The Cold War saw military clashes and standoffs throughout the world, including Asia. The first conflict involving the United States Army fought on the Asian continent was the Korean War (1950-1953). Although a treaty was signed in 1953 which ended hostilities and established as effective border between North and South Korea, the war never officially ended. As a result, the Army maintained a troop presence in South Korea to aid its ally and to help deter communist aggression.
The Army began conducting an annual exercise in 1976, known as Team Spirit which involved up to 200,000 service members from the South Korean and United States Armies. The exercise was used as an opportunity to train units for sudden deployments to South Korea in response to an invasion from the North. Team Spirit was also an opportunity for South Korean and American commanders to evaluate the different capabilities of the two armies as they worked together on the ground.
North Korea viewed the Team Spirit exercises as preparations for military aggression from the South. The United States, in an attempt to improve relations between the North and the South, cancelled Team Spirit exercises after 1993, although it still maintains a troop presence in South Korea today.
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