May 15th, 2013 at 10:12 pm » Comments (2)

This is good to see because the sentences for drug smuggling into Korea need to be long to discourage other idiots from doing the same thing: SEOUL — A South Korean court upheld the sentences this week of two men convicted in what officials have called the largest-ever drug-smuggling ring involving the U.S. military here. Pvt. Michael Lehmkuhl of the 2nd Infantry Division was sentenced in December to five years in prison for importing and selling synthetic marijuana. Former U.S. Forces Korea soldier Arin Bergquist got four years for selling
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April 30th, 2013 at 6:45 pm » Comments (10)

What I do not understand about General Bell’s change of mind here is that when the transfer of operational control was decided the fact that the North Koreans would have nuclear weapons by then was obvious.  So there has to be something else that is causing this change of mind: A former U.S. Forces Korea commander who argued for transferring wartime operational control of allied forces to South Korea now says that North Korea poses too great a threat for that change in responsibility to take place. In a letter
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April 27th, 2013 at 6:46 pm » Comments (38)

I do not know why these officials are complaining when plans to leave the Dragon Hill Lodge, the helicopter landing pad, and a new US embassy annex have long been agreed upon: – Somebody at Seoul City Hall is bitching about the fact that USFK is keeping some facilities—including a helipad, the Dragon Hill Hotel and the US embassy– in Yongsan even after the move to Pyeongtaek. In particular, the official told New1 that rather than restitution Yongsan residents for the losses they’ve suffered from decades of US troops being
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April 27th, 2013 at 1:57 pm » Comments (25)

ATTENTION YONGSAN FAMILIES: Volunteer to host a Korean student in your home for a week as part of USFK’s Good Neighbor English Camp from May 12-18. Volunteer U.S. families (with or without children) are needed to host one or more students for six nights in their homes, providing them breakfast each day along with six evening meals. Cots are available if needed. Host families are requested to transport the student(s) to designated assembly points (Seoul American High School) in the morning and pick them up at night every day. Local
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April 25th, 2013 at 5:52 pm » Comments (3)

Col. Paul J. Laughlin II, the commander of the U.S. Armor School at Fort Benning, will serve as an assistant division commander for the 2nd Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army, in his new assignment in South Korea, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon said. Laughlin’s new assignment will be at Camp Red Cloud in Uijeongbu, South Korea, said Lt. Col. Stephen J. Platt, a Pentagon spokesman. The Army announced on Monday that Laughlin had been reassigned six months after arriving as Fort Bennning’s 47th chief of armor. Laughlin’s promotion to
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April 23rd, 2013 at 1:33 pm » Comments (3)

A tank boards a U.S. LCAC (landing craft air cushion) on a beach in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on April 22, 2013, as part of a joint military drill involving South Korea and the U.S. (Yonhap)

April 23rd, 2013 at 7:42 am » Comments (5)

I guess this just goes to show that even if you are defending yourself from someone attacking you with a knife in Korea, that you will still be charged with a crime: SEOUL — Four U.S. soldiers have been indicted for their roles in a March 16 brawl outside a Dongducheon night club, during which three of them were stabbed and the other hit with a small baseball bat, South Korean prosecutors said Tuesday. The Korean club manager who allegedly stabbed the three soldiers was also indicted, according to the
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April 22nd, 2013 at 2:27 am » Comments (8)

Below is the latest court martial and ROK criminal prosecution results for the month of March 2013.  In the first court martial the Master Sergeant got off really light for committing adultery with only a $1,000 fine while the Sergeant court martialed for an inappropriate relationship got hammered much harder.  Then there is a “PX Ranger” that got court martialed and received heavier punishment than the guy who committed adultery.  It just goes to show that punishment with the UCMJ varies widely based on ones rank and track record. What
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April 21st, 2013 at 1:37 pm » Comments (1)

Combined Forces Command and Republic of Korea forces are conducting a joint logistics exercise near Pohang, South Korea, from April 18-28. The exercise includes the loading and unloading of strategic ships when fixed port facilities are unavailable, a military capability that can be employed world-wide during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, as well as during contingencies and crisis response.  [USFK Facebook]

April 20th, 2013 at 6:40 pm » Comments (0)

The Ninth Annual USFK Good Neighbor English Camp will be held May 12-18. Participants are 65 10th grade Korean students from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province areas. Volunteer U.S. families (with or without children) are needed to host one or more students for six nights in their homes, providing them breakfast each day along with five evening meals. For more information about the Good Neighbor English Camp program, call the USFK Public Affairs Office, 723-4685/723-7669 or send e-mail to pacom.yongsan.usfk.list.pao-comrel@mail.mil