As North Korea continues its barrage of missile tests and bellicose rhetoric, U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) Marines have wrapped up Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 (UFS 25), a  cornerstone exercise that not only sharpens combat readiness but also embodies decades of alliance-building between the two countries. Conducted under the 1953 ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, this year's event, which ended August 28th, coincided with the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary, blending cutting-edge simulations with