Syria strike sends powerful message to North Korea

Part of missile defense system moves to South Korea

CAMP CASEY, SOUTH KOREA – U.S. troops taking fire and returning it. Moving through houses, room by room. Casualties down and ground taken.

While it might looks like the real thing, it’s just one of many military exercises involving some of the 28,000 American forces along with their South Korean counterparts…not far from the demilitarized zone.

They’re getting ready for any provocation from North Korea.

“We respect the potential of the forces to the North,” Maj. Gen Theodore Martin of the Second Infantry Division told Fox News. “But we like to say that our job here is to deter that aggression.”

Again though, this is just training. Even though they are using sophisticated radar that detects hostile incoming projectiles.

Or old-fashioned, long-range artillery pieces that require elbow grease to send a shell down range.

Or patrols working out of Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Defending territory. Watching backs.

“When we come here we know what the mission is,” said Capt. David Saxton. “We treat the mission seriously.”

All this, of course, drives North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and his regime crazy.

They see it as a rehearsal for invasion. China, North Korea's most important ally, has suggested if the drills stop maybe Pyongyang would pause its nuclear and missile programs.

There doesn’t appear to be takers for that idea among U.S. forces. More exercises are planned for next week.

“We’ve got to be prepared,” Col. Dave Foly told Fox News, “to bring our might and our capabilities wherever our nation calls for it.”

If those cruise missiles launched against Syria prove that the military option is alive in the Trump administration, the U.S. military on the ground here show that they could up to the task, as well.

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