It looks like even more command sponsored slots will be opening up soon in USFK:
Hundreds of military families living in South Korea without command sponsorship could get official recognition from the Army soon, according to the commander of U.S. Forces Korea.
In a Wednesday press conference at the Pentagon, Gen. Walter Sharp said about 1,800 accompanied tours are already handled by Army officials in Korea.
But another 2,100 spouses, mostly living north of Seoul and attached to the 2nd Infantry Division, have opted to move themselves and their families overseas at their own expense.
“They have said, ‘I’m coming over anyway, even if I don’t have sponsorship. I’m not going to spend another year away from my servicemember,’?” Sharp said.
He said Pentagon officials are finalizing how to get them command sponsorship as soon as possible, a formal status which would mean better Tricare benefits, a higher cost-of-living allowance and tuition assistance for international schools.
“The families have asked for it, and we’re working through the specifics,” he said. “I think I’ll be able to do that pretty quickly.”
Sharp said the move, similar to one made at U.S. Army Garrison-Red Cloud last month, is part of broader changes to raise the quality of life for all troops stationed in Korea. [Stars & Stripes]
This is great news for those who brought their family members over, however like I have said before my only concern is that I hope this doesn’t decrease the sense of urgency to make the Camp Humphreys relocation happen on time.
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6:10 am on October 12th, 2008 1
I wonder how many of the “2100″ spouses came to Korea
on an entertainment visa and then became a spouse. No matter, more command billets is probably a good thing for all. If Jenkins had a “spouse” to come home to every night he probably would not have walked over to the North.
11:38 am on October 12th, 2008 2
I applaud Gen Bell and Gen Sharp for having the guts to force this issue. It is tied to the ROK “cheap charlie” attitudes and no one in the past would force the issue. It is about time to tell the truth that the ROK is NOT a war-zone and chances of it becoming so are remote. If the ROK doesn’t treat the ROK as a war-zone, why should the USFK still follow a 50-year old policy? It is time the rules changed.
I am getting a tingling feeling that this may also apply to the folks on a remote tour down at Kunsan AB in the near future. I noticed a job opening for a SCHOOL AGE children coordinator at Kunsan appear recently. All the folks at Kunsan live on base in dorms except for a small minority married to local nationals. However, for years they bent and stretched the rules to let spouses (visiting on tourist visas) reside in their rooms for a 90-day period. (Years ago this was also true at Osan AB, but I don’t know if this is still true.)
Bottomline: This is long overdue.