Editor’s Note: This story was translated by the Korea Defense Daily and originally appeared on their website.

The nickname of the ROK Army’s 28th Infantry Division, which guards the central western front in Yeoncheon County, is the "Invincible Typhoon" unit.

The nickname reflects the strong determination to confront military provocations and annihilate the enemy, just like an intense and devastating typhoon.

My latest coverage began at an elevation of 355 meters. at this site, soldiers were preparing for a search operation in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). They were the members of a reconnaissance battalion dispatched to the frontline outposts

The division is deploying some of its reconnaissance battalion soldiers to the frontlines in rotation. This is done to ensure immediate operational and situational response. As a result, the operational response speed has significantly increased.

Next, I visited the "forward deployment scientific maintenance unit", which is the first of its kind operated by the 28th division in the front-line forces. The importance of the scientific border surveillance system has grown as it has taken on the role of replacing the shrinking number of troops. As a result, the mission to quickly maintain and repair the system has also become more crucial.

Since the scientific maintenance unit has been stationed at the GOP, the operational response time has been significantly reduced from 1 to 1.5 hours to 5 to 20 minutes.

As a result, the GOP soldiers who had to stand guard at the site until the maintenance of the scientific border surveillance system was finished also felt less tired.

Yung-ju Yu, a Sergeant First Class in the scientific maintenance unit, was meticulously inspecting the cameras and optical nets in front of the barbed wire fence. He said, "This is my first winter stationed at the DMZ, and it's been pretty tough. I have to endure the freezing cold while being on standby for any emergencies. But it makes me feel good knowing that our hard work is helping to keep the border secure and making it a little easier for the other soldiers."

The scientific maintenance unit was responsible for the maintenance of all scientific border surveillance systems, including cameras, optical nets, and control and support systems. So, they were conducting maintenance activities by moving between various front-line units throughout their stay at the GOP.

The 28th division's efforts to improve its readiness posture were not limited to this. The 28th division was rotating artillery companies to the front lines so that they could quickly strike the source of enemy provocations in the event of an emergency.

I observed a situation response training of soldiers from the artillery company. The training began with a simulated mortar attack on the outpost. The soldiers ran to the gun position about 150 meters from the outpost in one step and demonstrated the procedure for counter-mortar fire. It took only about 2 minutes for the soldiers to arrive at the scene after the situation occurred. It shows that the soldiers are well-trained and prepared for any situation.

The outpost commander, Sergeant First Class Byun Ji-hoon, who led the training, emphasized that "repeated training is essential to respond without hesitation like a flowing stream even if a real situation occurs." He also stressed that "we need to train more realistically when we are deployed to the front line."

Sergeant First Class Byun Ji-hoon, the outpost commander, emphasized the importance of repeated training in order to respond quickly and accurately to a real situation. He said that "even if a real situation occurs, we must be able to respond without hesitation or confusion. This is only possible through repeated training." He also stressed that "we need to train more realistically when we are deployed to the front line. This will help us to be more prepared for any situation."

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국방일보 정전협정 70주년 특별기획 [다시, DMZ]

7) 육군28사단 (연천)

경기도 연천군 일대 중서부 전선을 지키는 육군28보병사단의 애칭은 ‘무적태풍(無敵颱風)’ 부대다. 강렬하게 휘몰아치는 태풍처럼 도발에 맞서고, 적을 섬멸하겠다는 사단의 강한 의지가 이 애칭에 담겨 있다.

이번 취재는 해발 355m 고지에서 시작됐다. 이곳에서 장병들은 비무장지대(DMZ) 수색작전을 준비하고 있었다. 이들은 최전방 소초에 파견된 수색대대 장병들이었다. 사단은 수색대대 장병 일부를 교대로 전방에 투입하고 있다. 즉각적인 작전·상황 대응을 위해서다. 수색대대의 전방 추진으로 작전 반응속도는 한결 더 빨라졌다.

다음으로 사단이 전방 경계부대 최초로 운영하는 전방 추진 과학화정비반 대기소를 찾아갔다. 줄어드는 병력을 대체하는 과학화경계시스템의 중요성이 더 커진 만큼, 이를 빠르게 정비하는 임무 역시 막중해졌다. 과학화정비반이 GOP에 상주하게 된 이후로 작전 반응시간은 기존 1시간~1시간 30분에서 5~20분으로 크게 줄어들었다. 상황이 조기 종결되면서 장비 정비를 마칠 때까지 현장을 경계해야 했던 GOP부대 장병들의 피로도 역시 감소했다.

철책 앞에서 카메라와 광망을 꼼꼼하게 점검하던 과학화정비반 유명주 중사는 이렇게 말했다.

"최전방 상주 이후 처음 맞는 겨울인데 상당히 힘드네요. 온몸이 얼어붙는 것 같은 추위를 견디면서 출동준비태세를 갖추고 있어야 하니까요. 그래도 저희의 작은 수고로 경계작전의 빈틈이 없어지고, 다른 장병이 조금이라도 편해졌다고 생각하니 마음은 따뜻합니다."

과학화정비반의 활동범위는 철책 근처에만 국한되지 않았다. 카메라로 대표되는 감시시스템과 광망 등 감지시스템, 식별된 정보를 운용하는 통제·지원시스템 모두 책임져야 하는 이들은 상주 기간 내내 전방 각 부대를 오가며 정비활동을 펼치고 있다.

즉응태세 완비를 위한 사단의 또 다른 전략적 선택은 화기중대 추진 소초 운용이었다. 사단은 유사시 적 도발 원점을 빠르게 타격할 수 있도록. 예하 여단 화기중대를 교대로 전방에 배치하고 있었다.

화기중대 장병들의 상황 대응훈련을 지켜봤다. 장병들은 소초에서 약 150m 떨어진 포상까지 한걸음에 달려 나와 박격포 대응사격 절차를 선보였다. 상황 발생 후 장병들이 현장에 도착하는 데 걸린 시간은 불과 2분 남짓에 불과했다.

훈련을 지휘한 소초장 변지훈 상사는 "실제 상황이 발생해도 우왕좌왕하지 않고 물 흐르듯 대응하기 위해서는 반복 숙달은 필수"라며 "전방에 투입되면 더 실전적으로 훈련해야 한다"고 강조했다.

글 : 맹수열 기자 <guns13@dema.mil.kr > 사진 : 조용학 기자 <catcho@dema.mil.kr >

Write : Maing Suyeol <guns13@dema.mil.kr> Photo : Jo Yonghak <catcho@dema.mil.kr>

<저작권자 ⓒ 국방일보, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>