By I hope everyone in USFK had a happy crime prevention training day:
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Walter Sharp imposed a stricter one-day curfew on his servicemembers here Friday as part of a program to help combat an off-post increase in the number of crimes since the later weekend curfew began last August.
The commander announced a 10 p.m. curfew and a four-hour “Stand Down for Standards” training session on behavior issues, USFK officials said.
Topics to be covered during the training session will include sexual-assault prevention and reporting, gangs in the military, the wingman/battle-buddy concept, prostitution, human trafficking and leadership responsibilities, they said.
“This action is not meant to punish any of our servicemembers who are acting appropriately and doing the right thing,” Sharp said in a message posted on his command’s Web site. “This stand down is intended to correct a trend that is unacceptable and if not corrected could lead to a serious incident that would adversely impact you, your service and our alliance.” [Korea Times]
12:39 pm on April 25th, 2009 1
First semi-sober comment (0332, having just made it in the front gate of CRC at 0258 and having consumed one bowl of noodles); most of the Soldiers are broke because it’s not a payday weekend. Juicy girl is upset – no play from GIs (Las Vagas almost empty most of night); Ice Club just started hopping at 0245 – forced to head-lock fellow field grade in order to return to HQ prior to curfew. Soldiers recognized us and started to buy multiple jagger shots. Collected digits from Korean chick – she texted once and called twice already to make sure I was back in hooch. Probably had more to do with American Express Platinum Card than inate sex appeal. Who says you can’t buy love?
Reply
April 25th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Well, you are kinda a short fellow. But, I got nothing but love for ya my man. Be careless!
Reply
April 25th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Brother, you know it!
Reply
8:57 pm on April 26th, 2009 2
I was giving my briefing on Korean culture for the training day and Gen Sharp came and sat in on it. Luckily he didn’t look too bored and even asked a couple questions. My bosses were worried it looked like it was planned that way since having a guy who was an exchange officer with the ROKAF last year briefing Korean culture looks more than coincidence when the 4 star visits…
Reply
11:31 pm on April 26th, 2009 3
It will take one or two more incidents before they’ll be forced to change curfew back to 0100 on the weekends. It’s just a matter of time — ticktock, ticktock.
Reply
7:11 am on April 27th, 2009 4
The Stars & Stripes has an article on the training now published:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62309
Reply
11:11 am on April 27th, 2009 5
Downloading USFK Fluff piece on Stand Down…
Initiating Bullcorn filter…
Result complete…
So… off post incidents are up since curfew was relaxed. The solution is to have a training day which addresses the causes of these off-post incidents.
Fair enough.
According to an earlier article…
“USFK said statistics on those incidents — including what they were, how many and where they occurred — were “for official use only” and would not be released to Stripes.”
Not so fair. Kinda like when the spaz kid in high school tells you about all the hot babes he is nailing… but says they all go to another school and won’t give their names. Uh-huh.
Nevertheless, the topics covered in training must be related to the secret off-post incidents they are concerned about. Right?
“sexual assault, human trafficking and prostitution, and gangs in the military.”
Well now. How exactly do these things relate to an extended curfew, you ask? Yeah. Me, too.
Sexual assault? In alleys? Best I can recall, this is almost an exclusively on-post problem. At the least, it occurs in places like apartments and hotels where curfew doesn’t apply. One might be able to stretch it into saying soldiers that stay out later drink more. Maybe. But the same article says that on-post incidents went down. Something isn’t adding up.
Human trafficking and prostitution? What an offensive wast of time. Apart from having no relationship to curfew, USFK has been using this issue for years as filler for any Look I’m Doing Something paperwork that must be generated. Not even the most rudimentary steps are actually taken against it… and won’t be as long as the guys in a position to do something about it are playing golf and eating dinner with the scumbags who openly human traffic the prostitutes in their clubs.
Gangs in the military? That makes sense. As soon as the curfew got pushed back two hours, everyone was clamoring to join the Songtan Loco Dawgs.
Well. Guess not. The Official-Use-Only Double-Secret Extended-Curfew-Related Off-Post Incidents, whatever they may be, can’t really seem to be surmised by the subject of the training.
Let’s take a look at some of the other wisdom in this article…
“Soldiers at U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan gave the morning training high marks”
Uh-huh. I love Saturday morning training! Why the only thing that saddens me is that we can’t have it EVERY Saturday morning. And Sunday, too! Not only does Stars & Stripes tarnish their thin credibility with this kind of nonsense but it reflects poorly on everyone who lets this propaganda slide without skewering comment.
“Much of the material covered during the unit-level training paralleled that presented during in-processing, but many said it was a good refresher course.”
Hey. Six months ago when I in-processed, I remember they said something about raping the drunk girl but I couldn’t remember if that was something I was supposed to do or supposed to avoid. Good thing they had this refresher course. Better have one more before I leave just in case I can’t remember. I hope the next refresher course is on tying my shoes. And maybe one on wiping my arse.
“It also sparked discussions within units, particularly about sexual assaults.”
If this is something USFK has to have training and discussions sparked about, maybe military recruitment policies need a second look. I never got any of that fancy women-are-people-too book-learnin’ today’s Army boys get… but I’m pretty sure no matter how drunk I get I know no good can come from sex with the passed out girl. And if I get to the point where I don’t give a rat’s arse, a Saturday of training isn’t going to change my mind.
“A captain said a female soldier had asked him on Friday for advice on how to ensure her date wouldn’t mistake her invitation for a dinner at home as an invitation for sex, particularly on the night of an early curfew.”
How did a girl this lacking in street smarts make it this far without becoming a chilling statistic? My advice? Don’t tell him you are serving red snapper if he will make the cream sauce.
“Liburo said soldiers hadn’t complained about the early Friday night curfew and Saturday training, but it had caught their attention.”
Well, Liburo, that could be because every soldier simply LOVES a short Friday night and an early Saturday… or you are so far removed from the people you lead that you have no idea what they said… or you just thought it would be a better quote than, “Some of the boys were pisssed off that the reduced curfew only allowed for short-time with a teenage Filipinaa and others were bitchin’ that the barracks ho wasn’t completely passed out semi-nude on her bathroom floor.”
Sigh.
In the end, Saturday training based on secret incidents is painful. Enduring a S&S fluff piece saying how everybody jumped smiling from their candy cane beds and rode gleefully to Saturday training on dancing unicorns in a trail of rainbow sparkles is… sickening.
Reply
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 am
I laughed, I cried, A+++ post, would read again. Readers, read with confidence.
Reply
8:07 am on May 3rd, 2009 6
Uh… guys… is there not one word of support for the Saturday training that got universal “high marks”?
Reply
3:04 pm on May 3rd, 2009 7
Chickenhead your remarks are spot on.
Granted the training was presented pretty well, BUT I too am leary of said spike in crime. Where are the numbers? I just don’t buy it.
It is just so frustrating as a 30-something year old that I have a freakin’ curfew while serving the Army!! Then because of some supposed crimes I have to come in on Saturday morning (my blessed weekend mornings) to listen to training I’ve already been given.
I can’t help but think that the big fight near King Club a couple of months ago may have been the reason this thing kicked off.
This kind of thing happens in Germany all the time, but yet no curfew. What does imposing a curfew accomplish except bad feelings towards being stationed in Korea?
Reply
9:12 pm on November 25th, 2009 8
I always thought that leadership in USFK also had to work on it’s maturity. It seems that may now finally happen.
“2nd ID Commander Mulls Curfew, Drinking Changes”
I did notice that the Air Force is nowhere in the decision making loop.
For those who weren’t here or don’t remember, before 9/11, there was a standing curfew policy for Air Force bases in Korea going back to the ’80s. It wasn’t until 9/11 that USFK instituted a blanket curfew policy that covered all the Army units too.
Let’s see how this shakes out.
Reply
8:07 pm on March 13th, 2010 9
How’s this for “gangs in the military”?
Two NCOs drive from the Stuttgart area to Heidelberg “to challenge another soldier to a fight”.
When they get there, they confront at least six people and make threats, including, “You are about to get your whole crew mopped up.”
Then one of them opens up with an AK-47.
Nice.
Perhaps I’m being presumptuous… but with names like Marius St. Gerard and Aubrey Dinkey Bradley II, both in supply, I’m guessing this has some gang involvement.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=68672
Did the day of Saturday training reduce any gang presence in USFK?
Reply
March 13th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
What did you expect from a couple of zots?
It’s what they do. Kinda like the scorpion who takes a ride across the river on a frog after talking the frog into it, against the better instinct of the frog. The frog is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion promises him that if he would sting the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown as well. The frog then agrees, but nevertheless, in mid-river, the scorpion stings him, dooming the two of them. When asked why, the scorpion explains, “I’m a scorpion; it’s my nature.”
It’s what they do, and we’ve gone down the road of PC and social justice so far that we can never turn back, only embrace our eventual and certain demise. In avoiding holding people responsible and accountable for their actions, under the guise of PC, we are part of the problem- if not THE problem.
Reply
March 14th, 2010 at 6:15 am
No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army”. I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.
Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind — accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.
Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!
Reply
8:21 pm on March 13th, 2010 10
Likely myspace for Marius St. Gerard aka lil big dog:
http://www.myspace.com/lilbigdawg87
Reply
10:39 pm on March 13th, 2010 11
Jebuz!
That was like a PowerPoint presentation on the dark underbelly of nigga gangsta culture.
Apart from such gems as “Gettin Money Gettin LaiD Gettin Respect” and “My Nigga Throwin up dat ‘D’”
My favorite part was…
Occupation: None ya business
Income: $250,000 and Higher
…with the punchline being a photo of him in uniform and a gangsta pose.
Oh, and the $1200 on the table with the caption “Road 2 Riches”. Think big, Lil Big Dawg, think big.
I feel sorry for his chain of command. If only there had been some warning signs.
Reply
March 13th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Ninja PLEASE! It’s accepted behaviour- hell- it’s ENCOURAGED behaviour.
Reply