Special Task Force Arrives On Site to Repatriate Cheonghae Unit

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist]A military transport aircraft dispatched to evacuate all personnel of the 34th Cheonghae Unit, which experienced a cluster infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), arrived at the local site on the afternoon of the 19th.

According to military officials, at around 1:40 p.m. that day, one of two Air Force multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft (KC-330) landed in a country adjacent to the African waters where the Cheonghae Unit is anchored. The second aircraft is also expected to arrive shortly thereafter.

The KC-330, which departed from Gimhae Airport the previous day, carried a special mission team of about 200 personnel led by Lee Kyung-gu (Brigadier General), Deputy Director of International Policy at the Ministry of National Defense. The team consists of approximately 200 members, including 148 Navy personnel, 39 Air Force personnel, and 13 medical staff. All members tested negative in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and have completed vaccination.

Among them, Navy personnel numbering 148, mainly from the Korean destroyer Gang Gam-chan (4,400 tons), which is of the same class and has experience deploying with the Cheonghae Unit, are led by Yang Min-soo, commander of the 7th Mobile Brigade (Brigadier General). Once quarantine measures are completed, they will conduct a 'non-face-to-face handover' procedure with the 34th Cheonghae Unit, take over the Munmu the Great ship, and return to Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.