Common sense may be returning to USFK:
U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. B.B. Bell said Thursday he plans to ease curfew restrictions for higher-ranking servicemembers within two months, possibly by starting a tiered curfew system that would let them stay out later than lower-ranking troops.
Speaking at the end of a daylong visit to Daegu’s Camp Walker and Camp Henry, Bell said the current system doesn’t recognize that by the time servicemembers reach a certain rank, they’ve had to show maturity and responsibility.
“If soldiers are expected to be leaders, then why won’t I let them go out at night?†he asked.
Bell said he doesn’t know what ranks will be affected and what the adjusted curfew hours will be, but he will discuss proposals with USFK leaders at the peninsulawide commander’s conference on March 22. [....]
He said his senior NCOs approached him about four months ago about starting a tiered curfew system, saying that more-relaxed curfews work for servicemembers stationed in other parts of the world.
“I do believe that they’ve got a point,†he said.
Bell said most problems between U.S. servicemembers and South Koreans involve servicemembers ranked E-5 or lower. A curfew may not be needed, he said, for an officer or noncommissioned officer with 15 years of service and a clean record, in comparison to a private at his first duty station who many be outside the United States for the first time. [Stars & Stripes]
It took nearly six years to realize this since the curfew went into place, but largely senior ranking personnel are not the ones causing problems off post. Just by glancing through my USFK Crime Archive can tell you this. The only area I see senior ranking personnel causing issues off post is with drunk driving, which I hope USFK is taking measures to address.Â
Personally the easing of the curfew would be nice for me because there have been a few times I have cut it close to missing curfew because of traffic delays on the bus coming back home from family get togethers at my wife’s parent’s home in Chunju. So to actually be treated as an adult while in Korea would be a welcome change for guys like myself.Â
If this policy in enacted it will be interesting to see what happens the first time a senior personnel is arrested doing something stupid, which will happen at some point; will the command react as we have seen in the past by implementing a curfew on everyone again? That will be the real test of such a policy.Â
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11:20 pm on January 18th, 2008 1
The curfew plays a big part in on-post sexual- and alcohol-related incidents, and a lesser part in several suicide ideations and gestures.
Although I stand to benefit from this apparently imminent policy change, I would rather it apply to all ranks equally. Giving it to higher ranks will only increase the animosity with which generation Y views their superiors.
Give us all enough rope, and if someone hangs his/herself, so be it.
5:38 am on January 19th, 2008 2
Personally I think the old Warrior Pass idea for now is a good idea so soldiers have to compete to get Warrior Passes and it gives First Sergeants a way to reward the soldiers doing a good job.
If the relocation ever happens to Camp Humphreys and more families are living in Korea than I think the curfew should be lifted completely.
9:12 am on January 19th, 2008 3
This curfew non-sense needs to go away completely. It has nothing to do with force protection and the incidents that occured before a curfew and incidents after a curfew was implemented are the exact same!
for many years before the force protection term came to life there was no curfew and rightfully so.
do you know a 17 year old high school kid can get a drivers license and a E-6 with 15 years of service, nothing on their records, kids etc…can not thats ridiculous!
10:10 am on January 19th, 2008 4
I dunno, McNut…I saw the statistics upon which GEN LaPorte based that policy change a few years back, and that seemed like a cut & dry case of giving E6’s and below enough rope with respect to driving privileges, with which they promptly hung themselves.
10:14 am on January 19th, 2008 5
…
hunghanged themselves.11:06 am on January 19th, 2008 6
When the policy change came out I covered it here and a commenter sent in the stats and the change seems warranted.
11:40 am on January 19th, 2008 7
What is the curfew now-a-days?
11:44 am on January 19th, 2008 8
0100-0500 weekends & holidays, 2400-0500 otherwise (link).
12:07 pm on January 19th, 2008 9
I agree with Mark in that the curfew policy, whatever it may be, should apply to all ranks equally. If the curfew policy is changed, I wonder how the rank aspect will work for civilians and contractors? I’ve beat this horse to death but I still believe the curfew should be totally removed and those that screw up be dealt with on a case by case basis. As the headlines in the last few years have shown, a curfew doesn’t stop those who want to make asses out of themselves.
12:40 pm on January 19th, 2008 10
Lets see, I was there in 72′, for 3 years, and lived in a hooch, (mud construction, thatched roof) with the misses. Really didnt understand the curfew, worked hard for two days overslept the curfew by 5 minutes, got a Art 15 which stayed with me for 14 years before they would remove it. Now everyone lives in western style housing and they still have a curfew, and no comand sponsorship? Thats screwed up. They ought to review what the **** they’re doing in Korea with the soldiers in the first place. My son, just finished a tour at Camp Walker and we visited him, I couldnt believe how backward the Army is towards its soldiers, in this day and age. Why make Korea a tour, when all they do is drink and drink and drink. Anything to kill time till returning to the USA. What a waste of manpower.
1:49 pm on January 19th, 2008 11
Sorry Bait dont know what your troubles have to do with todays curfew issues. Thatched roof house? OK and you were outside that structure after curfew….Guilty as charged!!!!! I supposed there was a bit more than just being 5 minutes late….tell us the rest of the details
Drunken…under aged….abusive to MPs…drugs….
See this is my pet peave….a soldier does something like curfew violation…your Soldier….They tell you the story…its like…I stepped outside because I had to try to get my friend in-doors….You do not see the actual case paperwork…so at the hearing you say “Oh that Soldier just made a small mistake in judgment while trying to get a Friend in doors……The BN Commander says…geeze he was infront of a bar at 0320 yelling at MPs and throwing bottles at Juicy Girls
TELL US THE REAL STORY BAIT
3:12 pm on January 19th, 2008 12
i hung out with a group of guys from osan one night and upon initially meeting them was under the impression they were airmen
they were nuts, grabbing chics on the sidewalks, yelling out the taxi windows, starting fights with people
as it turned out they captains and majors
i couldnt believe it
as nomad said people are gonna do stupid things regardless of the curfew
i know people who have been busted from e-4 to e-1 for breaking curfew and you know what
they still break curfew and go downtown to apukujong and shinchon etc to party on the weekends
the curfew only applies to korea and this is the safest place you could wish to be stationed
nothing to do with force protection
i guess terrorism only happens between mid-nite and five am?
any curfew policy should apply across the board not just to some
5:00 pm on January 19th, 2008 13
Amen to that.
As for force protection…ummm…if that’s the case (as USFK claims), why is USFK pushing so hard to bring more dependents over here and turn assignments into 3-year tours?
5:22 pm on January 19th, 2008 14
According to the SS Gen BBB said; “…policy requiring most U.S. troops in South Korea to serve one-year tours without their families is an “outdated relic of the Cold War†that should have been changed years ago.”
Maybe he meant it should have been changed years ago during the 9PM curfew.
6:23 pm on January 19th, 2008 15
[...] Bell has been doing a lot of truth telling lately and here is the latest truth he has [...]
4:33 am on January 20th, 2008 16
There is no way the curfew is going to be completely lifted until the relocation happens. Right now is to politically sensitive a time to completely drop the curfew. Any curfew changes I suspect will be incremental and this is a start.
As far as force protection reasons for the curfew the only real force protection reason is to protect joes from “concerned citizen” mobs as we seen in a number of cases such as the Shinchon Stabbing.
9:19 am on January 20th, 2008 17
Kingkitty, you’ll find no where in the art 15 anything about drinking. Nor on my record, nor as a civilian. I dont drink, sorry. Bring our troops home from Korea, why waste the dollars, eh. Give them a job here in the good ol USA. We’ve brought them home from Germany so why not?
2:44 pm on January 20th, 2008 18
So it was drugs and abusive behavior while arguing with the MPs after Curfew Bait?
Right and why pay CIVILIANS wads of cash to do jobs Soldiers…can do for a Privates pay
11:32 pm on January 20th, 2008 19
Are we really STILL dealing with this crap?? Are there STILL ate up dumbasses that still live for The Mission? Pay civilians wads of cash(I hear an E-6 can make as much as me–I have yet to confirm that via the ALL KNOWING INTERNET)? I see soldiers who sit on their collective arses for days on end get 4 day weekends.Because of??? To do what??? Attend functions at the CAC? Go to the gym? Drink in a nice, safe, force protected MWR club?? There’s tons of BS in this world, way too many people dishing it, and WAY TOO MANY eating it with a smile.Hi, Nomad. Miss ya.
2:57 am on January 21st, 2008 20
Kind of off the subject but since it was brought up; civilians (contractors/GS) cost less over the long term than Soldiers.
Most of the time no training costs are involved, and usually one civilian (because of the other things that take Soldiers away from the job) accomplishes the work of 2-3 Soldiers. I’m talking of support type jobs. Of course, when it comes to combat jobs, Soldiers cannot be replaced.
1:41 pm on January 21st, 2008 21
Again these Soldiers who sit on there collective selves can do the same job your milking the govt for….Toooooo many contractors and not enough sence
7:18 am on June 2nd, 2008 22
[...] curfew change talk first came up in January and then was still being discussed in April. So what has changed since then that would cause [...]