The United States has decided to disband an armored brigade combat team under its 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea and bring in a new 4,600-strong rotational combat unit, as part of its global troop rotational scheme, the U.S. Forces Korea said Thursday.

The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, currently based in Camp Casey in Dongducheon, north of Seoul, is to be “deactivated” in June 2015 when the rotational team arrives here to operate as part of the 28,500-strong USFK.

The new troops are to operate on a nine-month rotational basis, but there would not be any cut in the number of the troops dispatched here on the peninsula, USFK officials said. The new unit will keep its equipment in Korea, and only its personnel will be rotated, they said.

“The deactivation is a part of the Army Force Generation rotational plan to increase theater readiness and maneuver capabilities on the Korean peninsula as well as globally,” the USFK said in a press release.

“These rotations will improve the Army’s ability to conduct bilateral military exercises and activities aimed at reinforcing our enduring relationship with our Korean ally.”

The USFK added that bringing in off-the-peninsula units also exposes more U.S. soldiers to the unique mission and threat in Korea and Northeast Asia and enhances the partnership between the two armies.

The decision comes as the U.S. seeks to curtail the number of its combat brigades to 32 from 45. It is part of the U.S. military realignment scheme promoting the rotational troop operation to more flexibly manage U.S. forces.

After more than a decade of ground warfare, the U.S. has been pushing for a troop reorganization focusing on a smaller modular force, which would be more flexible, efficient and versatile to tackle a wider range of regional and global security challenges.

Headquartered in South Korea since July 1965, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team has played a key role in the defense of the Korean Peninsula.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)