US Navy commander highlights training ties with S. Korea during ship visit

WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. Navy commander has highlighted the importance of education and training cooperation with South Korea, describing ties between sailors of the two countries as a lasting investment in the bilateral alliance. "The friendships formed during this voyage are among the most lasting and mutually beneficial investments our alliance can make," Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander of the U.S. Naval Education and Training Command, said during an Oct. 27 reception aboard South Korea's naval training ship ROKS Hansando at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, according to a U.S. military report released Monday. During the visit, Huffman also met with senior South Korean naval officers, including Vice Adm. Park Kyu-paek, superintendent of the Korea Naval Academy, and Rear Adm. Kim Joon-yup, commander of the South Korean Navy's Cruise Training Task Group. "Our mission is fundamentally about people - recruiting, training, educating and developing sailors to serve with competence, character and confidence," Huffman said. "This development is not confined to a classroom; it is