U.S. Army pilots assigned to 5th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2d Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division fly an AH-64 Apache during Ulchi Freedom Shield on Deju Island, South Korea, Aug. 21, 2025. Their flight supports joint readiness and strengthens interoperability between U.S. and ROK forces during the large-scale training exercise. Ulchi Freedom Shield is an annual combined exercise conducted in support of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. This combined exercise program highlights the ironclad commitment between the two nations to maintain a robust combined defense posture and to defend the people of the ROK from any threat. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kalisber Ortega)