter L.
General
Walter L. Sharp
(born 1952)
| 3 June 2008
| 14 July 2011
| 3 years, 41 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 13
| | Thurman, James D.
General
James D. Thurman
(born 1953)
| 14 July 2011
| 12 October 2013
| 2 years, 80 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 14
| | Scaparrotti, Curtis M.
General
Curtis M. Scaparrotti
(born 1956)
| 2 October 2013
| 30 April 2016
| 2 years, 211 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 15
| | Brooks, Vincent K.
General
Vincent K. Brooks
(born 1958)
| 30 April 2016
| 8 November 2018
| 2 years, 192 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 16
| | Abrams, Robert B.
General
Robert B. Abrams
(born 1960)
| 8 November 2018
| 2 July 2021
| 2 years, 236 days
|
U.S. Army
|
| 17
| | LaCamera, Paul J.
General
Paul LaCamera
(born 1963)
| 2 July 2021
| Incumbent
| 2 years, 339 days
|
U.S. Army
|
Deputy Commander
[
edit
]
| No.
|
Deputy Commander
|
Term
|
Service branch
|
| Portrait
|
Name
|
Took office
|
Left office
|
Term length
|
| 1
| | General
Lew Byong-hyun
(1924?2020)
| 7 November 1978
| 18 December 1979
| 1 year, 41 days
| 
R.O.K. Army
|
| 2
| | General
Baek Seok-ju
(1923?2017)
| 21 December 1979
| 28 August 1981
| 1 year, 250 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 3
| | General
Park No-yeong
(1930?2012)
| 8 September 1981
| 30 August 1983
| 1 year, 356 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 4
| | General
Lee Sang-hoon
(born 1933)
| 30 August 1983
| 1 September 1985
| 2 years, 1 day
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 5
| | General
Han Chul-soo
(born 1935)
| 1 September 1985
| 30 August 1987
| 1 year, 363 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 6
| | General
Jung Jin-tae
(born 1934)
| 30 August 1987
| 6 April 1989
| 1 year, 219 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 7
| | General
Na Joong-bae
(1936?2018)
| 6 April 1989
| 27 December 1990
| 1 year, 265 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 8
| | General
Kim Jin-young
(born 1938)
| 27 December 1990
| 3 December 1991
| 341 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 9
| | General
Kim Dong-jin
(born 1938)
| 3 December 1991
| 9 March 1993
| 1 year, 96 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 10
| | General
Kim Jae-chang
(born 1940)
| 31 March 1993
| 19 April 1994
| 1 year, 41 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 11
| | General
Chang Sung
(born 1939)
| 19 April 1994
| 21 October 1996
| 2 years, 185 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 12
| | General
Kim Dong-shin
(born 1941)
| 21 October 1996
| 28 March 1998
| 1 year, 158 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 13
| | General
Jung Yeong-moo
(born 1943)
| 28 March 1998
| 28 April 2000
| 2 years, 31 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 14
| | General
Lee Jong-ok
(born 1944)
| 28 April 2000
| 10 April 2002
| 1 year, 347 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 15
| | General
Nam Jae-jun
(born 1944)
| 10 April 2002
| 4 April 2003
| 359 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 16
| | General
Shin Il-soon
(born 1948)
| 4 April 2003
| 2 June 2004
| 1 year, 59 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 17
| | General
Kim Jang-soo
(born 1948)
| 2 June 2004
| 31 March 2005
| 302 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 18
| | General
Lee Hee-won
(1948?2018)
| 31 March 2005
| 21 November 2006
| 1 year, 235 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 19
| | General
Kim Byung-kwan
(born 1948)
| 21 November 2006
| 28 March 2008
| 1 year, 128 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 20
| | General
Lee Sung-chool
(born 1949)
| 28 March 2008
| 21 September 2009
| 1 year, 177 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 21
| | General
Hwang Ui-don
(born 1953)
| 21 September 2009
| 24 June 2010
| 276 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 22
| | General
Jeong Seung-jo
(born 1953)
| 24 June 2010
| 24 October 2011
| 1 year, 122 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 23
| | General
Kwon Oh-sung
(born 1955)
| 24 October 2011
| 27 September 2013
| 1 year, 338 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 24
| | General
Park Sun-woo
(born 1957)
| 27 September 2013
| 17 September 2015
| 1 year, 355 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 25
| | General
Kim Hyun-jip
(born 1957)
| 17 September 2015
| 22 September 2016
| 1 year, 5 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 26
| | General
Leem Ho-young
(born 1959)
| 22 September 2016
| 11 August 2017
| 323 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 27
| | General
Kim Byung-joo
(born 1962)
| 11 August 2017
| 17 April 2019
| 1 year, 249 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 28
| | General
Choi Byung-hyeok
(born 1963)
| 17 April 2019
| 23 September 2020
| 1 year, 159 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 29
| | General
Kim Seung-kyum
(born 1963)
| 23 September 2020
| 27 May 2022
| 1 year, 246 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 30
| | General
Ahn Byung-suk
(born 1967)
| 27 May 2022
| 31 October 2023
| 1 year, 157 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
| 31
| | General
Kang Shin-chul
(born 1968)
| 31 October 2023
| Incumbent
| 218 days
|
R.O.K. Army
|
See also
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References
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