By Via the Marmot’s Hole comes the latest taxi cab related incident:
And in the latest USFK caper, police in Yongsan are investigating four US soldiers, including a 21-year-old female soldier identified as F, for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver and one of the police officers who were dispatched to the scene.
According to NoCut News, after a night of drinking, F and her posse tried to take a cab near Itaewon Station (gee, go figure?) to return to their base in Uijeongbu at 1 am Sunday. They haggled with the driver, a 40-year-old Mr. An, about the price, but when negotiations collapsed, F started cursing at An and pushed him. When a 45-year-old Mr. Kim, a fellow taxi driver, tried to break up the fight, F’s three battle buddies beat him. [Marmot's Hole]
You can read more at the link.
Drunk GI’s and taxi cab drivers in the villes just do not mix. As I have said before if USFK is going to have a curfew they should fund a curfew bus to get people back to their camps from a place like Itaewon in order to avoid having drunk Soldiers taking taxi cabs or riding subways and Korean buses which increases the odds of incidents with locals to occur. In fact this is something that I think should be done regardless if there is a curfew or not.
She hasn’t seen...
9:28 am on November 4th, 2011 1
why should the military have a drunk bus to accomodate soldiers that cant act adult enough to stop drinking.. What needs to happen is those soldiers that are not adult enough to stop drinking and acting all stupid in public need to spend time in drunk tank as well as charged with public drunkedness. Just becuase they are in korea does not give them the right to act “STUPID”.. If they did that over in america they would be arrested and charged with Public drunkedness.. Military should not accomodate a bunch of IDIOTS that are acting like dumb kids on a power binge
signed
27 yrs Vet
RETIRED
9:46 am on November 4th, 2011 2
@ Mr Hudson,
Could not agree more. As a former MP who sepnt 3 1/2 years in Korea dealing with these idiots, we used Breach of Peace Articlre 116 UCMJ to wit:
Breach of the peace. A “breach of the peace” is an unlawful disturbance of the peace by an out-ward demonstration of a violent or turbulent nature. The acts or conduct contemplated by this article are those which disturb the public tranquility or impinge upon the peace and good order to which the community is entitled. Engaging in an affray and unlawful discharge of firearms in a public street are examples of conduct which may constitute a breach of the peace. Loud speech and unruly conduct may also constitute a breach of the peace by the speaker. A speaker may also by guilty of causing a breach of the peace if the speaker uses language which can reasonably be expected to produce a violent or turbulent response and a breach of the peace results. The fact that the words are true or used under provocation is not a defense, nor is tumultuous conduct excusable because incited by others.
10:14 am on November 4th, 2011 3
No need for a bus GI Korea.
I spent 9 years (off and on) in Korea. Itaewon, Anjung ri, and Osan were my locations.
I drank. I often got drunk. I always made it home, on my own.
The “bus” is a BAD idea. A VERY bad idea.
They can shoot to kill, fix million dollar aircraft, pull guard duty and a host of other duties. But you think they need help getting home. Should we call YOU Mommy? You are part of the problem.
A good Troop can plan ahead. Those that can’t, well they can visit the MP’s untill they learn.
Most Troops just know. You don’t write about them. They don’t make the news.
Some just need a good a$$ whoopin to point them in the right direction. Too bad that POLITICAL CORRECTNESS has put a stop to that.
12:15 pm on November 4th, 2011 4
This just proves American soldiers don’t act like this when they’re at home in America. They think of Korea as some kind of a party place where the natives are there to be used as useful idiots. It all comes down to their feeling of superiority. They feel they are superior, so it’s natural to look down on the natives.
12:54 pm on November 4th, 2011 5
When you look at the ages of the people involved in these incidents part of the solution is obvious to me. These people need alcohol training.
The first part of alcohol training would be an observation period to find out what kind of person they are when the get drunk. How they handle liquor. Some people naturally become passive and harmless when they get drunk but others become reckless, belligerent and loud a$$holes. Everybody knows who they are but friends and colleagues make excuses for them. They are not hard to find. I live off base near a perimeter wall. The nearest barracks may be 100 meters away but I can still hear the distinctive hooting and hollering coming from on base 2 and and 3 o’clock in the morning.
They are still young and can still be taught. You don’t find many people over 30 acting like that, even among heavy drinkers.
Young GIs with indicators that they can’t handle their liquor should be on restrictive passes to go off base at night on a merit/demerit system. Weeks of incident free drinking earn them merits. Reports of recklessness and belligerence earns them demerits. The aim is to put small problems in check before they become big problems.
Sure, it requires more supervisor and peer involvement, but when everyone is aware that they could share in the consequences of a serious incident they will know when they should intervene.
It’s probably not a complete solution. Even the quiet ones might have a lot of pent up stuff building inside that blows unexpectedly. But I suspect they are a much smaller percentage of the people causing the problems.
1:51 pm on November 4th, 2011 6
i know when i was in korea as a 1sg and Msg i had to go down on Courtesy Partol almost Every weekend to show the soldiers that
“WE CARED”.. Why should unit leaders have to give up every other or EVERY weekend of theyre OFF TIME so they can BABYSIT soldiers? i agree with above comments that soldiers should be hammered and if they mess up, they should be restricted to post and put in DBIDS as restricted.. The 1st time they try to come back in the gate when they are restricted and doing so while intoxicated would end up in a Article 15. It will send a message to ALL soldiers Sooner or later to stop acting like IDIOTS.. being outside the US does not give you a free pass to act the fool..
V/R
27 yr vet
Retired(WITH 14 yrs in korea)
1:56 pm on November 4th, 2011 7
Hey Mr Hudson you should find the ROK Drop subject about MPs do the most crimes in Korea
2:19 pm on November 4th, 2011 8
What’s wrong with everybody?
All of the “solutions” suggested so far require money and manpower… and won’t do much anyway.
A cheap, easy, and effective way to stop all the trouble is to…
…keep them in the villes where they belong… especially the ones looking for trouble… who may still find it… but it won’t be as bad for anyone involved.
GIs don’t have to be forced to stay there. But the ones looking to raise some hell will stay in the places where hell is best raised… far from the locals.
USFK has to do its part… not making a big deal out of things that aren’t really big deals, giving guidance rather than looking to punish, protecting GIs from blatant rip-offs, etc.
But, as is typical of USFK, the reaction to the latest trouble has been focused on making a show rather than giving ANY consideration to how the problem can actually be solved…
…and, as a result, the problems continue…
…and will continue with the growing lack of concern for discipline and leadership… and the increasing emphasis on tolerance and other assorted zero-defect political correctness.
4:36 pm on November 4th, 2011 9
restricting the idiots to post does not cost a dime.. Drunk buses cost a small fortune. as does the man hours wasted policing the Vills.. Simple solution is the one i posed earlier.. Holding the Idiots to the fire and eventually it will get out that that kind of behavior will not be tolerated. soldiers going out to the ville and acting like drunken animals simply becuase they are not in the US is the WRONG ANSWER. my 1st two tours in korea (2 yrs each) we only had a total of 10 Drunk in public the 1st year and 9 the second time.. but kids today are just not raised the way old timers were.. Today soldiers are Undiciplined. but thats a WHOLE NOTHER ISSUE..
5:40 pm on November 4th, 2011 10
Damn! I made it. I’m an “old timer”. Good news is; I survived without having to be babied as GI Korea seems to think is now needed.
Treat a troop like a baby and he will act like a baby.
Treat (teach) him to be responsible and he will be responsible OR he will fail. If he fails let him suffer the consequences.
Mass punisment is a tactic that WEAK LEADERs use.
You know, the ones that don’t want to be involved with the troops after COB.
I had an E7 in Korea once that had a mandatory steak night every wednesday for the Platoon. It was a cook your own and the cost was low enought for and E1 to afford. Duty and School were the only way out of Cook your own steak wednesday.
It was a simple thing to do but added so much to the bonding of the Platoon.
6:20 pm on November 4th, 2011 11
The former President Park, Chung-Hee set up a GijeeChon (기지촌)aka the ville next to virtually all of the U.S. military installations in South Korea. The function of ville is
yes… to alleviate 99% of young men’s desire for soft lips of women (not the ones on women’s face)
Many Korean women who worked there (and married those that married USFK men) were looked down upon and harassed because they were thought of as hookers (of which they were but…)
After all these years, I really have tremendous respect for Prez Park for his insights for setting up such facilities. But most of all, those women who’d sold their body and soul to American soldiers. If it weren’t for them, there would have been many many rapes of our girls next door.
Any way, I just can not stand Roh Moo Hyun and Lee Myung Bak for their purist and femininist policies. They should allow prostitution to some degree.
I don’t agree with SK women selling bodies, but South Korean government should allow South East Asian women or others to come into SK to work in the Gijeechon facilities.
It should try to limit US GIs area of activity to only those areas. Prevention of USFK GI crimes is important because it should not serve as an excuse for Korean leftists to stage massive rallies against the U.S.
I think the new Villes could help future GI crimes or contain it to a “blind spot” where locals wouldn’t know about.
FYI, leftists are going to hold 2008 deja-vu candle light protest against the KOR-US FTA Agreement.
I hope SK and the US government react with reason but also with dauntless courage to counter the NK communist-infiltrated Korea leftist organizations.
7:32 pm on November 4th, 2011 12
correct version: “those who married American GIs”
7:46 pm on November 4th, 2011 13
@3 – Just because you didn’t have any problems doesn’t me other won’t. A bus would reduce incidents with taxi drivers. Many of the taxi drivers in the ville are sharks and I have personally experienced them trying to provoke incidents with GI’s because they know they can get away with it. Plus a bus would save GI’s a few bucks when trying to get back from Itaewon to 2ID for example. I would think chartering a bus on the weekends would be cost effective to USFK if it reduces incidents which lead to court costs and bad publicity.
7:58 pm on November 4th, 2011 14
One vote from me too for the bus ride.
The bus should take GIs to their respective installations at a certain hour say 2:00 AM with MP on board the bus taking head counts and so forth… that could be alternative to curfew – off limits to Hongdae, Kangnam, Apgujeong for those below E-5? E-4? unaccompanied soldiers… keep ‘em at a ville. If US authority cannot condone prostitution ostensibly, then leave it up to the ROK authority. But keep the boys at bay only in the ville(s).
8:23 pm on November 4th, 2011 15
If you do not want to do anything, then please keep the curfew on until end of Korean Presidential Election in 2012.
Next year, we’ll have a general election that would change the national assembly, provincial governors, and whole array of others. Then at the end of the year, The Korean Presidential Election.
Let’s have conservative Ms. Park, Keun-Hye as the next President. It is going to be an up hill battle. Korean economy is good but only for Conglomerates like Samsung and Hyundai. Small – medium businesses are suffering and mom/pop stores are closing down as fast as they open’em. Many middle class are disgusted about it. Those who’d supported KORUS FTA don’t know or feel any benefits for them. It would certainly benefit big businesses but what about farmers and small guys…. anyway… that’s what most people are thinking and they will turn out in large numbers.
I am for FTA and US presence but really, USFK boys’ escapades do not help the Korean right wingers.
8:41 pm on November 4th, 2011 16
I guarantee you that Korean leftists and others in the left hand corner, on order from North Koreans, will take advantage of any mistakes made by USFK or Korean conservatives.
The leftists are wily and very hungry for power.
The USFK crimes not only make Americans look bad but those crimes committed will fuel communist subversion of South Korea.
Now.. I’m coming out in the open because I feel like things are getting out of hand.
If things go the way it has been, conservatives will be soundly beaten in next April and December 2012. We may go back to the dreadful Roh Moo Hyun like days…. arg
8:44 pm on November 4th, 2011 17
I’m not gonna blame and potential political loss on USFK nor feel it would be a critical decider of election. All I am saying is that you should not let yourselves be taken advantage of by the Commies. I know how their minds work and how they should never be trusted.
11:58 pm on November 4th, 2011 18
Homeboy, did you get hit on the head? Agree with virtually everything you said except for one little, tiny, thing: I don’t agree with SK women selling bodies, but South Korean government should allow South East Asian women or others to come into SK to work in the Gijeechon facilities.
Korean women make fairly good whores, why discount them? Give them a chance! I don’t think Korean women should have to play second fiddle to any other whores anywhere in the world. I say EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL WHORES! Perhaps we need a Free Whore Agreement to level the playing field? No sir, Korean whores can and must compete on a level playing field.
As they used to say:
Korea!
The land of heated floors,
sliding doors,
and slant-eyed whores!
12:02 am on November 5th, 2011 19
No LaPorte, Korean whores are for Korean men only… ehem..
12:12 am on November 5th, 2011 20
Americans should realize that political pendulum is about to swing drastically to the left in South Korea…
You know what that means… and for me..higher taxes, infiltration of N Korean commies in higher-up echelon of S Korean Government, strained KOR-US relationship, bad economy, government budget deficit, dismantling of S Korean military…
The prospect of SK run by commies has gotten me out of the woods.
USFK should do what it can to help thwart leftist incursion… (however subtle it may be – I’m sure US could not overtly support a Korean right-wing political party)
12:32 am on November 5th, 2011 21
“Perhaps we need a Free Whore Agreement”
Will this agreement keep you from dumping?
Whores are just more fun if you can slap a doodie on them.
1:32 am on November 5th, 2011 22
I just don’t want to see Korea lose its world standing as a leader in the whoredom industry. I take umbrage at Homeboys assertion that Korean harlots cannot compete with their SE Asian sisters.
If we let the SE Asians in as whores, next thing you know they’ll be marrying Korean farmers! Then what?
2:00 am on November 5th, 2011 23
7:08 am on November 5th, 2011 24
You guys are my kind of people
Lets party—Leon bring the Soju, ChickenHead bring the Kimchi, and Homeboy can bring some of those choice Korean Whores!
11:34 am on November 5th, 2011 25
homeboy, chicken head your comments are not on topic of this dumb soldiers drinking and taxi cabs. you are talking nonsense.. maybe should sell YOUR Sisters as whores(hurts doesnt) please keep those comments out of this blog..
11:40 am on November 5th, 2011 26
@GI Korea
so the military should spend tax payers dollars on buses and Pay bus drivers premium pay so soldiers can blow all there money on getting tore up in the ville and then act the fool on the “DRUNK” BUS?? thats crazy.. I have had to RIDE the DRUNK bus at camp humphreys many times as part of duties as “VILLE PATROL” they act crazy on the bus, throw up, yell obceneties at the bus driver.. ALL BECUASE THEY are Irrational STUPID immature kids.. Again if they want to act up arrest them and send a message.. They cant do that in the United States and get away with it. why should they get away with it in korea or Germany.. I have actaully had the driver of a DRUNK bus stop and kicked out the rowdy soldier and made them walk.. SUCKED to be them.. I AM AGAINST a drunk bus.. they dont want to deal with corrupt taxi drivers, then get your ass on post on time and stop acting like a dumb drunk juvenille.. sorry i feel NO PITTY for these soldiers today.. Today miiltary is not 1/10 of what it was 10-15 yrs ago..
just sad
treat em like babies and coddle them and they wont learn to be GROWN UP
V/R
retired 1sg
27 yr vet
12:33 pm on November 5th, 2011 27
Yeah, I was at the hump. I NEVER took the drunk bus. Two mile walk in Feb ain’t chit but good PT after six hours of drinking.
Hudson is right about the drunk bus. I am also VERY MUCH against it. You can’t treat a soldier like a baby and then expect him to be a soldier.
(I would ususally come through the gate at 0300 and walk to my barracks)
I had a great time and didn’t need no stinkin DRUNK BUS to get home. My PT scores were good because i was too busy drinking to eat and get fat.
Korean winter— dress in layers baby. Dress in Layers.
1:36 pm on November 5th, 2011 28
25. Lighten up Francis.
It started in response to Homeboys xenophobic comment with a tinge of racist superiority. To summarize, we are discussing the GI villes and Homeboy made the assertion that Korean women were to good to work in the ville but it was ok for SE Asians. CH and GI were just funning around there MR SERIOUS. Did those two short quips strain your eyes and you sensibilities Top? On topic and relevant. Prostitution does exist and one might say flourishes in Korea. When discussing the young GI’s it is definitely part of the larger issue.
/What’s your problem with Chickenheads sister anyway?
1:49 pm on November 5th, 2011 29
“maybe should sell YOUR Sisters as whores(hurts doesnt)”
That’s not funny, man. Of course it hurts.
My sister died in a concentration camp.
2:14 pm on November 5th, 2011 30
@29..
you are the one that said
“Perhaps we need a Free Whore Agreement”
Will this agreement keep you from dumping?
Whores are just more fun if you can slap a doodie on them.
was not meant to be funny.. you and leon laporte and homeboy are the one that started this TRASH with korean whore talking (my wife of 20 yrs is korean, and her MOM was forced into japanese brothel by the japs.). And had nothing to do with the suject matter..
2:19 pm on November 5th, 2011 31
@25.. did not single out Chicken heads sister was sent to all of you.. larger issue?? the Main issue was Taxi cabs and drunkards.. has nothing to do with Hookers forced into that lifestyle by corrupt bar owners..
Bottom line is Service people who DRINK in excess and cant control themeselve in public simply need to be confined to post and disciplined. the 1 out of 10 servicemember that is acting stupid is ruining it for the rest..
I hated haveing to go PATROL the ville becuase soldiers are being coddled and allowed to act stupid.(ESPECIALLY since no soldier in my unit (3 yrs as 1sg) EVER made blotter or slightest incident. They were all treated like adults and knew the consequences if they did step out of line and act the fool
just saying
4:21 pm on November 5th, 2011 32
29. My sister died in a concentration camp.
Yours too? Mine got drunk and fell out of the guard tower.
5:11 pm on November 5th, 2011 33
@31 Actually, many of the Korean bar girls that I knew in the 80s were there to repay the debt that her father had accured with a loan to send her brother to college. The one I was close to, became a “whore” for that reason and to pay back the old woman that ran the bar for fronting her money for furniture.
Not corrupt. Just the way things were. Her daddy knew what he was doing. She knew what she was doing.
I ran into ALOT of Korean girls that worked the bars in Korea, married a GI and did the same damn thing in Texas.
They are not the “victims” you think they are. They are just making a buck or a won or a peso.
5:21 pm on November 5th, 2011 34
I don’t believe you had to be married to a Korean woman to respect Korean women. But just for the record, I was married to a Korean for 8 years and we had an amicable divorce. No issues and a nice lady. However, she didn’t take my sense of humor when she left.
5:30 pm on November 5th, 2011 35
Now, back on topic @31. Three years you said. Not ONE troop made the bloter? Bullshit.
Every unit has a dumbass or two. You can tell civilians that. Not me.
Blow smoke up their ass. Not here.
My sometime drinking partner one year was my CO. We went into none SOFA clubs after midnight. Well, actually we ran into each other at 0300, both drunk to one degree or another.
Back then, the ville was a fun place.
When I was an E4, I met my new Squad Leader for the first time — in a bar, and he was toasted
. He was a hard worker and a hard drinker. So was I. Right place, right time, right uniform. Last formation was after COB, at the gate, for a “Thunder Run”. He was married to a Korean also. She stayed in the states.
( we policed up our walking drunk as we went) That mind set started leaving in the mid 90s. So sad.
5:32 pm on November 5th, 2011 36
Agree Leon
5:33 pm on November 5th, 2011 37
the subject was drinking and idiots doing the drinking and NO my unit did not have ONE blotter (FOR DRINKING) yes we had blotter incidents but not for drinking.. (with 2 exceptions) both were DUI but both were COmmissioned officer..
so dont tell me bullshit.. i have nothing to gain or loose by preaching hype..
I DONT BLOW SMOKE.
5:41 pm on November 5th, 2011 38
You’re right. Commissioned Officers don’t count
I never expected them to know anything either 
5:42 pm on November 5th, 2011 39
WH: I also find it somewhat difficult to believe there were no drinking blotters in _3_ years. That’s incredible. I’ll take your word for it but they should have made you the SMA so you could share your wisdom and expertise across the army. After all, soldiers have problems everywhere it just gets more attention in Korea due to the fishbowl effect.
I’m curious what years you were 1SG. Maybe it wasn’t leadership, perhaps enforcement was lax.
RGI: My first duty station, met my NCO’s and 1SG in a bar outside Camp Laguardia. It was an interesting experience.
5:50 pm on November 5th, 2011 40
2003-2006 was not my leadership.. it was my good platoon sergeants and squad leaders and team building events conducted throughout.. Ways to combat curfew violations..
bring soldiers to your off post residence and let them crash on couch,
soldiers get a hotel room and sleep it off
in both case the soldiers must let theyre IMMIDIATE NCO know where they are..
NCOs must get to KNOW the soldiers in theyre sqauds and Platoons..
soldiers must know that they can trust leadership to take care of them and KNOW at same time they will get hammered if they do something stupid.
But thats OLD SCHOOL stuff. Now adays we baby soldiers and dont teach them to take Responsibility of actions..
im my 3 years as a 1sg and 4 yrs preceeding as a Platoon sergeant I Always tried to MOLD my Soldiers and NCOs to become a Family.. Something a OLD SCHOOL CSM and 1sg taught me.
it has ALWAYS served me well..
i have had to only chapter out 18 soldiers(seems high) but they were all for Thieving, or violation of the THEN DADT.
5:53 pm on November 5th, 2011 41
It’s my understanding NCO’s aren’t allowed to hang with their soldiers or they risk fraternization charges. But I agree with you. The old way worked. Of course the feminization of the army screwed up a whole lot of the old camaraderie.
5:58 pm on November 5th, 2011 42
thats not entirely true. and if you have been to korea Recently you know that when they are acting all crazy NCOs, officers and junior enlisted are all out there hanging with one another..
but if a soldier was to come to my house in the ville and say top Im not gonna make it back in time for curfew, i would say fine. grab the spare room..
and you are right Feminzation of the army did screw up alot of things.. And now with DADT repealed and today attitude of soldiers.I am Glad I turned to down Promotion to E9 and retire. .its just not the same military.
7:02 pm on November 5th, 2011 43
I remember being a 21 years old… MY ENTIRE DAY
7:09 pm on November 5th, 2011 44
was filled with thoughts of a babe walking by or a class mate in mini skirts… And I remember being holed up in the ROK Army. Even a grand ma walking by looked good on some days… jeez.. that was horrible..I’d never go back in the ROK Army ever… once is good enough for me.
Anyway, full blooded American boys and girls needs to blow their tops off some times.. I know… but let’em do that in a restricted zone. Don’t let’em out in the city streets if you can’t control them. I don’t know why but it seems some late teens and early twenties American teens are very hard to control…
The Pyeongtaek Complex is being built and once it is done, you will be away from the city limelights and ROK public scrutiny. Enjoy your stay in the ROK.
7:35 pm on November 5th, 2011 45
It gets you away from the Norks artillery shells, but also potential fall outs from the rapes, murders, and what not…
Keep you curfew until you move down south. I hope you change your tour in Korea to 3 years and have either family or girl friends over to SK. I don’t know if we need 2nd ID’s maneuver brigades in the Peninsula… too many young kids.
ROK would love to have decent, mature, family oriented, and up standing American professional soldier and his family.
7:39 pm on November 5th, 2011 46
42. I’m still in Korea. Many NCO’s have complained to me that they are not in fact allowed to hang out with their junior soldiers or they risk being crucified by the chain if something goes wrong. It’s too bad, there a quite a few NCO’s who want to do the right thing.
A little hell raising in the ville doesn’t hurt anything. Too bad they’ve ran the soldiers out to where they can get in real trouble with the real Koreans…
12:43 am on November 6th, 2011 47
Battle buddies? Hahaha! Hooah, soldier!
12:55 am on November 6th, 2011 48
This incident happened before curfew. It can be argued that fear of breaking curfew instigated it.
Conclusion: Curfews are not the solution.
3:32 am on November 6th, 2011 49
Oh you make a great problem solving idea—The magic bus—that will solve everything? I remember a post where an E7 had his lunch eaten while on a magic bus… Seems to me a scum-bag drunk lower enlisted type decided he wanted to act like an idiot while on the magic bus and the E7 “chaperone” tried to regain order – that failed and backfired on the E7 who was taken to the cleaners.
The bus has nothing to do with 4 drunk GIs beating a cab driver. Here is the equation
stupid + youth + GI + alcohol + Korea = trouble
neither bus nor curfew fit anywhere into the equation.
Young American Soldiers have a sense of duty, pride, and country. When they are sent to a country they look upon as lower in society’s ladder, they naturally assume a superiority complex. Coupled with the average American sizably larger than the average Korean and inhibition is removed even more because of a natural lack of fear.
Nothing you say or do will ever reduce the incidents of stupid Americans in Korea- The command can sing all they want, but in reality it won’t amount to squat. The only thing that will reduce the stupidity in Korea is an enforced curfew. Good grief, it wasn’t but a few months ago that mothers and fathers were telling these same people “be home by 10″ and “did you eat all your vegetables.” If there is a switch that turns a boy into a man, I’ll bet the command would like to find it, but until then, we will all have to live with these incidents.
Keep in mind the American Soldier needs to be reminded to “never shake your baby” and “sexual harassment is wrong”. What a shame……….
5:18 am on November 6th, 2011 50
10:24 am on November 6th, 2011 51
Homeboy asked; why does it have to apply to everyone? Homeboy, the answer is simple.
Simple minded “leadership”.
As W.H. #37 posted in his comment. He *DID* have two DUI’s. But they were COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. He didn’t count them as SOLDIERs. Think about what that means. Twenty something year old Officers.
Curfew does not work. It just keeps it on post after curfew. The argument could be made that the curfew causes Alcohol related fights. On post.
A “drunk bus” doesn’t work. Same reason, plus it sends the message that the troops are not required to take responsibility for their actions. WRONG MESSAGE!!!
New Comers briefing. A (REAL BRIEFING) had great effects in my day. They lasted a full week. Which showed how important the information was.
But we were not Politically Correct back in the 80′s. It would need to be given by a civilian who was not subject to PCS. A “subject matter expert”.
3:30 pm on November 6th, 2011 52
51. You are right. The drunk bus is a bad idea (besides, you can catch an off base taxi and they can drive you right tot the barracks door, spectacular!).
I remember the old new comers briefings and you are right, they lasted a week and were very much NOT politically correct. On the other hand they got the point across and told young troops, and first timers in Korea, the ground truth and what they needed to know to stay out of trouble. I’m guessing you would have to have a male only briefing now and STILL have to worry about sensibilities.
7:28 pm on November 6th, 2011 53
Lemmy wrote:
This explains why this sort of thing never happens in Germany and Japan.
But wait…it happens there also…WTF?
8:41 pm on November 6th, 2011 54
9:25 pm on November 6th, 2011 55
#54 Try to keep up Homeboy. The answer was in my last comment.
(I would be happy to conduct said Briefings, if the pay was right.)
1:16 am on November 7th, 2011 56
Hmm… Okay… But I’m sure USFK brief its new comers.. What’ new..
1:36 am on November 7th, 2011 57
Ah… got it. Homeboy has a teenage or twenty something daughter or niece in the kangnam area probably…
1:52 am on November 7th, 2011 58
54. Okay then what would be a good idea… It seems the wise men here are pretty good at shooting down ideas but lack any good alternatives… I guess that makes you no better than what you call “leadership failures”? at the USFK…
A solution then.
Withdraw all the troops (except the trouble makers) and nuke the whole place from orbit, just to be sure.
/if we can’t have it, no one will!
2:05 am on November 7th, 2011 59
Let me know before you nuke us…. I’m outta here…
2:09 am on November 7th, 2011 60
#57, my daughter ain’t going near Itaewon, Hongdae, nor Kangnam after dark…especially GI-frequented clubs… & she ain’t gonna see a “foreigner” period.
4:52 am on November 7th, 2011 61
Homeboy #60. I knew a woman that had 4 daughters. I knew 2 of them. One after the other.
On her deathbed, this woman made the third daughter promise not to get involved with me after she died.
The third one calls me every Friday night. Usually turning to phone sex at some point. I get her off usually by telling her to repeat my name over and over.
My point? If something is FORBIDDEN, it is desired.
The third one will be divorced on Dec 8th.
Retired GI — uhnn — Retired GI ummmm — Retired GI— owwww —
6:21 am on November 7th, 2011 62
8:56 am on November 7th, 2011 63
They should make Korea tours similar to Afghanistan and Iraq tours where units deploy here for a year or two, and the units all live off forward outposts in isolation from wicked civilization. Imagine living in Rodriguez Range or Warrior Base for a whole year without any off-post privileges, internet access, or alcohol. Of course, the DFAC food needs to be good and bringing the occassional neighborhood ice cream truck can maintain morale. Imagine if servicemembers did not have to spend any money.
9:18 am on November 7th, 2011 64
Drunken Monkey — that’s what a tour used to be like for parts of the 2ID back in the day.
12:01 pm on November 7th, 2011 65
I had a great time in Honduras, back in 87.
No “off post”.
BUT — local women were bused on from time to time, or so I heard.
There was a class six and a “club”. The “club” was beside the gym and looked the same.
You could drink in your Hooch, decide to go to the “club” and end up in the gym, if you were not careful.
I was with a great group of guys and one female in the platoon. Some E7 was following her around and sniffin her a$$. She was an E3. I was an E4.
I didn’t drink during that tour — untill one night. Ended up in a ditch. Then pulled guard duty 12 hours later.
Went to Korea after that and drank most nights. A tour in Korea was “the best kept secret in the Army”, back then. Work hard and party harder — in the ville. My second year I started branching out on USO tours. Discovered the real Korea.
12:02 pm on November 7th, 2011 66
62 Homeboy, I got some stories. They get better the more I drink — AS DO I !!!
12:12 pm on November 7th, 2011 67
#53 where does it happen in Germany? I know of one incident where a drunk to ride a bicycle and the female Polozei took care of business. In the past 10 years, I’ve never read about a GI in Germany acting like an idiot. I’ve been to a few “Fest tents” and know a few Germans who would beat a GI down for even looking the wrong way. Germans have a different way at looking at people than Koreans. Koreans are taught manners and are punished by society when they even sit in the seats reserved for elderly on the subway. The Germans could not care less and don’t mind confronting someone who doesn’t turn right on a green arrow. For the most part, Koreans are polite and tolerant, but as a rule, German’s won’t stand for non-conformers. Whether you like it or not, those are the facts and not my opinion.
4:31 pm on November 7th, 2011 68
Lemmy wrote:
So…if I do a little googling for such incidents – you’re absolutely positive that I will not find anything??
4:53 pm on November 7th, 2011 69
Germans are not my cup of tea… Koreans in general like Europeans ‘cus Koreans think the Europeans have more class… Buy Bmw,audi, mercedes benz to show Koreans’ new found wealth… It’s kind of funny how they despise America s after all these years of military protection and providing a preferred trade status for SK that got SK started in the first place….Yes… many in my society are ill mannered and impudent… They forget how they got here…. And someday… It’ll bite back real hard… Anyway… This is beside the point but… I think German cars are hot… They don’t make Cadillacs like they used to… Cadillacs now look like some car out of Robo Cops… Pretty sad..
8:16 pm on November 7th, 2011 70
It happens in Germany all the time. The big difference is – it doesn’t make the sensationalist/ant-US/nutjob news headlines like it does here. The other thing is – in many cases, the kasernes in Germany aren’t in the middle of the city like many of the installations are here in Korea – AND – you can’t get into a taxi for $2 like you can here either. On top of that, most all GIs stationed in Europe can drive, so you’ll hear more about DUIs than you will GI vs. taxi driver incidents. This all makes it statistically lees likely for these incidents to both occur, and to be blown out of proportion like they are in the media here.
Nonetheless, I sill had to deal with 2 incidents of stupid/drunk GI vs. taxi driver happen during my 3 years being stationed there. In both cases, the Polizei knocked come heads around, the GIs were arrested and in both cases, the Germans turned the idiots back over to the US who promptly court martialed them and sent them to the confinement facility at Mannheim to break big rocks into little ones. Much like it is here, the sentences the Germans tend to hand out are quite more lenient than what the military would give them for the same crime, but the difference is that the Germans are smart enough to realize this and let the military do the hammering when appropriate.
That’s not to say there aren’t SOFA issues there too – I think you’ll have that anywhere there are US servicemembers stationed, but its how things are handled and presented that make a difference. The biggest SOFA brouhaha I can remember when I was stationed there was an incident where some idiot HS dependents of US Soldiers in Darmstadt were dropping huge rocks (some as big as soccer balls) from an autobahn overpass onto cars driving below. They finally found their mark and in one instance killed a few people:
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/01/news/mn-4164
Those trials went to the Germans, and I seem to remember they got off pretty lightly…
12:06 am on November 9th, 2011 71
Homeboy wrote:
I was thinking the same thing about the Hyundai Grandeur. It used to be a nice big, fancy ride…now it looks like a nondescript, small, mid-size sedan.
12:38 am on November 9th, 2011 72
Guitard,
I second that.
Somebody in the Hyundai design department needs to be fired.
The influx of very mediocre-design foreign luxury cars can partially be blamed on the Korean car companies putting out an entire generation of crappy-looking high-end cars with designs which did not reflect their prices.
While this has been a global phenomena, as if all the car companies decided to get together and produce a decade of cobbled-together hodgepodge assemblies of second-rate design theories in hopes something would stick, the 4th generation Grandeur’s ajuma-shaped non sequitur of a rear end led the pack in the destruction of a proud and valuable brand.
1:56 am on November 9th, 2011 73
#71 & 72:sad: yes, unfortunately I agree… I own a 2005 Grandeur TG and I intend not to replace it with another Hyundai… I’m waiting for an electric or a hybrid car – regardless of its origin.
I used to love a Hyundai but now, they seem to be too confident for their own good.
3:40 am on November 9th, 2011 74
Sounds like the Ford Mustang of 1972 forward untill Ford found it’s roots again, not long ago.
3:09 am on November 23rd, 2011 75
So the truth of the matter is. There was two Soldiers, one Korean speaking female. The talked to a cab driver and got a price to go to their destination. A second cab driver came in and undercut the fist. Of course the Soldiers are going to take him up on it so the first cab driver got ticked and started an argument with the second cab driver. The female being a Korea speaker tried to mend the situation when the first cab driver assaulted her. Of course the male had to step in to protect her. This is where the second two Soldiers happen to be walking by see what is happening and try to assist as well. Right away this goes out in the Korean news media saying 4 Soldiers assaulted cab drivers.