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This page is graphically intense with long load times due to photos. However, the photos and narratives by the men who served at Osan Air Base makes the wait well worthwhile. The opinions expressed are those of the author and in no way represents any official statement of Osan AB or the USAF. 
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1970s View of Osan AB (USAF Photo) SONGTAN EVENTSJanuary 2008First light dusting of snow amidst bitter cold (Dec 2007-Jan 2008) The beginning of December saw the first light dusting of snow -- and rain. But for me, it was evident that the old car had trouble starting in cold weather -- being deisel, it's by nature hard starting in the cold. Thus I park the car where the morning sun hits it to give it a fighting chance before the battery runs down. In the first week of December, the temperatures dropped below freezing -- but it seemed much more severe than the temperatures indicated. Because of the humidity and wind, the chill factor was below freezing. In my office, I had to run both the LPG gas heater AND the halogen heater -- and my hands were still freezing. Took a while to heat that small space up. Left Shelly, my dog, at home because she just got a haircut before the cold snap and she's shivering with this cold.On 30 Dec, there was a rare yellow dust alert along with falling temperatures. As of late 30 Dec, dust levels were under 100 micrograms per cubic meter of air at all U.S. bases except those in the Pyeongtaek area, including Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base. Those bases had a count of about 125 micrograms, but the exact number wasn't posted on the 18th MEDCOM site. Medical officials long have warned that the dust particles, measuring one to 10 microns, aggravate bronchitis and cause pinkeye, sinusitis and ear infections. Heavy snow alerts, expecting over 20 centimeters of snow, were issued in South and North Jeolla provinces and Gwangju. Lighter snow advisories, amounting to about 5 centimeters or more snow, were also given to regions in South Chungcheong Province and some coastal regions -- Jeju, Ulleungdo and Dokdo. The most amount of snow -- 15 to 30 centimeters -- was expected in the Jeolla Province. Up to 10 centimeters of snow was projected to fall on some parts of Jeju, Ulleung-do and Dokdo. On 30 Dec, morning temperatures dropped to minus 12 degrees Celsius at the lowest and the daytime temperature ranged between minus 4 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius. On 29 Dec, I went out to the parking lot to drive my daughter and her friend, Jean, to the train station to go to Kunsan and the old junker had a terrible time starting up. The colder it gets the worse the agony of trying to crank the motor over. With the temps falling below freezing, it is rough to get it started. Unfortunately, the cold snap made transportation a nightmare in Kunsan. Thus Boram didn't get to enjoy getting together with all her friends. It had about two feet of snow on the ground and in Kunsan, this means that people don't move outside of their houses. With the wind, the chill factor gets below zero in a hurry.     Jisan-dong Streets (31 Dec 2007) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Cold Snap Continues into New Years (1 Jan 2008) Though many of my students were on "vacation" with their parents, started my classes on 2 Jan. The weather was so cold that my hands were frozen in my classroom until it got heated up. This bitter cold got hard to tolerate -- and even with the gas heater and electric halogen heater, it still was darn chilly. Another cold snap in mid-Jan (Jan 2008) Another cold snap hit for about a week in mid-Jan with temperatures below freezing even during the days. Upstairs water dripped down the outside of the building and formed a pretty icicle display on the kitchen window. The bad thing is my clunker didn't want to start and because of the excessive amount of drain on the battery, I had to have the garage come and jump start it once. Then the weather warmed up around the 19th of Jan, but the snow started falling in the surrounding provinces. As to Seoul and Songtan, the snow seemed to bypass us -- at least for a little. First Significant Snow of New Year (11 Jan 2008) Less than 2 inches of snow wreaked havoc on 11 Jan, slowing traffic to a crawl, sending civilians home early and causing several accidents. Osan Air Base received half an inch of snow -- though it piled up in drifts. The Korea Meteorological Administration’s belated warning of heavy snow caused a delay in spreading calcium chloride on roads, leading to accidents. (SITE NOTE: The KMA has been have trouble with their predictions for the past year. Last year they predicted snow and none came -- and this year, they didn't and it showed up.) Major roads in and around the capital area saw heavy traffic in the morning yesterday, with cars driving at an average speed of 10 to 20 kilometers an hour. In the morning in Songtan, the streets were slushy from the snow fall and all the hills roads were very slick. Some steep inclines were blocked off. Road conditions were amber through early afternoon and were downgraded to green at 12:15 p.m. -- and started to melt away by afternoon. It snowed a little on the night of 11 Jan, but was all melted off by mid-morning of the 12th. The temperatures were predicted to fall below zero in the following week -- but no snow storms. Yet another cold snap at end of Jan (Jan 2008) Another cold snap occurred at the end of January and again the icicles formed outside my kitchen window. Though the temperatures were below freezing, it was the wind that made being outside miserable with the resultant wind chill factors. Freezing weather was forecast to continue into February, but it seemed to warm up a bit around the 28th of Jan into the 30s F range. However, the temperatures remained below freezing into mid-February with the winds making it seem really bad at times. Figured out that the icicles in front of the kitchen window was being caused by a leak from the 2nd floor apartment. It is not leaking down the interior walls, but instead leaking outside from just above the kitchen window. The leak is not a great running leak but sort of a drip -- but enough to form an icicle from the top of the window to the bottom sill. Told the gate man to tell the folks upstairs, but haven't seen anything done so far -- probably because it will be expensive to rip up the floor in the kitchen. (SITE NOTE: They finally got around to repairing the leak after the Solnal holiday. The icicles are now gone.)     Snowfall at Songtan (26 Feb 2008) Military warns Seoul dust at unhealthy levels (Jan 2008) Dust in the air climbed to levels deemed by military medical officials to be unhealthy for children and senior citizens, according to South Korean and U.S. military meteorological data on 7 Jan. The young, elderly and people with respiratory illness are considered “high risk” and should not exercise outdoors at dust levels above 200 parts per million per cubic meter of air, according to the 18th Medical Command. Dust levels spiked at 318 parts per million around Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base on Monday and other areas of South Korea reached above normal levels Monday afternoon. Less of this winter’s air pollution is due to sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide because of curbs on heavy industry emissions, said Lt. Col. Eric Lund, preventive medicine consultant for 18th Medical Command, after he spoke with South Korea environment ministry officials. Yellow dust consists of tiny particles from China and Mongolia that may include heavy metals and substances from factories in those countries. This week’s pollution isn’t primarily yellow dust-related, said Lund and Park Kang-woo of the Korean Meteorological Administration. However, a warning that went out Dec. 29 was for a yellow dust storm, which occurred about two months ahead of last year’s first storm. Pollution occurs when winds from the southwest stagnate over the Korean land mass, bringing dust with it. The stagnant air also keeps local emissions airborne. “It’s like putting a lid on a high air current without any fresh air flowing,” Park said. The higher pollution levels should last throughout the week but aren’t forecast to last all winter, South Korean forecasters said. Before June 28, the 18th Medical Command advised all personnel to limit outdoor activity and cancel outdoor physical training when levels reached 300 parts per million. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) Blue Watch for Yellow Dust (Feb 2008) Dust levels spiked in the northern and central parts of the peninsula, causing USFK authorities to issue a “Blue Watch” advisory, the third-highest of the command’s five warning levels on 12 Feb. The “Blue Watch” advisory is issued when the amount of dust in the air is between 200 and 399 micrograms per cubic meter. The watch was issued for personnel at Yongsan, Camp Humphreys, Osan Air Base, Camp Casey, Camp Red Cloud, Kunsan Air Base and Warrior Base. The dust was strongest near Osan and Humphreys, where levels reached 297 micrograms per cubic meter before declining. The dust, borne on winds from China, contains industrial metals that can irritate eyes and lungs. Children and the elderly are especially at risk, as are people with lung problems, which the dust can make worse. The annual yellow dust season typically peaks in April. Over the past 10 years South Korea has averaged about 12 yellow dust storms a year, the 18th Medical Command has said. (SITE NOTE: An agreement to monitor the Yellow Dust between China, Korea and Japan broke down in Feb 2008 with China refusing to cooperate in reporting the yellow dust conditions. This will make the reporting of yellow dust conditions very difficult.) Yellow dust, ground fog, hit Pyeongtaek (Feb 2008) The yellow dust that blows in from China’s Gobi Desert brought a “Blue Watch” health warning on 20 Feb for the U.S. military in the Camp Humphreys-Osan Air Base region, the same morning a heavy ground fog hugged the area. But neither the yellow dust nor fog hindered flight operations at either installation, officials said. The fog, however, led authorities at Osan to declare “amber” road conditions from 9:55 a.m. to 12:33 p.m., when the status returned to green, said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Summers, a spokesman for Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing. “The ground was very cold and the temperature warming up created that ground fog,” Summers said. The yellow dust concentration for the Pyeongtaek region peaked Wednesday morning at 224 micrograms per cubic meter, well within the “unhealthy” range of 200-399, according to the 18th Medical Command’s yellow dust monitoring system, posted at ww.seoul.amedd.army.mil/sites/yellowsand/default.asp But Wednesday’s yellow dust level for the region later declined to below 100, a “green” or “good” level of health concern. Yellow Dust (Mar 2008) Hwangsa, the yellow sand that blows in from China’s Gobi Desert, coated cars on March 2. The Korea Meteological Administration issued a yellow sand warning on March 2 for the provinces of South Cheolla and Choongcheong. KMA forecast that the dusty yellow sand would continue to blow through March 3. Yellow sand, which has been known to cast a dark shadow across entire cityscapes, can be hazardous to health. Schools were closed and entrance ceremonies cancelled on 3 Mar as clouds of hazardous yellow dust blanketed most parts of South Korea below the upper region. The National Meteorological Administration issued yellow dust warnings and alarms to most provinces, except the two upper provinces of Gyeonggi that surrounds Seoul, and Gangwon. Even the southern resort island of Jeju received a warning, the weather watchdog said. Kunsan Air Base recorded unhealthy levels of dust at 332 micrograms 2 Mar but returned to low levels 3 Mar. South Korean officials took cautious steps until the yellow dust storm, known to Koreans as the “hwangsa,” dissipated in the southern parts of the peninsula. The peninsula can expect more yellow dust storms than average in the coming months. Higher temperatures and dry weather in the China and Mongolian deserts allow the dust to rise with easterly winds. For updates on the latest yellow dust counts at bases in South Korea, go to http://www.seoul.amedd.army.mil/sites/yellowsand/default.asp. Major Crime Ring Busted (Feb 2008) Thought I might add this to the postings because the only thing on Pyeongtaek and the Songtan area seemed to be yellow dust warnings. Crime is all around, but in Korea it is hidden away in back alleys. This is a story of a Pyeongtaek gang. Police have rounded up a large-scale criminal organization operating in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. A special investigation team of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency arrested Kim (50), boss of “Cheonghawisaeng-pa,” and its 16 members for racketeering and assault. Other 20 members, including assistant head Yang (41), are wanted by the police. Meanwhile, 24 members including ring advisor Kim (53) were arrested without detention. According to the police, Kim opened a company supplying sanitary wet tissue to brothels in 1984 and set up Cheonghawisaeng-pa, an organized crime ring, in 1987. Kim and his underlings are charged with extorting 300 million won from a construction company preparing to redevelop near Pyeongtaek Station last June. They approached officials of the company saying they would acquire the land on behalf of the company. They are also charged with destroying 60 game machines in an adult-only Internet room which was owned by rival gang “World Cup” last March. To gain control over entertainment districts, the crime organization engaged in a gang fight in July 2006 with “Jeongukgu-pa” in downtown Pyeongtaek. It also attempted to murder two rival gang members in 2003, according to police. Kim reportedly formulated a code of conduct that stipulates: “Do the bidding of seniors and avenge betrayers” and trained his underlings in accordance with it. In fact, he brutally assaulted one of them for not following his order in August 2005. In addition, in an attempt to enlarge the organization, Kim lured troubled-teenagers belonging to school gangs in Pyeongtaek areas and trained them in a boarding school facility. Cheonghawisaeng-pa is the largest organized crime ring in Korea. Its 76 members are on a police list,” said an official of the police agency. (Source: Donga Ilbo.) April 2008USFK issues bird flu warning (Apr 2008) U.S. Forces Korea officials are warning the military community to avoid undercooked chicken and eggs in off-base establishments as South Korea battles two avian flu outbreaks. South Korean officials have destroyed 308,000 chickens since late last week to contain an outbreak at a farm about 10 to 20 miles from Kunsan Air Base. About 6,500 ducks also were destroyed Saturday at the location of a second outbreak — at Jeongeup poultry farm — according to The Associated Press.There have been no reports of human infection with the H5N1 bird flu virus during the latest outbreaks, said Terry Klein, an 18th Medical Command regional emerging infectious disease consultant. Klein said Monday that the South Korean government took rapid steps to stop the outbreaks, and has successfully contained earlier outbreaks. “If you look at the maps of what happened previously, it happened spottily. It happened in one location and didn’t migrate,” he said. Klein said people should avoid eating runny eggs, and avoid chicken meat that’s pink or bloody. “If the chicken products are really cooked well, it’s probably not any risk at all,” Klein said. All poultry products sold at AAFES and DeCA — including most eggs — come from the United States and are safe, according to the 8th Army release. Any eggs procured locally for resale on base are heat-treated and also safe, according to the release. Officials routinely perform food sanitation inspections at all USFK dining facilities, restaurants and commercial vendors, except South Korean snack bar and Embassy Club vendors. Klein said outbreaks typically happen when geese, ducks and other large birds migrate and leave feces in rice paddies from where the virus can spread to nearby chicken farms. Five hundred workers killed chickens at the outbreak site in Gimje, North Jeolla province, and six other farms within a 500-yard radius of the outbreak site on Saturday. They planned to kill other chickens in the nearby village of Sinam, according to an 8th Army press release. The release said eggs produced at farms within about two miles of the outbreak also would be destroyed, and none of the 3.57 million birds within a six-mile radius of the farms were being allowed to leave the area. Checkpoints were set up on roads linking North Jeolla to other provinces. “Probably none of these chickens are going to end up in the food chain,” Klein said. “The government does not want any human cases here.” (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (See South Korea Events 2008 (Apr 2008) for details of outbreak.) Shinjang Mall: Jungang Market The following photos are from 1978:     Jungang Market Place (1978) (Marvin Metzinger) NOTE: Notice the fiberglass panels on the roof in the 1978 photos to allow sunlight in. These are all gone. There was a fire in the 1980s that burned out the fiberglass roof panels and they were replaced with non-flammable transite (concrete and asbestoes) sheets. The area today is very gloomy and has to be lit with lights even during the day. According to the older residents, the alleyway is much narrower than in the 1970s because they eliminated the "road" in the 1980s and allowed shops/stalls to be built along the sides. Thus there is only a narrow path that weaves through the stalls today. This area can be identified only by the metal construction of the roof supports and a few remaining fire warning signs from the 1970s.     Jungang Market Place (Aug 2007) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Shinjang Mall: Back Alley Photos   Near Railroad tracks. Lookingup at the Hanil Church one sees the Buddhist temple tucked on the hill. (Mar 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Near Railroad tracks. Deserted building. Songtan Central Presbyterian Church seen at top of hill. (Mar 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan); (R) New Mokchon Road Expansion for additional parking (Jun 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (SITE NOTE: Location of the old Mokchon Railway Crossing and now the pedestrian underpass is located on the site. The area used to be known as Pink Town" from the strings of red lights on both sides of the tracks. It was also known as "Keoji Chon" (Beggar's village) in the 1970s as it was the poorest section of Songtan.)   (L) Near the intersection leading to Main Gate at Shinjang-2 dong (R) Alleyway with Volvo Dealer near the intersection to Main Gate (Mar 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan) 
 (L) Jungang Market Road: "Power Shop" site of former Seoul Glass Shop (Jun 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Seoul Glass Shop (1958) (51st FW Archive) (SITE NOTE: The "Seoul Glass Shop" was in the same location from the late 1950s until the 1980s.) Songbuk Farmer's Market (Achim Morning Market)   (L) Songbuk Farmers' Market (R) Garlic for sale (Sep 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Produce and Garlic for sale (R) Chili peppers and produce for sale (Sep 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Cabbage, Turnips and Produce for sale (R) Green onions, leeks, cucumbers and produce for sale (Sep 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Road near what used to be a Bus Depot (R) Road leading up hill to Jwadong Methodist Church (Sep 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Songbuk Market: Old side road cut in 1978 (R) Taxi Parking area leading from Mokchon Pedestrian Underpass (Sep 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) MSR-1 Across from Old Police Station (R) Street across from Police Box (Sep 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   Taehyun Road near Songbuk Market (Aug 2007) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Taehyun Road towards Overpass (R) Taehyun Road at Overpass (Aug 2007) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Structures in Shinjang-dong Area   (L) Circa 1960s houses near the Kyongbu railroad tracks in what was "Pink Town" area (R) Circa 1960s house in Shinjang 2-dong next to beginning of railspur. (Aug 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Old Plaza Shopping Center along railspur showing Catholic Church on hill in background (R) Circa late 1960s transite roof with welded steel braces in Jungang Market place. (NOTE: Clear plastic panels in roof added in 1970s.) (Aug 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Shinjang 1-dong alley in Jungang Market area (R) Alleyway end of Jungang Market Road showing circa 1980s multistory concrete structures (Aug 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Shinjang 2-dong alley leading to overpass (R) Alleyway next to overpass with stairs from overpass (Aug 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Scenes from Milwal-dong Perimeter near Mustang Village-Commissary   (L) Milwal-dong New Road over hill near Perimeter Fence; (R) Milwal-dong looking south to Hill 180 Gate and Rhee Family Grave Site with Mustang Village perimeter fence to right   (L) New Road looking down on Commissary; (R) 1960s mudwattle farmer's house with stucco coating and hondol heating. Transite roof and kitchen to left with living quarters on right. Notice chimney flues patched with concrete. Scenes from Milwal-dong - Seomiri - Hill 180 Gate Area   (L) Milwal-dong Looking at Shinjang 2-dong; (R) Milwal-dong looking south to Seojong-ni   (L) Milwal-dong toward Capital Hotel; (R) Seomiri Construction abuts Osan AB Perimeter Wall   (L) Seomiri Looking to Hill 180 Gate (Notice Mudang (Fortune Teller) Bamboo Pole with Red Flag); (R) Seomiri Looking to Hill 180 Gate   (L) Seomiri Looking toward Seojong-ni; (R) Seomiri Looking west to Hill 180 Gate Road   (L) Just Outside Old Hill 180 Gate looking South; (R) Hill 180 Gate now closed and barricaded   (L) Lodge outside Hill 180 Gate (R) Apartment complex outside Hill 180 Gate fallen on hard times (July 2006) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Hill 180 Gate intersection looking south toward Pyeongtaek; (R) Hill 180 Gate intersection looking southeast toward Seojongni   (L) Makumni Looking east toward Hill 180 Gate; (R) Makumni entrance. East Side of Osan AB (Seotan Myeon):  East of Osan AB -- Chinwi River from middle of old bridge going to Seotan (Aug 2007) (Kalani O'Sullivan) EMart:  Emart OSAN AB EVENTSCommander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB: Col. Jon A. Norman, June 15, 2007 --January 2008Bill would ban military slot machines (Dec 2007) A bill in Congress seeks to eliminate military slot machines overseas that take in $130 million a year, mostly from soldiers.The bill's sponsor, Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tennessee, named the bill after Army Warrant Officer Aaron Walsh, a decorated Apache helicopter pilot who became addicted to gambling on military slot machines. Walsh eventually was discharged from the Army. He committed suicide after several failed attempts to break his addiction. (SITE NOTE: What we are peeved about is that this bill proposes to remove the slots, but does NOT provide any mechanism for replacing the revenue generated by the MWR funds for the Army, Navy, Marines and USAF. In effect, this bill proposes massive cuts in spending on morale and welfare institutions for the DOD without providing replacement funds.)The Defense Department uses slot machine revenues to pay a small portion of its morale, welfare and recreation programs. Davis said the money raised off the gambling of soldiers is not worth the risks. (SITE NOTE: The revenue from the soldiers in Korea is minimal. It is the revenue from the unauthorized Korean nationals (USFK employees/contractors) that makes up the bulk of the profit. At Osan AB, on Korean paydays, one will see Koreans pumping their paychecks into the slots. The profits from the slots support many of the MWR activities on base -- and have done so for many years. This is why the base officials have turned a blind eye to the Korean nationals playing the slots.)"If American men and women are willing to serve our country overseas we should not be dependent on them to pay for recreational activities they deserve," Davis said in a written statement. "The risks are simply too high and too many to ask that of our soldiers." The bill's introduction comes after Walsh's story was featured in a CNN investigative report. His widow, Carrie Walsh, described how her husband's life spun out of control while the military refused to intervene. "The military has this culture of taking care of their own," Carrie Walsh told CNN. "But it seems like when it comes to this, they just profited from his addiction and then threw him away." Carrie Walsh said that in 2005 her husband lost more than $20,000 in military slot machines. He went AWOL, only to be found sitting in front of a video slot machine on a military post in Seoul. He was forced to resign from the Army and spent time homeless on the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2006, Walsh returned to Maine and tried to reconnect with his wife and their two small children, but his gambling addiction continued. On September 26, 2006, Walsh, 34, went to Maine's Baxter State Park and killed himself with a gunshot to the head. The Army operates 3,000 slot machines on overseas posts, raising $130 million in revenue each year. Other branches of the military operate their own gaming programs. University of Illinois business professor John Kindt, who has studied gambling addictions and the military, agrees with Davis that the money raised is not worth the risk. He says the military should find other ways to entertain troops. "It shouldn't be about exploiting our service personnel and putting families and their children at risk," he told CNN. In a statement released by the Pentagon earlier this year, Undersecretary of Defense Leslye Arsht said gambling on bases and posts provides "a controlled alternative to unmonitored host-nation gambling venues and offers a higher payment percentage, making it more entertainment oriented than that found at typical casinos." The Warrant Officer Aaron Walsh Stop DOD-Sponsored Gambling Act would prohibit the military from operating slot machines on military bases. The legislation was introduced in Dec 2007. (Source: CNN News.) (SITE NOTE: Each service operates its own slot machine operations. Thus the dollar totals would be much larger than the $130 million ARMY total if one counted all the US Army, USAF, and USN operations world-wide. The military overseas plays the unique role of operator, regulator and beneficiary dealing with slots. Each service runs its own program and provides oversight on the slot machines and allocation of funds, primarily to the MWR.Who gets what, and how much? (Jan 2008) The Stars and Stripes reported that U.S. Army uses a complex formula for dividing its slot machine profits. On Army installations, the host facility — the bowling center where the slots are located, for example — gets an immediate 10 percent of the take, Don Rojas, general manager of the Army Recreation Machine Program, said during a phone interview earlier this month. Operating expenses — such as labor and business supplies — are then deducted from the remaining 90 percent. Rojas said operating expenses total about 21 percent of the total gross slot machine revenue. Once those expenses are deducted, the sum is once again divided, with 60 percent going to the Army garrisons where the money was made and 40 percent going into what’s called the Central Fund Account. The garrisons use their 60 percent to fund capital purchases and minor construction — projects under $1 million, Rojas said. This could include a snack bar renovation, replacement bowling pins or new carpeting, Rojas said. The money in the Central Fund Account is used to fund worldwide Army capital construction for facilities that Congress does not appropriate taxpayer dollars to build, Rojas said. These include certain types of facilities that should be self-sufficient, such as golf courses. And when the Army runs machines on other services’ installations — like it does for the Navy in South Korea or the Marines on Okinawa — the other service takes either 70 percent or 80 percent of the profits. The decision is based on whether the Army must make an initial investment for such things as a new office or staff members, Rojas said. (SITE NOTE: Other reports stated that the USAF did not provide figures and the last USAF published machine count was 1999. Thus the chart was a nice addition -- though it does NOT provide a source besides "Military Services." According to the chart accompanying the article, the USAF has 1,202 machines world-wide -- versus 3,275 for the Army. The USAF took in $28.2 million -- versus $120.4 million for the Army. However, the $120.4 million figure makes us wonder where they got the $130 million figure for the Congressional report. Percent of MWR Profit was 3 percent -- versus 7 percent for the Army. 45 percent of the profit stays local -- versus "not given" for Army. Machine payout was 94 percent for both USAF and Army.If so, the other service gets 70 percent of the revenue. But if the infrastructure already is in place, the host gets 80 percent of the revenue. The Army then deducts its operating expenses from the remaining 20 percent or 30 percent of the revenue and the result is deposited into the Central Fund. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) Osan Commander to Place Ban on Koreans Playing Slots On-base (Jan 2008) Because of the sensitivity of the matter after the anti-slot machine bill was introduced in Congress, the Osan Commander may ban Korean nationals -- NOT Korean military dependents -- from playing the slot machines on base. It appears it is one of those "preemptive" actions to prevent questions that will arise about the slots at Osan if the anti-slot machine bill passes Congress. (See CNN News.) Supposedly the ban on Korean nationals playing the slots will take place in 1 Feb 2008. We are not certain at this time if this is a USFK-wide initiative. (SITE NOTE: On 30 Jan, it was reported in the Stars and Stripes that this was a USFK-wide initiative. As of Jan. 20 all Army bases in South Korea were ordered to begin checking IDs for anyone in the game rooms and base clubs. In the past 18 months, only Camp Humphreys and Daegu-area bases have periodically conducted 100 percent ID card checks.) The action that Col. Howard, the 51st Wing Commander, is taking was probably done after careful consideration. Officially, the slots are restricted to military members or their dependents and retirees. However, it has been an "open secret" for TWO DECADES that the slot machine rooms have always been crammed full on paydays with Koreans playing the slots -- mostly USFK employees or on-base contractors. These are the primary players of the slots -- and contribute the bulk of slot machine profits to the MWR. Col Howard's ban will result in a significant reduction in MWR income and most certainly his decision was one that he had to have considered carefully before he took action. He has just slit the throat of his "cash cow." There was a great financial impact back in the 1970s after the slot machines were removed from the clubs. After a few years, PACAF base commanders found that they didn't have money to repair their MWR facilities during the money-crunch years of the late 1970s. They doubled the NCO club membership rates -- and members quit. They then raised prices on MWR activities -- and people stopped using the facilities. The same situation was true in USAFE. Caught in a trap at all its bases, the military pleaded their case to Congress and the slots returned -- but under strict controls to prevent military managers from dipping their fingers into the till. Now in the 2008, the USAF is again in a cash-crunch as it cuts expenses to support the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It should be noted that in the 1970s, Koreans were not a major user of the slots as Korea was still a poor country. But in the late 1980s, the Miracle of the Han arrived in Korea and the Korean nationals suddenly had a spendable income. The average Korean could now afford to gamble on the slots -- hoping to get rich quick. They started to appear in increasing numbers at the slot machines on paydays. In Korea, the gambling addiction of Koreans is well-documented. A Korean government report in 2002 identified about 10 percent of Korean adults as addicted to gambling, more than the 3 percent rate of the United States or the 6 percent rate of Australia over the same period. In the attempts to bring the off-base game rooms under control, there were the scandals in 2006 and 2007 that reached the highest-levels of government in kickback revelations over licensing -- and the police being forced to close down un-licensed game rooms. (See Gambling: Jan 2006.)Because of this popularity by Korean nationals, the on-base slots make HUGE profits which the base MWR enjoys. But at the same time, it is not wise for American authorities to look too closely at the slot machine operations because of the unauthorized Korean national users. If it were investigated, there would be uncomfortable questions that would have to be asked as to where the profits REALLY came from. Figuring that 3 percent of the USFK are hard core gambling addicts (according to a US Army estimate) -- that would be about 600 personnel. With these numbers, how would the USFK explain how over $1.5 billion had been pumped into the slot machines in order to generate the $130 million in MWR profits (6.5 percent) for 2006. It would then be obvious that unauthorized Korean national personnel were playing the slots. (SITE NOTE: HOWEVER, each service operates its own slot machines. The USAF has been reluctant to publicly release the figures for MWR profits from slots, thus any statement on USAF profitability would be just guesswork. However, with two bases with multiple sub-locations for slot machine operations, the profits in Korea should be as a minimum at least one half of the US Army profits -- though from personal observations, it could easily be equal to their profits.)As was said before, the unauthorized Korean nationals have been dumping their money into the on-base slots for TWO DECADES. This makes any questions over their presence even more uncomfortable. The profits kept the military clubs open and funded much needed morale programs leading to positive aspects -- and no one in the military really worried about Korean nationals with a gambling addiction -- only that the MWR funds remained high. The source of the MWR income had to remain low-key. This is where the base officials had to turn a blind eye to the slots -- and put the slots in such places as the Checkertails restaurant at Osan or the Oriental House restaurant at Kunsan, as well as at the golf courses, where Korean nationals not authorized to use the machines had open access to the slots. These places were labeled as "auxiliary" military club sites or "annexes" to allow the slot machine operations to be "legal." It has been said that the unspoken policy for everyone involved in the slot machine operations has been to NOT ask for military IDs of Koreans playing the machines -- and to mind their own business dealing with "Korean won" exchange transactions and transportation of unauthorized individuals onto the base for the purpose of gambling. The profits were too good. The USFK military at the same time distanced itself from the slot machine operations. The military overseas plays the unique role of operator, regulator and beneficiary dealing with slots. However, the USFK military accepted only the beneficiary role while delegating the operator and regulator functions to the MWR (or for the USAF under the Mission Support Group or Services Squadron) -- often headed by a civilian club manager. The slot machine maintenance and all facets of the day-to-day operation were under the MWR which more-or-less removed the military from any responsibilities in the operation. The MWR profit went into a big slush fund in the sky and then remainder sent to the USFK/PACAF/CINCPAC to be redistributed downward, thus relieving local commanders of responsibility for regulating these funds -- though a healthy 30 percent of the profits remained on the base/camp at the club for "operating costs." Any past member of the NCO club board can verify that over the years the profit from slots have always been "significant." In this way, the operation remained low-key without direct senior local command involvement. The loss of this sizable MWR profit will definitely impact the club operations and MWR programs on the base in the future...but how much of a financial impact is an unknown at this time as the USAF refuses to release their profits info. Thus the MWR funding impacts are unknown for Osan AB -- and Kunsan AB if it follows suit. With the ban of Korean nationals, it will be interesting to watch the impacts to the MWR programs with the anticipated dramatic loss of profits in the future. It is not an "if," but a "when" story -- and "how large an impact." USFK responds to illegal-gambling reports (Jan 2008) What appeared at first to be action only at Osan AB is in actuality a USFK-wide prohibition on illegal gambling with the slot machines. The Stars and Stripes stated on 30 Jan that U.S. Forces Korea is taking stringent new measures to prevent illegal gambling and loan profiteering off slot machines at military bases, USFK and Morale, Welfare and Recreation officials said. USFK officials have ordered 100 percent identification card checks at all gambling facilities; base access rosters showing guest and sponsor names are under review; and commander Gen B.B. Bell will release a new gambling regulation no later than March 24, USFK spokesman Col. Franklin Childress said last week. The action comes on the heels of a Stars and Stripes investigation into the slot machine program and a Stripes memo sent to USFK and Installation Management Command-Korea officials seeking comment on the depth of alleged wrongdoing. Stripes learned from numerous sources over several weeks of reporting that much of the slot machine gambling on bases is illegally conducted by South Koreans escorted by people with authorized base access. Military and MWR officials said those claims remain unsubstantiated, but a full investigation is ongoing with the goals of keeping the game rooms safe, abiding by the law and ensuring no one is using any MWR facility as an illegal business venture. “Since these allegations have come to light, we have dramatically ramped up enforcement activities,” said Dan Ahern, chief of MWR for IMCOM-Korea. “The allegations are taken very seriously and frankly, we appreciate them coming to light so we can talk about aggressive action. With your help and your readers out there … I think it’s a problem we can put a stop to.” (SITE NOTE: Are they serious??? It's their problem that they let fester for so long untended because they were making money hand over fist. Now they want others to "help"??? Dumb statement. They know the score and don't need help. Their problem is that they continuing to deny that there was a problem in the first place.) The numbers The U.S. Army and Air Force generated more than $83.6 million in revenue via 1,191 slot machines in South Korea in fiscal 2007, according to data provided by the Army’s Family MWR Command and the Air Force Personnel Center. The Army, which also runs the machines on Navy facilities in South Korea, earned the lion’s share: about $73.5 million with 927 machines. As a comparison, the Army’s 1,550 machines in Europe, including machines the service runs on Air Force and Navy installations, brought in $38.5 million during the same time period. And since military slot machines offer a payout rate of about 95 percent, the $83.6 million in South Korea represents only 5 percent to 6 percent of the total money gambled in the machines that year. Although exact figures weren’t provided by the services, the total gambled in slot machines in South Korea would be about $1.4 billion in 2007 based on those machine return percentages. The stories Many community members brought their stories to Stripes by answering an online request seeking information. Almost every one did so on the condition of anonymity; many said they feared possible retribution. They claimed the military wasn’t adequately preventing the decades-old practice of South Koreans gambling on base, which is illegal under the U.S.-South Korea Status of Forces Agreement. They said an underground business involving escort fees and high-interest loans in gaming rooms on the American bases flourished and brought in untold numbers of South Koreans who often borrowed money from their escorts — military family members with base access — to feed their habits and the machines. That money, in turn, has put millions of dollars into military budgets that pay for entertainment and family activities on bases, they claimed. Some asked where the command would find funding if the slots were banned, as proposed by U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn. Gaming money helps pay for hotels, movie theaters, discounted cultural tours, bowling alleys, children’s sports leagues, hobby shops and other military and family services on overseas bases, according to MWR Web sites. Ahern said it was too early to know whether the current investigation and stricter rules would affect gaming revenues. And Rich Gorman, chief operating officer of Army MWR, said by telephone on 30 Jan that if revenues do fall, MWR will try to make up for the loss through cost savings and other methods. Hidden costs Some say there are hidden costs that the military has ignored. Some of those who talked to Stripes, including former servicemembers and military contractors, complained that loan-sharking and other improper practices in the gaming rooms have cost some military families thousands of dollars. One former soldier, who now works at an Army camp near the Demilitarized Zone, said his wife depleted family finances and borrowed money at interest rates as high as 30 percent from loan sharks who linger in the gaming rooms. “They just sit in there and loan money out,” said the retired sergeant first class, who served many tours in South Korea before retiring. “My wife borrowed $15,000 from these leeches.” All told, she has gambled away more than $60,000, he says. He said she wouldn’t talk to Stripes. Others told similar stories. A former command sergeant major said his wife borrowed money in the gaming rooms as well. After 30 years in the Army, the retired soldier said he’s angry that the military seems to ignore this practice but expends so much energy on combating black marketing. “As long as they are making money, they don’t care,” he said. Busted Nearly three years ago, a South Korean woman, identified only as Kim, was charged with running an illegal currency exchange business after local officials found she had charged entrance fees in exchange for signing in almost 180 Koreans onto base. She was accused of charging 30,000 won (at the time, about $30) for access an estimated 900 times between 2002 and 2005, Seoul police said at the time. The police suspected she racked up 1.2 billion won, or more than $1 million, from the illegal business. Seoul police said the woman got access to the base through a cultural friends group. As a member, she had permission to be on the base, but not in the gaming rooms. A police lieutenant with the foreign affairs section of the Seoul Police said last week that he remembered the case and believed that the woman received a suspended sentence. He was unable, however, to provide any specifics. The lieutenant spoke on the condition of anonymity, which is common practice in South Korea. He said that although her case was the last officially investigated, he believes that other people are committing the same sort of crime on U.S. bases in South Korea. The problem, he said, is that the Korean police don’t have access to the base to conduct their own investigations. Enforcement Ahern and Gorman said gambling rules have long been enforced, referring to spot ID card checks as one example of enforcement. However, one source said base employees warn illegal players before the spot checks occur. “That clearly defeats the purpose of internal control,” said Gorman, who said anyone who witnesses employees warning illegal players should call a black marketing and illegal gambling hot line at DSN 738-5118. As of Jan. 20 all Army bases in South Korea were ordered to begin checking IDs for anyone in the game rooms and base clubs. In the past 18 months, only Camp Humphreys and Daegu-area bases have periodically conducted 100 percent ID card checks, Ahern said. In 2003, one person was permanently barred from base and 10 others were suspended for six months on the assumption of illegal gambling, MWR officials said. Gorman, who managed the Dragon Hill Lodge from 1998 to 2005, said some allegations of illegal South Korean access could be directed toward authorized users of Asian descent. That would be taken into account during enforcement, officials said. “We’ll be careful to ensure there is no discriminatory aspect to this,” Gorman said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: A Stars and Stripes online survey in Feb 2008 showed that 53 percent of the people online said that gambling should NOT be stopped, but the corruption needed to be stopped. After the initial hysteria over this issue, the Stars and Stripes went silent over the gambling issue. Perhaps the DoD talked to the Congressman and stated that his bill needs to include funding for the millions that the slot machines provides in MWR programs. HOWEVER, we suspect the USFK will enforce only the prevention of illegal gamblers from off-base, but not prevent the gambling of the Korean on-base workers or those Koreans with on-base passes -- despite the fact that their gambling on the slot machines is illegal. These are the primary players -- NOT the off-base gamblers. When things cool down we will stop in to see if things returned to normal.) EPILOGUE: (Mar 2008) The 100 percent ID check policy for the USFK is still in effect. One report on a blog in Mar 2008, stated that when the individual popped into the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan, his ID was checked and there were only 6 GIs and one Korean woman who appeared to be a dependent. One report from Camp Humphreys in Mar 2008 stated the same situation existed. At Osan, a similar situation is in effect with very reduced numbers. We wonder what the future impacts will be on the MWR programs since the money source was cut out. USFK reinforces rules on illegal gambling on bases (Apr 2008) U.S. Forces Korea has released a new regulation that spells out specific actions to keep illegal gamblers out of on-base slot machine rooms. The nine-page regulation on illegal gambling prevention, dated April 1, makes clear that punitive action can be taken against military, civilians and non-U.S. citizens who break the rules. The regulation directs managers of facilities housing the slot machines to keep out illegal gamblers, USFK spokesman Col. Franklin Childress said on 9 Apr. Staff at facilities with gambling must check the identification cards of every gambler, according to the regulation. In December and January, Stars and Stripes heard from dozens of current and former Defense Department personnel who said they have seen South Korean nationals and other unauthorized people using base slot machines. Others claimed they had witnessed or experienced loan sharking operations inside the gaming rooms. The U.S. Army and Air Force generated more than $83.6 million in revenue via 1,191 slot machines in South Korea in fiscal 2007, according to data provided by the Army’s Family MWR Command and the Air Force Personnel Center. The gambling profits are used in part to fund MWR programs. The new regulation requires military police to patrol the gaming areas regularly “in a professional, non-discriminatory manner while being careful not to unduly disrupt the recreational nature of the site.” Military police also can detain suspected illegal gamblers and report them to South Korean police. “Those appearing to flee from the gambling machine site prior to the arrival of law enforcement personnel shall, if practical, be detained by law enforcement and also required to present identification,” the regulation states. Police also are tasked with keeping an eye on the staff in the facilities. If staff members are not checking their customers, police must report the lack of oversight. A servicemember caught aiding illegal gambling can be subject to court-martial for violating a lawful general order, the regulation states. Civilians are subject to adverse administrative action, which can include anything from reprimand to banishment from U.S. bases. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: The only reason this type of article would appear would be that the USFK has found that people started to press and put things back to "business as usual." Guess the USFK now is going to try to police the gamblers ... good luck.) PACAF commander re-designates Seventh Air Force, Air Forces Korea (Jan 2008) Korean citizens provided support to Airmen, while Gen. Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler, Pacific Air Forces commander, opened a new chapter for the primary combat air force provider to the Republic of Korea, as he uncased the Seventh Air Force, Air Forces Korea flag and appointed Lt. Gen. Stephen G. Wood, Seventh Air Force, AFKOR commander, Jan. 30. The re-designation ceremony for America's oldest numbered Air Force was translated into Korean and witnessed by close to 2,000 Korean nationals and U.S. and Republic of Korea servicemembers. It also begins a historical new chapter in the transformation of forces in the Republic of Korea. The re-designation effort marks the implementation of the chief of staff of the Air Force's direction to establish an Air Force component organization structured to operate and train everyday in its wartime configuration. Warfighting organizations are being stood up around the globe to enable the effective command and control of air, space and cyberspace forces conducting missions across the spectrum of military operations. The Seventh Air Force, AFKOR operates more than 100 combat and combat support aircraft with the strength of more than 7,800 Airmen and civilians, supporting the ROK/US alliance along with its joint U.S. partners - Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. After General Wood assumed command, with the assistance of Chief Master Sgt. Ray Allen, the highest ranking U.S. Air Force enlisted member in the Republic of Korea, he immediately redesignated one group, inactivated two and activated another in an effort to consolidate and streamline the organization. This new structure promises to improve air and space power, using an Air and Space Operations Center, an Air Force Forces or AFFOR Staff, and a new support group.
February 2008Osan remembers Battle of Bayonet Hill (Feb 2008) Osan held its annual Remembrance Ceremony for the Hill 180 "Battle of Bayonet Hill" Feb. 21. The ceremony, sponsored by the 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detachment, paid tribute to the gallant actions of the soldiers from the 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds" during a bayonet charge up Hill 180. "We are here today to remember and honor the heroic actions of Captain Millett and the soldiers of 27th Infantry Division, said Col. Jon Norman, 51st Fighter Wing commander. "Because of their heroic actions, America and the Republic of Korea enjoy freedom today."On Feb. 7, 1951, then-Army Capt. Lewis Millett commanded Easy Company, part of the 27th Regiment, through a frozen rice paddy near Osan when they came under attack from a ridge by Chinese soldiers. With his first platoon pinned down by enemy fire, Captain Millet ordered his second platoon to "Fix bayonets -- move left of the first." After facing heavy enemy fire, Captain Millett knew he had to get his men to higher ground. He found the first platoon sergeant and yelled, "We're going up the hill. Fix bayonets. Charge! Everyone goes with me!" Captain Millett continued to fight and kill enemy soldiers until he reached the top of Hill 180. When it was all over, Millett stood atop the saw-toothed ridge and pumped his bloody rifle up and down, signaling to those below that he had conquered Bayonet Hill. Nine soldiers lost their lives charging the hill that day and forty-seven enemy dead were counted on the forward slope of the hill; thirty as a result of bayonet wounds. On the reverse slope lay another fifty enemy, dead of either bayonet or gunshot wounds and witnesses estimated another hundred Chinese soldiers escaped. "Without the noble sacrifices of U.S. servicemembers, there will be no Republic of Korea or freedom," said ROK Army Gen. Paik, Sun Yup (retired), the ceremony's keynote speaker. "The ROK-U.S. alliance continues to prosper because of the commitment and sacrifices of servicemembers. Long live the ROK, U.S. and military branches." The ceremony included the placing of memorial wreaths, a rifle salute by the United Nations Command Honor Guard, an A-10/F-16 flyover, followed by the playing of "Taps." (Source: 51st FW News.) (SITE NOTE: The fight to have Hill 180 recognized as the site of this action was taken by former 51st Wing Historian, John Sullivan, now USAFE Director of History. In the 1990s, the Eighth Army historians would not recognize the action as taking place on Hill 180 though Col. Millett's notes and drawings at the time indicated a lone tree (the Ginko tree on the golf course) and other features that circumstantially would prove it was Hill 180. HOWEVER, the Eighth Army historians -- who have primary responsibility for this historical correction -- would not formally come out and state that this was the area. Up to 2007, the EUSA historians still had not corrected this error. The 51st FW is doing this historical rememberance on its own. The ceremonies started during the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War events in 2001 with the visit of Col. Millet as distinguished visitor. It has continued to the present.) Commissaries get new checkout technology (Feb 2008) CARTS, or Commissary Advanced Resale Transaction System was activated at Yokota’s commissary Jan. 26. Designed by IBM, CARTS is designed to replace the Defense Commissary Agency’s aging system of cash registers, according to a DECA news release. Commissaries in Okinawa and Sagamihara Depot already have CARTS installed, with Yokosuka Naval Base and Naval Air Facility Atsugi next on the list. Officials in South Korea said CARTS is scheduled to be installed in the next few months. Customers can view the list of items they are purchasing on a 15-inch color display next to the register. There is also a price scanning gun, so cashiers don’t have to wrestle with bulky items to line up the bar code with the scanner. And check processing has been improved with the cashier only having to scan a customer’s check into the register, and the information is transferred electronically to the bank. Some customers show surprise, especially when the cashier hands back their check because it’s no longer needed. (SITE NOTE: This is exactly what happened to me. I filled out all that info on the check and it gets handed back. Neat... However, when you're busy stacking the goods on the checkout counter, you really don't have time to keep an eye on the 15-inch display. No biggee as I never could watch it before for the past upteen years of shopping in the commissary.) Perhaps one of the most noticeable improvements with CARTS is the self-checkout lines. “They are very popular and convenient, especially for smaller orders,” Auderer said, noting that since the installation, an average of 25 percent to 30 percent of transactions are completed through self-checkout. He said self-checkout registers feature a quick lookup menu that has pictures of all produce items in the store. Installation of CARTS in DECA’s 268 stores began in October 2006 and is scheduled for completion in May. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: The new CARTS system is for shopper and worker checkout convenience. There is a system to combat black-marketing already in place in Korea since 2005 that works quite well. CASTAR stands for computer-assisted sales tracking and reporting. The program, created by USFK, uses Homeland Security technology to pinpoint suspicious shopping trends, such as when a customer repeatedly buys too many hot dogs and too few buns. Already, shopping receipts from the 12 commissaries throughout South Korea go into the system. The commissaries are run by the Defense Commissary Agency and have a different cash register system.) Red Horse's 2-year transition to Guam finally completed (Feb 2008) The 554th Red Horse Squadron has received its last shipment from Osan Air Base at its new home on Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. The final unpacking last week marks the end of a two-year transition from South Korea for the Air Force construction and engineering unit. But the squadron’s move is much more involved than a new address for its 160 members, according to Col. Kevin Kersh, the commander of the 36th Contingency Response Group at Andersen. The Red Horse squadron’s new home with the 36th is part of the Air Force’s plan to bolster the military’s ability to establish airfields throughout the Pacific region during natural disasters and crises, according to Kersh. At the same time, the addition of the squadron shows the Air Force’s move toward creating response groups that are “self-contained” units. The 36th Contingency Response Group will be able to deploy, secure or build an airstrip, set up communications for as many as 1,000 people, and provide food and fuel without help from outside groups, he said. In the past, response groups gathered units from different bases during an emergency, Kersh said. “You start working with units you never worked with before,” he said during a phone interview last week. “You need to work out those kinks early on.” The Red Horse squadron officially stood up in January, according to commander Lt. Col. Robert Eric Yates. Also last month, the 644th Combat Communications Squadron was reactivated. It eventually will grow to 145 members, Kersh said. The Commander Warrior School, which trains airmen on securing airfield areas, also moved from Osan and will hold its first class this summer. And eventually, the 554th’s detachment at Kadena Air Base will move to Andersen by 2014, Kersh said. The moves are also part of the Pentagon’s overall restructuring in South Korea, where troops will be consolidated them into a handful of bases in the central part of the country. The plans for the response group were already written before the Pentagon proposed moving 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, Kersh said. For the next two years, the Red Horse squadron will focus on building the group’s headquarters at Andersen’s Northwest Field, which hasn’t been used for years, Yates said. Eventually, the squadron will deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan and bases throughout the Pacific to work on construction projects, he said. One day, for example, the unit likely will return to Osan for temporary stays for specific projects. Until then, the Air Force at Osan will use its base civil engineers for building and repairs, he said. Yates said the move to Guam, a U.S. territory, offers the airmen more than just the comforts of home. In South Korea, the servicemembers were on one-year, unaccompanied tours. The constant turnover of staff was a challenge, he said. “Here,” he said “it gives us the chance to have accompanied tours,” which last three years. Single airmen have a two-year assignment, double the time they would have in Korea. “Now, we get at least two years of support,” he said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) Move of Osan Red Horse (Feb 2008) In Oct 2007, the 36th Contingency Response Group’s planned expansion and the relocation of two Pacific Air Force contingency training courses. The 554th RED HORSE is moving from Osan AB, Korea, to Andersen was to merge with the 36th CRG. The 644th Combat Communications Squadron was to stand up to join the 36th CRG also. The squadron was projected to have two complete teams—growing from 16 to 75 personnel—by late December 2007. And, the bare-base build-up Silver Flag course at Kadena AB, Japan, was set to move to Andersen, as was the Commando Warrior ground defense school at Osan. In Feb 2008, it was announced that the 554th RED HORSE now officially calls Andersen AFB, Guam, home, in a move started in 2005 as part of the drawdown of US forces in Korea. The move of the 554th from Osan AB, South Korea, entailed shifting more than 3,000 tons of equipment and some 150 airmen. The shift to Andersen also comes with a new unit flag and, in a first, aligns a RED HORSE unit under a group and wing, the 36th Contingency Response Group and 36th Wing, respectively. The unit will still cover projects across the Pacific but has undertaken, as one of its first enterprises on Guam, construction of a 200-acre, $178 million expeditionary training campus for Pacific Air Forces at Andersen's northwest field, according to Brig. Gen. Douglas Owens, 36th Wing commander. (Source: AFA Update.) Remembering Marty (Feb 2008) (Commentary by Lt. Col. Curt Walker, 5th Reconnaissance Squadron Director of Operations 2/6/2008) - Recently, we at the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron did what we've routinely done for more than 30 years - strapped a pilot into a U-2, launched him on a high altitude reconnaissance mission, and safely recovered him many hours later in the bone-chilling South Korean night. As always, more than 200 Airmen and civilian contractors worked together to make yet another mission safe and successful. The evening was so cold that you could see steam coming off the pilot's head as he doffed his pressure suit helmet. As the ground crew gathered around the pilot to retrieve post-flight information, the commander emerged from the crowd, jumped up on a maintenance stand and asked for everyone's attention. He then reminded us this date, Jan. 15, 2008, was an ominous anniversary. It was on a night like this in 1992, when Capt. Marty McGregor took off on a sortie from Osan and never returned. He ejected from his crippled U-2 while flying a mission off the east coast of Korea. Extreme weather prohibited an immediate search, but a maximum-effort rescue attempt was planned and coordinated for a few hours later at firstlight.  U-2 (1981) (Mike Triano) Unfortunately, despite Marty's heroic efforts to save his own life and the daring of those trying to rescue him, Captain McGregor died that night. His body was recovered by a Korean fisherman the next day. After telling the story, the commander asked that we observe a moment of silence in honor of the supreme sacrifice Captain McGregor made. In that moment of reflection, I thought of the frantic efforts of a different leadership team, the suffering endured by his squadron mates, and most importantly, the unbearable loss endured by his family. I also thought of the reason our squadron is here, why we ask pilots to engage in such difficult and dangerous work, and why we ask so many to sacrifice so much. The answer is simple yet profound, and it can be distilled to just one word: FREEDOM. The contrast between North and South Korea is never starker than when flying at night in the same airspace Captain McGregor patrolled back in 1992. To the north, there is a black void, not a single light illuminates a town, road or home. In the south, the night is alive with activity; people are free to come and go as they please, airplanes flow in and out of Incheon airport bringing travelers from all over the world, and in the winter, even the ski slopes are illuminated. After the mission debrief, the pilots retired to our squadron bar that bears Captain McGregor's name. We lifted a glass to our brother, thanked him for his sacrifice and vowed that we would never forget. (Source: 51st FW News.) 51st SPS Named PACAF Outstanding Large Active Duty Security Forces for 2007 (Feb 2008) The 51st Security Forces Squadron was recently named the Pacific Air Forces' Outstanding Large Active Duty Security Forces Unit for 2007. "I am very proud of my defenders," said Lt. Col. Gregory Reese, 51st SFS commander. "It is nice that the 800 defenders that came through Osan this past year are being recognized for their hard work." During 2007, the squadron led the way for the DoD in base defense and antiterrorism, completing 5,000 hours of basic ground combat skills for 2,500 wing Airmen, In addition, they performed advanced base defense training for 800 SFS and Republic of Korea Army members. They also published the Air Force's first Installation, Arming and Response program. "Our defenders do a very good job that is sometimes overshadowed by other bases," Colonel Reese said. "But what is never forgotten is that we deter North Korean every day. Many of the defenders who are supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom were train here at Osan, so it is satisfying to earn this recognition." (Source: 51st FW News.) Korean Employees at Osan Beaten by Security Police (Feb 2008) The following was taken from Marmot's Hole which translated the Korean newspaper article. OhMyNews (hangul) reports that a US MP on patrol at Osan Air Base severely beat two old men on Feb 14. According to the USFK Employees Union, two Korean base employees — drivers with the 51LRS — are now receiving treatment in a hospital after they were kicked by US airmen… while they were in handcuffs. A Korean base employee at Osan told OhMyNews today that at around 10:50am on Feb 14, the two drivers, aged 62 and 56, were about to be escorted through a secure zone at the base (”Black Cat,” which a quick Google search leads me to believe is a hanger) when an MP — citing “suspicious behavior” — made them kneel on the ground and put them in handcuffs. He then said the MP kicked them on the back and pressed their faces on the ground, drawing blood. He then put his boot down on the men’s throats, he said. The employee — and now the source is sounding a bit suspicious — said, “Besides these, there are countless instances of human rights abuses… Why must we be abused by the soldiers of another country as we’re working hard in our country.” A union member said the two men were carrying runway entry permits issued by the MPs, and they showed those cards to the MP on guard duty. Afterwards, they took all the proper measures, he said, putting their names and units in the log. They called the airmen who called in a broken-down vehicle at Black Cat, who came out to escort them, but before they could enter the secure zone, the MP on duty suddenly claimed that the entry permits were fake and drew his weapon. The two men were put in cuffs. It was -7~9 degrees Celsius that day, but the handcuffed men had to put their faces on the frozen ground, not knowing why, while one was bleeding from the face because he was pushed from behind while being put on the ground. They were forced to remain in that position for more than two hours, he said. (SITE NOTE: The key question is whether the passes were fakes or not. This has NOT been answered. Whether they followed all the procedures is irrelevant.)Another union member said Black Cat was a strict security area, and that you need to be escorted by an airman to enter. He said the two men — long-time employees at the base — would have definitely known the procedures. He said if the men had entered without escort, the appropriate thing to do would be to charge the two with administrative punishment after a lawful investigation. In fact, he said, it would be the MPs who would be responsible since they failed to carry out their duty to guard the zone. He added that it was impermissible to kick the men after they’d been placed in handcuffs, and that the “nature of the abuse is thickly covered with racism against Koreans.” An official with the union told OhMyNews that they’ve sent an official letter to USFK asking for an explanation of what happened, and that the local chapter heads would meet for an emergency meeting. The union added, however, that they understood that the men weren’t, in fact, beaten. Big Bad USFK — which said the incident was an unplanned incident that occurred during operations and couldn’t be helped — was reportedly not taking responsibility for the incident, said OhMyNews. When OhMyNews called them today, USFK was quiet, saying only that it could not confirm anything at the present time. (Source: Robert Koehler: Marmot's Hole.)  U-2 (1981) (Mike Triano) S. Koreans claim abuse by gate guards at Osan (Feb 2008) Osan Air Base officials said their security personnel followed standard procedures when detaining two South Korean employees who attempted to enter a high-security area on Feb. 14. (SITE NOTE: Whether the guards followed standard procedures is irrelevant. What remains the question is what caused the guard to implement the procedures. The question remains whether the pass was a fake. If so, there are terrible and very disturbing questions that need to be answered immediately by the OSI and Security Police Forces.)But the head of the Songtan chapter of the U.S. Forces Korea Employees Union said the men, aged 63 and 57, remain hospitalized for the injuries and trauma they suffered after being left h |
