Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Friday stated that the recent deactivation of a U.S. Army squadron in South Korea is likely part of a broader service-wide transformation initiative, countering fears that it may be linked to a potential reduction of American troops stationed in the country.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn's comments came in response to a U.S. congressional report indicating that the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (5-17 ACS) at Camp Humphreys-located approximately 60 kilometers south of Seoul-ceased operations on December 15. This deactivation has sparked concerns that the U.S. administration, under President Donald Trump, could be planning a reduction in the 28,500 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops as part of a strategy to better address threats from China.
Ahn mentioned that the U.S. Army is undergoing changes as part of a reform initiative, affecting not just individual units. He emphasized the importance of consultations about USFK issues, suggesting that the deactivation is unrelated to troop reductions. Ahn reassured that he would ensure the deactivation does not impact the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and plans to visit Camp Humphreys next week to discuss the matter further.
5-17 ACS, activated in 2022, was established to replace rotational air cavalry squadrons, with the aim of providing more stability to U.S. defense operations and enhancing readiness in South Korea. The unit included hundreds of personnel and aviation and reconnaissance assets such as AH-64E Apache helicopters and RQ-7B Shadow drones. It remains unclear whether the deactivation will lead to the withdrawal of the unit's personnel and assets or if a replacement unit will be introduced.
In addition to the 5-17 ACS, air cavalry squadrons at several U.S. bases, including Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Drum, New York; Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were also deactivated on December 15, as reported by the U.S. congressional report.