By I was highly skeptical of this article when I first read it:
Seoul and Washington have agreed that the chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff will command support troops from the U.S. in case of a provocation from North Korea, a government source said Thursday.
“The South Korean and U.S. militaries have recently agreed in principle that the chairman of the Korean JCS will command U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force personnel and equipment that support the South Korean military in case of various provocations from the North,” the source said. The two countries are still hammering out the details.
So far the South Korean military has responded North Korean provocations without U.S. military support. The South Korean JCS chairman currently exercises peacetime operational control over the South Korean troops but not over the U.S. Forces Korea.
But a military source said since the North’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in November last year, the South Korean JCS has persistently called for the option to mobilize USFK support, and the U.S. military agreed. It is an unprecedented measure since the U.S. military is characteristically reluctant to place troops under the command of other countries. [Chosun Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but over at the Marmot’s Hole, VOA’s Steve Herman has received a response from USFK that the story is bogus. What I think is going on is that the Korean military asked to have USFK assets available to respond to another provocation from North Korea if needed. Asking to use American U-2 and J-Stars in response to a North Korean provocation is very different from a ROK General commanding the 2ID for example. But the Chosun Ilbo probably sourced their story through Specialist Tentpeg, who heard it from CPT Snuffy, who in turn heard it from somebody else.
11:35 pm on March 31st, 2011 1
What would be so bad about that? American soldiers fall under the command of other countries' generals fairly regularly.
12:52 am on April 1st, 2011 2
#1 Ask the 3/75th Rangers in Somalia. They would know better than you or I.
But on a personal note, as a Soldier that spent a few years in Korea, I would not wish to be under control of a Non-US command. I can guess that the attitude would be to first send in the American unit. Why should Koreans die for their country. That is the Americans job. From the Korean view point, that is why we are there.
Korean Units fought very well in Vietnam! In the 1960s. Different time and different people now. Just as we are.
Any country that has depended on American Military since the 1950s to survive, can hardly be expected to suddenly stand into the wind on their own military legs. They have learned to be dependent. As with any addiction, it takes time and effort and force of will to be broken.
But I agree with GI Korea. This is not a likely event.
1:15 am on April 1st, 2011 3
If I was in charge, I would send in all the US soldiers first. I would want to get rid of all the rats in my room first, before I do a clean up.
4:31 am on April 1st, 2011 4
tom tom why are you so mad at the world.are you be weaned of again.
6:23 am on April 1st, 2011 5
No sense of humor. It was a joke. lol.
9:10 am on April 1st, 2011 6
Most US Commanders dont carry around a bag of cash to pay of……….
6:35 pm on April 1st, 2011 7
#2,
Yawn…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Securi…
Dude, I could give you a long list of mission where US soldiers were successfully under the command of generals from other countries. It happens all the time.
7:39 pm on April 1st, 2011 8
Hell, I think we could roll the fatassed dependents and their crotch-fruit though the mine fields to create breach lanes for the gay soldiers* to advance.
/*not that there's anything wrong with that.