`Ghost Busters’ Beat the Cold
By Jung Sung-ki, Shim Hyun-chul
Staff Reporters
``Snowfall and bitter cold put the mountain in a deep freeze, but failed to do in the Ghost Busters.''
The 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of South Korea's 1st Marine Division took part in an annual winter season drill on Mount Hwangbyeong in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province.
The month-long training that began Jan. 14 was designed to enhance the battalion's combat abilities in extremely cold weather and heavy snowfall.
The drill involved various physical fitness training sessions, skiing maneuvers, evacuation training, reconnaissance skills, tactical maneuvering schemes and first aid skills, Marine officials said.
The winter training ended Thursday after a two week 400-kilometer march, they said.
``We have confidence in accomplishing our missions at any time to become the eyes and ears of the Marine Corps by spearheading our landing operations under any circumstances,'' said Lt. Col. Lim Sang-jin, chief of the battalion.
The reconnaissance unit is the main combat force of the 25,000-strong South Korean Marine Corps, nicknamed ``Ghost Busters,'' the second largest marine corps in the world after the U.S. Marine Corps.
Its mission is to land in enemy areas using landing craft, surface vehicles and aircraft to gather intelligence of enemy areas such as waterways, coastline, roads, helicopter landing zones and potential force projection areas before full-scale landing operations.
Members of the unit are also supposed to take the lead in attacking key enemy facilities and assess casualties during ground battles.
The Marine Corps has one more division and one brigade.
