 Ladies and gentlemen, the ceremony will begin shortly. Please begin to take your seats and silence all cell phones and devices. Simultaneous translation is provided using the headsets located in the back of the facility. As a reminder, this will be an indoor uncovered ceremony and therefore no solutes will be rendered. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, the ceremony will begin in two minutes. Please take your seats. Thank you. Welcome to today's change of command ceremony, where Major General Michael E. Martin will relinquish command to Brigadier General Derek N. Lipson. The presiding officer for today's ceremony is Lieutenant General Willard M. Burleson III, Commander Eighth Army. Please stand for the arrival of the official party, the playing of the national anthems, performed by Corporal Jeon Hyuk Choi Rockswick, followed by the invocation delivered by Chaplain Jesse McCullough. Long as incredible people for this auspicious occasion, we thank you for allowing us to be a part of SOC Corps as well as UNC SOC with this critical mission. Today we specifically thank you for Major General Martin and all that has been accomplished under his command. Thank you for his faith, his prioritization of people, his wisdom, his dedication to freedom, and the example he sets for everyone to witness. Please bless and be with them, Cynthia, and their children as they move to Florida and continue to lead and inspire so many. We also thank you for bringing Brigadier General Lipson. As he prepares for the grueling task of command, help him to remember that you have brought him to this position. Give him and his wife, kids, and their grandkids strength as they are apart. May this be a trial that produces perseverance. Surrounded with good counsel, give him discernment, wisdom, and allow him to continue the great legacy of both SOC Corps and UNC SOC. Finally, Lord, we thank you for all these incredible service members, family members, our Rockswick friends, as well as the great people of both Korea and the United States. Help us to remain grateful, please bless us, make your face shine upon us, and help us to always remember the incredible grace, mercy, kindness, and love that you have. Please watch over this ceremony today in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. Thank you, Corporal Troy and Chaplain McCullough. Please be seated. Today we have some special guests in attendance. Please hold all applause until the end of introductions. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations in Low Intensity Conflict, the Honorable Christopher Mayer, the Deputy Commander, Combined Forces Command, General An Byok-Sook, the Deputy Commander United Nations Command, Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison, the Mayor of Pyeongtaek, Jeong Seon-Jung. We would also like to welcome all other distinguished guests and visitors attending this event in person and via virtual transmission. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce Lieutenant General Burleson. Well, good afternoon to everybody, especially Honorable Mayer. Thank you for flying in this morning. General An, thank you as well for coming as well as General Harrison and General Seon. And of course, Mayor Jeong and his wife. I do want to have a shout out also to Command Star Major Love, our USFK, UNC, and CFC Command Sergeant Major. So thank you all for coming. Today we do recognize the change in leadership for both Special Operations Command Korea as well as United Nations Command Special Operations Company. So Mike, I get a text from General Kammer this morning on a couple things he wanted me to say. First of all, he wanted to thank all of you for coming and he regrets that he wasn't able to be here. But Mike, the specific things he wanted me to say is he wanted to personally express his appreciation for your leadership, personal example, and teamwork to others. So thank you very much on his behalf. I also know that he's very proud of the entire work that your team has done on behalf of the United States and the Republic of Korea. And so thank you for all that all of you have done over General Martin's tenure. Again, Honorable Mayor, thank you for coming long haul. But it means a lot that Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conference would come. It shows the importance of this region. So thank you very much, sir. And then a warm welcome to everybody. We do have some people out there in Facebook Live. So if everybody will turn and wave towards the families. These are the families of the Martins and General Lipson. So welcome to them as well. They're scattered across the United States. And of course, thanks, Band, for coming. It's a busy time of the year for you. Thanks for all that you do in your hard work. So today's ceremony does make it known that we're changing from one outstanding leader here to another. And this unit in Sokkor is everybody always has confidence that they'll complete their mission. And they're a critical part of the U.S. Forces Korea and our ROC U.S. Alliance here within the Republic of Korea. They've conducted realistic training across multiple domains in a live environment of Northeast Asia. And your team has prioritized readiness, not just U.S. but also U.S. ROC. And the things that you've done with ROC Special Warfare Command are tremendous. And I applaud the entire team for what they have done to defend two homelands, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America. You've delivered training and capability, Mike, you and your team, that has made our commitment and our alliance stronger every single day. So again, Mike, congratulations on your successful command. May God bless you, Cynthia, and your family as you move on to your next chapter. But as we say farewell to Major General Martin, we're fortunate enough to have another great leader replacing. Brigadier General Derek Lipson comes to us from First Special Forces Command. He's got a tremendous reputation. He's an experienced leader who I know will be able to continue the great work that is underway within Special Operations Command Korea. Derek, you're inheriting a great team of warriors. And I have no doubt that you'll lead them to distinction. I also send a special welcome to your wife, Jenny, as children that are out there in Facebook land. We welcome all of you to the team. And we'll keep an eye on them, okay? Finally, I'm proud to just see so many of you here across a wide variety of commands, both ROC and US. It clearly demonstrates the commitment in coming together here as a team. A team around Special Operations Command that works hand in hand with ROC Special Forces. So thanks to you all for coming here today. I know that all of you will do your own little part to ensure that we're ready to move forward. Thank you very much. We go together. Thank you, General Burleson. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Honorable Christopher Mayer. Good afternoon, everybody. Thanks. I'm really thrilled to be here today at Camp Humphreys. And as I often have to remind my friends and colleagues back at the Pentagon, it is the largest US military base in the world. We sometimes don't think of that. But critically important, I think, in one that comes to mind, is why I'm here and some of the remarks General Burleson already made to the partnership we have here with the Republic of Korea. For those of you I haven't had the opportunity to meet and based on the size of this group, there's a lot of you. I'm the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. It's a bit of a mouthful, but wanted to let you know that I come representing the Secretary of Defense and part of my job is to take care of the men and women in Special Operations Enterprise in addition to ensuring that the soft-value proposition is one that's incorporated every day into our thinking and planning at the Department of Defense. I'm really grateful that General Paula Cameron and all the teammates across US Forces Korea, the Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command who invited me here today and have shown tremendous hospitality. While this is a short stay for me here in Korea this time, I am honored to be here today and to participate in the change of command. I'm really grateful to Major General Martin that I was able to catch up with him a bit this morning on our drive-in from Incheon and really look forward to hearing more from you all in the reception of the work he's done and also look forward to the future here with General Lipson. But first, I'll start with Lieutenant General Burleson. Thank you for presiding over the ceremony today and the great discussion we enjoyed today at lunch. Your leadership of the 8th Army and the service on the Korean Peninsula exemplifies our nation's long-standing and iron-clad commitment to our Korean allies. General Ahn and Lieutenant General Sun, thank you for being here. Your support to our alliance has been exceptional and your presence here is a testament to the importance of the Special Operations team to our mutual security. I'm grateful that many of our Korean Special Operations teammates are here today as well. Lieutenant General Harrison, thank you for being here and leading the UN's enduring commitment to the maintaining the peace on the Korean Peninsula. Thank you also for your years of serving and fighting alongside the United States on multiple deployments. Mayor Young, thank you for joining us and for your prior military service of Special Warfare Command. We are grateful for the partnership with the Korean people and this local community. We owe a huge debt of thanks to the SOCCOR teammates that worked on today's ceremony and also found time during their busy day in preparation to make me smarter for the experience of coming to visit with you all and understanding in more detail the great work you do here every day. The commitment and sacrifice that you and your families make is truly an inspiration and I saw that firsthand today. Major General Martin and Brigadier General Lipson with you, I'm sure they would agree. That brings me to Major General Mike Martin and to your family members who are joining us virtually your wife Cynthia, your children Robert, Gabriela and Olivia thank you for your sacrifice during an overseas PCS and throughout Mike's military career. We are mindful of the sacrifices that military families make every day. I know you are looking forward to returning home after your second tour here in Korea about when you were here in 1986 probably never anticipating you'd be coming back for a change of command in which you participated in as the outgoing commander. Fortunately you will be back well in time for football season. I noticed a lot of different SEC football allegiances amongst your family. My own wife is a Georgia Bulldogs fan and so we're complicating things either further by me being here but probably makes for an interesting college football season when you're home. There are several generations of proud military service and for putting those football allegiances aside to serve the nation. And to Brigadier General Derek Ellipson and your family I know they are all located across the Midwest. We're talking coming in here a little bit about our mutual connections to Nebraska. But instead of burning the midnight oil watching the ceremony hopefully they're making a smart choice and watching the ceremony later. If you are watching it live I'm very glad you're able to. And we want to thank your wife Jeanne has already been mentioned back home in Kansas along with Tyra and your grandchildren Grant and Eleanor. And your parents Jeanne and Jeanne hopefully they're figuring out the time change difference here. Your brother Bryce and your sister Stacy and her family who are all watching us from Colorado and your daughter Alexis in Lincoln, Nebraska. Derek for a guy from Kansas with family all over the Midwest I will have to ask at the reception about how you're both a fan of the Montreal Canadians and the LA Angels as a Northern Californian myself I'll give you partial credit for rooting for a California team. One of the reasons we spend so much time recognizing the family and other people in our lives is they're so important to making these ceremonies happen. And I think all of us recognize the sacrifices that our families our spouses make to allow us to do the things that we do for the public good. Is really them who serve alongside of us as we lead and those who we really rely on in the support it's really them who make this day happen. So major general Martin you clearly put people first during your time leading here in leading soccer certainly have heard that you exemplify that soft truth in doing so that people are more important than hardware you live that ideal through your leadership in this command the past two years and deep in critical partnerships with our partners here on the Korean Peninsula Thank you for investing in our people and harnessing the power of our partnerships. As President Biden has said in our national strategic documents reiterate this is the decisive decade for this world we think we will be most successful in that decisive decade by working closely with our allies and partners as we have done here in Korea for 70 so in fact this is really the model that we hope to emulate in so many other relationships around the world. I know General Fenton the SOCOM commander sends his regrets for not being able to attend today but I also know he is thrilled to have you joined his team in Tampa as US SOCOM Director for Operations. This is usually the job where you get the least amount of sleep so I'm sure you've had a nice rest here in times that go move paper down at us special operations man. In all seriousness thank you for continuing to serve the SOF Enterprise during this decisive decade. I'm glad that you have more runway in your career both as an Air Force Officer and Special Operations Leader and you should ultimately be proud of the trajectory you have set here for SOC Corps. And then Derek you're inheriting a tremendous team here I think you know and this will be a truly unique command experience. This is a special opportunity for all of us I think to reflect on the commitments that our partners make but especially here at SOC Corps where we have a unique experience and I think you will see that Derek and leading a group that is a fully combined command and the ability to work side by side with our partners is exactly what our special operators are made to do and we know that we must be prepared together to ensure we are able to respond to provocations throughout the peninsula. So in concluding I would thank you all for coming here today and really ask you all to continue to commit to making this command a success. I think General Lipson would appreciate that and I know I look forward to working with him and enhancing our partnership here back into the Pentagon and look forward to seeing you at the Commander's Decision Round Tables where we get together about every quarter to talk across the SOF Enterprise. Ultimately though I want you all on the SOC Corps team to know how proud and professionalism you have every day the things that make the world go round and really fundamentally are what make this command so well esteemed in the Pentagon and amongst the SOF Enterprise. And lastly I would say that I am greatly appreciative of you allowing me to participate today it's truly an honor and I look forward to the rest of the ceremony. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Secretary. At this time General Burleson will present General Martin with the Defense Superior Service Medal for his service as the Commander of Special Operations Command Korea. Please remain seated during the presentation. Major General Michael E. Martin United States Air Force distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service as the Commander Special Operations Command Korea from June 2021 to June 2023. The distinctive accomplishments of Major General Martin reflect great credit upon himself the United States Air Force and the Department of Defense signed Paul J. Le Camera General United States Forces Korea. Thank you General Burleson. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome General Martin. This is a tough one but it's time. I'm excited for Derek and his family coming in behind Cynthia and myself if you allow me just a few minutes to address everyone here I want to say sincere thanks General Burleson for stepping up and really not just today but the entire time I've been here and I sincerely appreciate and I'm touched by you actually officiating and understanding why General Le Camera can't be here so thank you very much sir. Honorable Mayor this is a long trek but I know the men and women of SOC Corp and our ROC Special Operations teammates that are here and Mayor Young here next to you. We're excited and enthusiastic about you being here and taking time with us today and learning about the continued ROHART as an alliance and SOC Corp in the US SOCOM Enterprise. Mayor Young, it is awesome to see you and your wife here. Cynthia sends her regards We look forward to hoping to host you in Tampa at some point but our friendship with you since we've been here and being now honorary citizens of PyeongTek which I've heard there is no taxes associated with that and I'm good to go and we might be able to get some vacation property here so thank you very much for being here. General Ahn When I look at you sir don't take offense I think General Kim as well and the reason why I say that is because when we took command in the height of COVID and a lot of the restrictions and constraints back in June of 2021 General Kim in your current position was the first person to the reception and he spent an inordinate amount of time with Cynthia my wife and talked with her at great length she has never forgotten that and I was able to talk with General Kim last week and remind him about how powerful and meaningful that was to not just her but to me that he took that much time of his busy duty day to help her understand and welcome her here to Korea. General Harrison great to see you as well too little be known General Harrison, Hank Taylor Brian Wolford over there we were all in Afghanistan together in 2019 so it's really cool to come back to the merge in a different part of the world serving in allies and multilateral formations here in Korea just like we were doing back in Afghanistan so thanks to see you guys here I know we're in good hands as I exit stage left here later today to my rock teammates from all the soft formations and those that are not soft soft doesn't solely do things by themselves we're very fortunate and blessed we have representatives from rock second fleet as an example here and so we work in all the domains and we're a joint organization we also have katooses in our organization that's what makes SOCCOR so unique so diversified and successful is because of those different ways of thinking cultural backgrounds infused inside this organization that is the secret sauce to our success so thanks for all our rock teammates that are here we're very fortunate and blessed to be here and then I see a whole host of other commanders spouses that are here that joined us today myself thank you for taking time to be here with us today 70 year anniversary from the signing of the armistice it's later this month and so in end of july some big heavy events and as general burleson indicated I'm sorry the honorable mayor indicated yes I was here as a one striper back in 1986 working electronic warfare reconnaissance up at osan airbase so to come back and have my Korean teammates asking me if I know what soju is my natural response to them is I was drinking that while you were in grade school so I'm ready so bring it and so thank you for your hospitality and hosting me in every time and also try to see if you can get soju over on me which I don't think you were ever successful I will conclude with my rock teammates you know we're serious about being ready we'll drive hard every single day and we want to fail forward we want to learn from our mistakes and so we're going to keep challenging ourselves we're going to keep driving hard because you never know when our elected leaders say hey I need you to go to some place in the world to go do something and if you're not ready then you ain't in the game and you ain't in the conversation and that's not acceptable it's sock or we're going to be ready and we're going to always be considered as an option for the commander to consider should we be needed so continue to train hard and I know Derek is going to continue to push that up and make that a priority we want to focus on the unit and our families as well with seeing so many other spouses here I see spouses from our unit here as well been incredible and it doesn't necessarily mean family has to be here every one of us has families somewhere in the world and so the amount of time, energy and effort that you put into the defense of South Korea and our own homeland as well the professionalism in which you execute the mission day in and day out to learn, to grow is underwritten by your hard work and support of your families and those families are our bedrock and we reach back to our families and thank you to all those families to the leader of the public you underpin and drive and give the enthusiasm to the energy for us to serve our great nation but she served as great nation of Korea I'll conclude with my family as well Cynthia although returned last month back to the United States thanks to a host of reasons 그 대학에도 한명의 생년일이 되었죠. busy 것들은 이�crates 1 1 3 3 1 2 4 2 우리 집 áreas이 너무 facult지 않다고 생각하는데요. 그래서 저희는 같은 시급적인 일을 해보았죠. 우리 가족이 가장 강ant대로 세계에서 사업, 시간을 지내고 너무 아름다운 사람들에게 전달해 주셔서 감사합니다. 다시 한 번 더 전달해 주셔서 감사합니다. 우리의 시간을 지내고 싶었던 시간을 지내셨다면, 우리의 시간을 지내셨다면, 우리의 시간을 지내셨다면, 특히 우리 친구들끼리 안녕하실 수 있을 것입니다 저는 이래서 이런 좋은 한국 팀웨임들과 함께 왔습니다 제가 아ежду 한국과 아스틴 равно 인기 있는 효과가 been spent many times 저는 이래서 이full east and two years in africa sometimes your calculus and your understanding of the world in those dynamics you have to balance You've helped me recalibrate and open my eyes and the alliance I think is in great hands with Derek 감사합니다. 다시 한 번 더 주시기 바랍니다. 제가 한국에 있는 탐파에 있는 시간을 보고 싶습니다. 당신과 함께 마주치기 바랍니다. 감사합니다. 감사합니다. 여러분, 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 오늘의 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 전자레인터를 통해 전금 이를 위한 의외들의 전망적인 전체��보들과 함께 오묘한 대중인, 예쁜 почему인, 아르바이트인, 그리고 이슈근, 우리의 공연이오진의шая, 우리의 그리고 매일 외국인의 어떤 법지만 방식금 Maedal 블박스. colossal title. U-jun. 진. 링크. 전. 어슨. 마. 러. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 럴. 제한이 국가별로의 개 everyone isGERIT and Prostler strength for seventy years terrible special operations around the globe familiar with the incredible reputation of the republic of Korea armed forces and special warfare branches 사foreign republic of korea counterparts and united nations command of the unique relationship 이렇게 모든 것들의 세계에 있는 것들은 아름다운 사람들에게는 필요없을 것입니다. 가장 중요한 점은 우리는 혼자 없을 수 없을 것입니다. 혹은 우리가. 우리의 전연대화는 가장 중요한 것입니다. 한국의 국가에 있는 것입니다. 우리가 그 relationship에 대해 계속해서 사과, 마다, 컨실리오, 프로베이오 모두 다가오겠습니다. 우리 모두 다가오겠습니다. 지금 이제 우리는 끝마치자 또 한break하고 치 another ist you regional partners insurerstiless wean Ro not miscalculate strength of the United States republic of Korea Lionsjor commitment to waiting to maintain that edge we must embrace transformation we will continue to 코로나19의 격상에 큰 도움이 필요해 유력적으로 전기념을 담아내고 모더나이즈, 이벤트를 전달할 것과는 다른 상황을 전달할 것과는 다른 상황이 될 것이다. 우리의 경쟁이 돌아가고 아무리 앞으로도 도움이 됩니다. 그의 영상을 보내고 싶습니다. 특히 제 딸이 저희의 가족의 뒤통수는 항상 힘들죠. 넌 없습니다. 우리의 덕분이 뭘까요? My daughters, Tyra, and Alexis, amazing women. My grandchildren granted Eleanor. I look forward to reading you the Princess Bride, even if it is over facetime. My parents, Jay and Jean, since most of this is their fault. My brother Bryce, my sister Stacy, her husband Greg, my niece and nephew, Cooper and Charlotte. I love you all dearly. Again, thanks to everyone here. Celio, Provejo, and Deopressa Libert. Thank you, General Lipson. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand to honor the joint services through the playing of the armed forces medley and please remain standing for the departure of the official party. Thank you for attending today's change of command. Brigadier General Lipson invites you to a reception located just outside of the venue to your left and will begin a receiving line to your right of the stage. When you are ready to depart, your escorts will guide you to your vehicles. This concludes today's ceremony.