{"id":46118,"date":"2018-09-25T16:18:30","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T16:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/09\/25\/nominee-to-lead-us-forces-korea-says-pause-in-exercises-there-hurt-readiness\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:36:28","slug":"nominee-to-lead-us-forces-korea-says-pause-in-exercises-there-hurt-readiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/09\/25\/nominee-to-lead-us-forces-korea-says-pause-in-exercises-there-hurt-readiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Nominee to lead US Forces Korea says pause in exercises there has hurt readiness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s decision last month to cancel military exercises<\/a> with South Korea led to a \u201cslight degradation\u201d in American readiness, according to the president\u2019s nominee to lead U.S. Forces Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Army Gen. Robert Abrams, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, defended the president\u2019s decision as a calculated diplomatic concession to North Korea that will not lead to any long-term damage to U.S. troops\u2019 training or the relationship with South Korean leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe suspension of military exercises \u2026 was a prudent risk if we\u2019re willing to make the effort to change the relationship with [Pyongyang],\u201d said Abrams, who heads Army Forces Command. \u201cI think there is certainly degradation to the readiness of the force. That\u2019s a key exercise to maintain continuity and to continue to practice our interoperability, and so there was a slight degradation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t