Asia-Pacific
ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command marks 48 years with ceremony at Camp Humphreys
The Combined Forces Command, the wartime headquarters for South Korean, U.S. and allied forces, held a ceremony at Camp Humphreys on November 6 to mark its 48th year.
The Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) marked its 48th anniversary with a ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on November 6, 2026, the command said in an account released through the U.S. military’s DVIDS service.
The command was established on November 7, 1978. It brings the military capabilities of South Korea and the United States under one structure, and its stated mission is to deter and defend against external aggression toward the Republic of Korea.
What happened at the ceremony
The event was hosted by Gen. Kim Sung-min, the CFC deputy commander, and gathered senior officers from both countries together with CFC service members. According to the command, the programme included both national anthems, an invocation, a historical overview of the command, congratulatory messages and an awards presentation for personnel who contributed to the combined mission.
Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, who commands United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea at the same time, addressed the audience in a prerecorded message. “For 48 years, CFC has turned our nations’ commitment into a force ready to defend our homelands,” he said, adding that combined readiness rests on “trust and the demanding work of learning, training, and serving together.”
Kim spoke of the command’s “Fight Tonight” readiness and of steady work on interoperability. In his words, the alliance’s promise is to protect peace and lay a foundation for prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. The command describes its guiding principles as “Commitment, Alliance and Honor.”
Why the anniversary matters
The CFC is the wartime command and control headquarters for South Korean, U.S. and allied forces, so its anniversary is a regular occasion for both governments to restate the alliance. This year it follows a busy stretch of diplomacy by the same commander. Brunson was in Tokyo recently, where he thanked Japan’s defence minister for supporting the U.N. Command rear bases in Japan, as we reported in Gen. Brunson thanks Japan’s defense minister Koizumi for support to UNC-Rear bases in Tokyo talks. Earlier, he told audiences in Washington that allied industry should help sustain forces in the region, covered in US commander in Korea: allied industry should help sustain forces in the region, Gen. Brunson tells Washington audiences.
The command said that as it enters its 49th year, its mission is unchanged: to maintain a ready, capable and unified combined force that preserves peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The account is the command’s own description of the event, and no independent reporting on the ceremony was used. No new deployments, exercises or policy decisions were announced at the ceremony.
