South Korea to join U.S. Air Force drill

SEOUL, South Korea, July 25 (UPI) -- A C-130H transport plane from South Korea's Air Force left for the United States on Tuesday to join a multinational exercise.

The Air Force said it is also sending 30 service members to the inaugural Mobility Guardian training organized by the U.S. Air Mobility Command slated for early August.

It is the command's largest regular drill, replacing the Air Mobility Rodeo, and focuses on airdropping paratroopers and cargo, as well as in-air refueling and medical evacuation missions.

The United States and 10 other countries will take part in the drill, with 19 others observing.

The C-130H is scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state on Sunday by way of Guam and Hawaii.

"Our Air Force has actual combat experience and know-how on the operation of air mobility aircraft through the participation in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Iraq War," Col. Chung Yeon-hak, commander of the aerial combat team of the Fifth Air Mobility Wing, said. "We will sharpen the aerial mobility operation capability via the combined exercise."