Eighth Army awarded South Korean Presidential Unit Citation once again

The U.S. Eighth Army received South Korea’s highest military honor this month for its service in defense of the country.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung presented the Eighth Army with the country’s Presidential Unit Citation during South Korea’s Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1, which honors the day that South Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel during the war. The honor was given for the Eighth Army’s “sustained commitment to defend the Republic of Korea, vital contributions to combined readiness and unwavering dedication to the U.S.-ROK alliance,” the Army said.

Speaking at the Association of the United States Army conference on Monday, Eighth Army Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Joseph Hilbert said the force received it alongside other Korean units. “It’s an incredible honor for us and it continued to demonstrate the partnership and the alliance that we’ve got with the Koreans as we work together for the defense of really two countries, Korea and the United States.” 

The Eighth Army was the only American formation to receive a unit-level award during Armed Forces Day.

The recent award comes after the U.S. halted joint exercises with South Korea in August after President Donald Trump ordered a large annual drill to be substantially reduced. Additional joint exercises were canceled, with the military citing resource needs for the war with Iran. Hilbert addressed those changes at AUSA, saying some of the live exercises were reduced by roughly 50%. However, he noted that the Eighth Army is “able to continue training and execute the things that we’re able to execute based on the resources” they have so far.

The South Korean Presidential Unit Citation does not allude to that. Instead, the text of the award notes that “[t]his citation is hereby presented in recognition of the commander and all personnel who, through the faithful execution of their duties, have made significant contributions to the preservation of national security.”

The Eighth Army previously received the honor 12 years ago. Then-President Park Geun-hye presented it to the formation for its part in a number of exercises and for adding a rotational aerial recon squadron.

During the Korean War, several American units were presented with the South Korean Presidential Unit Citation for their service during the conflict, including the 1st Marine Division, the 7th Infantry Division and the 65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, among others.