The U.S. military has announced that it will carry out evacuation drills for Americans based in South Korea in preparation for any sort of military attack.
The series of drills, referred to as Courageous Channel, will train Department of Defense employees and family members in dealing with “a wide range of crisis management events such as noncombatant evacuation and natural or man-made disasters.”
Participants in the drills will reportedly receive training on evacuation procedures and undergo “limited rehearsals” of a response to any attack.
However, a statement from the U.S. military claimed that the exercise was a “routinely scheduled drill” and was not related to current events.
“Although not directly tied to current geopolitical events, our forces must be ready in all areas,” said General Vincent K. Brooks, commander of United States Forces Korea. “This training is as important to readiness as our other routine events such as tank gunnery and fighter wing exercises.
An estimated 140,000 Americans currently reside in South Korea, with over 2,800 of those being military personnel.
Amid increasingly aggressive rhetoric from North Korea and repeated missile tests, President Donald Trump has warned that continued threats against the United States will lead to the “total destruction” of North Korea.
“The U.S. has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” Trump said at the U.N. last month. “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime. The U.S. is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully, this will not be necessary.”
Whilst meeting with military leaders last month, Trump also hinted that we might be experiencing a “calm before the storm,” which many understood as a reference to escalating tensions in the Korean peninsula.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has consistently opposed any military solution to the crisis and has instead looked to promote dialogue within the international community.
In July, Hawaii’s emergency management agency started a public information campaign to deal with a potential North Korean missile attack, amid fears that the Pacific island would be an obvious target for an initial attack.
Preparations will reportedly include training for schoolchildren and the testing of a new emergency siren on the first workday of each month.
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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