November 2006

New temporary gate at Humphreys will be on north side of post

By Franklin Fisher, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, November 3, 2006

PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — Workers at Camp Humphreys are building a temporary gate that will enable construction vehicles headed for the Zoeckler Station work site to bypass one of the post’s more traffic-heavy areas. Zoeckler Station, in the post’s northeast, is currently the site of several major construction projects. Those projects include a $27 million twin barracks and dining hall complex set for a grand opening Nov. 9.

The newest temporary gate is going in on the post’s north, near the Desiderio Army Airfield runway. Currently, most construction vehicles must enter and leave Camp Humphreys through its CPX gate. Once workers finish the new temporary gate, Camp Humphreys will have four temporary construction gates. “They all are intended to alleviate construction traffic, which will make the roadway safer because it will divert traffic from the heavily traveled and heavily populated areas of the installation,” Camp Humphreys spokeswoman Susan Barkley said. “It also is a positive because it will reduce the stress on the infrastructure,” she said. “If you’ve got, say, a heavy cement mixer full of cement, instead of traveling all the way from the CPX gate to Zoeckler Station, they’ll only have to go a shorter distance. So there’ll be a lot less wear and tear on the roads.”

Vehicles moving between the CPX gate and Zoeckler Station construction site currently travel past Beacon Hill, the post’s main gate, and its pedestrian, or so-called “walk-in gate.” “The area is constant traffic and people crossing (the) street, especially from pedestrian gate,” said Ronnie Lee, chief of master planning for the Army’s Area III Support Activity public works department. “However, the portion between the new gate and the Zoeckler Station construction site — there’s no heavy traffic at all.”

The existing temporary construction gates are Mool gate, a gate at the post’s MP Hill and the Hamjeong gate south of MP Hill, officials said. The Mool gate is the only temporary gate currently in use. Construction vehicles use it but are restricted to a work site in its immediate vicinity and not permitted to traverse other parts of the post.

Post officials can’t open the other construction gates to traffic until the South Korean government transfers to the U.S. military lands on which those gates are located, Barkley said. South Korea is in the process of turning over thousands of acres to the military to enable Camp Humphreys to expand under terms of a South Korea-U.S. agreement.

The post eventually will triple in size and become the U.S. military’s main installation on the peninsula. In addition, South Korea’s defense ministry is weighing what safety and other impact the newest gate’s use might have on bordering village Wonjong-ri, Lee said. Lee said defense ministry officials told him they met Monday with village representatives and intend to hold another meeting soon “to try to come up with … something mutually agreeable.” (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

The $29.5 million complex consists of two modified 2+2 standard design barracks with space for 408 Soldiers, a standard design dining facility with an 800-person capacity, a communication center, upgraded electrical distribution center, fire protection, alarm systems and building information systems. Support facilities include underground utilities, electrical services, exterior lighting, paving, walks, curbs, gutters, parking, bike racks, dumpster pads, storm drainage and fuel storage tanks.

After calling the occasion a milestone, Lt. Col. John Loefstedt, deputy commander, FED USACE, said the facility is a symbol of the Army's commitment to improve quality of life for Soldiers. He also complimented Shinil Engineering Co. for completing the project without a safety incident.

"This is a day of firsts," said Col. Scott Berrier, commander, 501st MI Bde. "It is the brigade's first step toward consolidation and moving to Camp Humphreys; the first of many brigade construction projects; and, the first new dining facility to be built at Zoeckler Station in more than 40 years."

Berrier called the combined facility a "great investment to take care of our standing personnel. Our Soldiers will spend many years enjoying these facilities." Han Mi-suk, Red Dragon Inn cook leader, was among those cutting the ribbon. Although she is not a Soldier, Han said she will also enjoy the new dining facility. She has worked at the old dining facility for more than 30 years. "This is my first job and my last job," she said. Han said she likes to cook everything for the Soldiers. (Source: Installation Management Command.)

(SITE NOTE: When they first started the "hub" idea back in 2003, "regional hubs" were discussed. At first they looked as though they would designate Camp Humphreys/Osan AB/Pyeongtaek Harbor as one regional hub, and the Taegu/Pohang/Pusan area as the other regional hub. In Feb 2003, Donald Rumsfeld stated that he envisioned a force concentrated around "an air hub and sea hub." He did not elaborate, but it was apparent that he spoke of Pusan as the "Sea Hub" in South Kyongsang Province with a large training area near Pohang, just above Pusan in North Kyongsang Province. The air hub was not so clear, but Osan and Pyongtaek were mentioned. In Mar 2003, the Ministry of National Defense announced that wo bases in urban areas; Uijeongbu and Dongducheon would be moved south of the Han River initially, and the Yongsan Base in Seoul would be moved within four years, instead of the eight years, which had been set previously.

Once the ROK realized the implications of the US move and the loss of its "tripwire" in the move south of the Han River, the ROK balked at every step of the way to block the relocation. The Future of the ROK-US Alliance (FOTA) never got past the relocation issue because of South Korea's position. In 2003, the Pentagon wanted to see the realignment started in the 2004 fiscal year with a move out of the Yongsan headquarters in Seoul to be followed by a redeployment of troops near the DMZ. This was not to happen with the constant foot-dragging of the ROK. The USFK continued to talk of US bases on the peninsula being reorganized into two hubs, one in and around Osan, the other in the Daegu and Busan region. The Busan/Daegu hub would be the center for a buildup of troops in case of a war on the peninsula. This was the first time the USFK had announced this idea - and it would change the Land Partnership Plan signed in March 2002, which dictated the location of U.S. bases through 2011.

The action by the MND to "stall, deny and deflect" on the relocation issue signals the start of a confrontation between the USFK (which wishes to move as soon as possible) against the ROK (which wishes the USFK forces to remain as a tripwire ad infinitum). After much discussions, the DoD started to refer to the ground forces hub at Camp Humphreys and the air hub at Osan AB (with Kunsan AB secondary). As the US-ROK alliance disintegrated, the concept was that there was Pyeongtaek Harbor as the NEO evacuation port and a Camp Humphreys battalion was formed to handle the evacuation taskings and follow-on support requirements. The term "sea hub" moved to the background as the Pusan camps were being returned to the ROK -- though at the same time, the ROK was building up deep water piers and container facilities between Pusan and Chinhae that in time of war could be used for military ships. The Pohang range talks stalled though Marines built up training facilities in the area.

In 2003, the Pentagon revealed its broad outlines of the Global Positioning Strategy that called for a broad realignment of troops in Asia that would include moving Marines out of Japan and establishing a network of small bases in countries such as Australia, Singapore and Malaysia where the US has never had a permanent military presence. The move included the transfer of troops away from the demilitarized zone in the ROK, represent the third phase of a sweeping plan by the Pentagon to reposition US forces around the world to be closer to areas it considers unstable while cutting the US presence in Cold War-era strongholds such as Germany. What this meant was that the US troops in Korea would be open for use as regional forces to react to any regional conflict. As this meant that the ROK would lose control of its "tripwire" this became an open sore -- and in the end in 2005, the ROK simply stated it understood the US position, but did not agree to it, while the US remained steadfast on its policy -- biding its time for the USFJ Realignment process to go forward.

The President Roh resurfaced his "independent defense vision" which threw everything into turmoil. The MND plan in Mar 2003 outlined how to transform the military into a more high-tech and elite force, but the weak link of the military was intelligence gathering, with 90 percent of its strategic intelligence coming from the Americans. So the plan called for investments in intelligence gathering tools, such as AWACS planes and advanced systems for command, control and communication. Though the plan was unrealistic in our opinion, Roh pressed forward with this idea causing the US to figure out ways to transfer strategic missions to the ROK -- that the ROK MND did not want because of its limited budget as Roh's ambitious, but ill-planned social programs siphoned away more and more funds.

The relations between the ROK and US proceeded downhill rapidly as the ROK reintroduced its rapproachment policies with the North, while the US leaned towards pressuring the North into a regime change. Further roadblocks such as the KEDO project, the six-party talks, the ROK refusal to accept the Oplan 5029 and Oplan 5030, etc. etc. etc. The US-ROK continued to mouthe the phrases of the alliance being strong, though there were wide cracks appearing. (Source: 2003: USFK Relocation) (SITE NOTE: On 2 Dec 2006, it was reported that the US-ROK agreed on Oplan 5029 at the SCM in Oct 2006, but none of the specifics were released.)

In 2004, the USFK accelerated the base returns under the LPP. The first bases Camp Greaves and Giant to be returned in Nov 2004 under the LPP instead of 2011. Because of the ROK foot-dragging to send its troops to Iraq promised in Mar 2003, the 2d Bde 2d ID relocated to Iraq in Aug 2004 -- with a follow-on to Fort Carson, CO. The US remained firm on 12,000 troop reductions by end of 2005. However, the move out of Yongsan was delayed to 2008. Interrelationship of moves to recombine 5AF at Yokota with 13th AF in Guam along with I Corps to Camp Zama and relocate Okinawa Marines to Camp Fuji. The never-ending story of the Future of the Alliance (FOTA) continued with negotiation after negotiation -- and the US playing hardball. (Source: 2004: USFK Relocation) However, the ROK National Assembly was up in arms when they estimated the total cost of the moves at $4.9 billion -- and as they initiated the removal from Yongsan, they would pay the entire cost. However, they immediately started to finaggle and squirm out of the agreements while the USFK made concession after concession, but still the ROK wanted more reductions. (Source: Military Com)

In 2005, the Security Policy Initiative (SPI) replaced FOTA -- as the US gave up on the unfruitful negotiations and the new SPI indicated that the ROK-US alliance was showing signs of being in deep trouble. However, the US and ROK kept blathering on about the solidarity of the alliance -- though the international media worried that the opposite was true. There were major changes underway in ROK and Japan to shape a REGIONAL force -- hopefully as a coalition. At that point, Roh drew the battlelines by stating OFFICIALLY that the ROK would NOT allow the USFK to become part of a Regional force. Being on a collision course, the ROK ended up stating that it "understood" the US global strategy and had no control over the use of US forces -- and left it at that. The US remained steadfast that the USFK would be a regional force, but it became clear that the stationing the US ground forces in Korea would only end in more heartburn. ROK cost-sharing remained in dispute and finally the ROK refused to increase its cost share causing the USFK in turn to lay off ROK temporary workers. The closure of Kooni Range after constant hassles with the ROK and activist protests, but turned up the difficiency of inadequate range time. Very little was heard of the Pusan-Pohang-Taegu area hub as the USFK concentrated on shutting down the Pusan and Cheju camps -- keeping a low-profile in these areas. Assets at Kimhae were moved to Camp Carroll and Camp Hialeah was preparing for its shutdown. (Source: 2005: USFK Relocation.)

Then in 2006, the US-ROK alliance "collapsed" (meaning the abrupt USFK change in policy to engage the ROK in a confrontational mode) after June 2006, the terms "regional hub" resurfaced again as the US pulled the Patriots out of Kwangju and relocated them to Camp Carroll. The outlook is for the ground forces to be greatly reduced despite what the USFK states today -- with Camp Carroll being the "hub" for follow-on troops, without any real ground force presence, as well as NEO evacuation taskings. This confrontational mode occurred right after the USFJ Realignment was approved by Japan which agreed to foot a major portion of the costs to relocate the part of the 3rd MEU to Guam and relocate other units in mainland Japan. The key element was the movement of I Corps to Camp Zama to takeover "contingency operations" in Korea -- in effect, replacing the CFC structure. With this new dynamics of Japan and the US forming a Missile Defense System and Japan moving to take on a regional presence, the US started talking about the US involvement in the defense of Korea as primarily one of massive air superiority and naval airpower -- meaning USAF assets and the 7th Fleet assets including nuclear submarines equipped with cruise missiles instead of a large stationary ground force. On top of this, an ultimatum was levied in Sep 2006 that the USAF would get the Chikdo Range or else the USAF was leaving. Then the decision to operate "separate" commands came after the ROK finally got its wish for wartime control of its forces. The reprecussions of this ROK decision to take back its wartime control are yet to be seen as the ROK is not ready, not equipped, does not have the military 4CI infrastructure, etc. etc. etc. -- that only it has itself to blame for reducing the defense budget from 8.0 percent of GDP under Kim Young-sam to less than 3.0 percent under Kim Dae-jung and now 2.7 percent under Roh Moo-hyun. The ROK's pipe dream of a self-reliant national defense is about to be put to the test -- and now there is a panic as the ROK realizes the true costs of such a policy.

Camp Humphrey will be reduced to 25,000 or less after 2012 -- and it now looks as though it will be much less after the US Army realignments that has eliminated the 8th Army and consolidating functions within the ROK for all units. The "air hub" at Osan/Kunsan is still unresolved as far as we know in Nov 2006 -- and the US might just shut down the air component if the ROK does not resolve the Weapon Impact Scoring System (WISS) and range time issues. As of Nov 2006, there were rumors everywhere that the USAF was leaving. And the biggest questions is that the USFK are talking of handing wartime control over to the ROK by 2009 -- while the ROK is still talking about 2012. In our opinion, the ROK won't be ready for wartime control even in 2012 as it is going to be forced to reduce its manning as the eligible age recruits will be declining after 2018 as the ROK has become an unsustainable society with a 1.2 birthrate.)

(SITE NOTE: One can only hope that the Master Plan that was to be finalized in June -- then July -- then Sept -- then Dec -- ??? will finally be approved. However, we see major problems ahead for the Master Plan. At the heart of the Master Plan completion is the resolution of cost-sharing and relocation costs.

The US and ROK appear to have reached conflicting assessments on the relocation cost of the USFK. According to the Korea Times on 27 Apr 2006, Gen LaPorte testified before a U.S. House committee in March 2005 that the U.S. government would only have to pay 6 percent of the cost, estimated at $8 billion, of the total cost for the relocation project.

But the Defense Ministry refuted the reports, saying related negotiations are still underway. ``It is wrong that South Korea will cover the expenditure for the BTL (Build to Lease) program,'' Col. Kang Yong-hee at the ministry's public affairs office said. ``I believe the cost will be covered by the U.S., or it will at least be shared.' (Source: Korea Times.)

The Korea BTL Program announced that the initial Korea BTL project for a 144-unit UOQ facility at K-16 Airfield was underway. On November 2, 2005 on Yongsan Garrison, the project Lease was awarded & executed. U.S. Forces Korea will occupy the facility under a 15-year lease. The team of BAUM Architects and Seohee Construction will construct the project and act as the Lessor through the jointly owned special purpose corporation, SB Sungnam Co., Ltd. Shinhan Bank provided the project financing. Groundbreaking for this precedent-setting project occurred on December 9, 2006. Delivery of the facility is scheduled for July 2007.

On a date to be announced, the Government intends to pre-qualify a contractor base for the build-out of family housing, unaccompanied housing and to-be determined commercial space at Camp Humphreys through the issuance of an RFP (Request For Proposal). The Government intends to qualify a number of contractors that may deliver discrete projects among potentially numerous facility components necessary to complete the leased facility sectors at Camp Humphreys. The purpose of this procurement is to allow the Government greater flexibility in the acquisition and delivery of leased facilities once the land delivery, site preparation and the master planning processes are finalized. (Source: Korea BTL.)

On 10 Aug 2006, the Stars and Stripes reported that about 250 construction industry representatives met in Seoul to learn how to bid for “build-to-lease” housing projects needed as U.S. Forces Korea moves its forces south on the peninsula. The “Korea BTL Industry Forum” focused on projects for family and unaccompanied housing on Camp Humphreys, where most U.S. forces on the peninsula are to move in coming years. U.S. officials hope to have two three-tower family housing clusters and one four-tower cluster of senior-leader quarters contracted and completed by 2009. They plan to release a request for proposal (RFP) this fall; contractors will have 60 days to respond. Five to eight potential contractors are to be qualified by next summer, and the top two bidders will earn the contracts and are to start construction by fall 2007.

Officials stressed the dates aren’t set in stone, but the contract will call for the family housing to be built within 24 months and the senior quarters within 20. During the forum in a Sofitel Ambassador Hotel ballroom, U.S. officials gave what they called a “cookbook” on how to submit competitive business proposals to the mostly South Korean audience. Briefing potential contractors such things as basic designs, timelines and maintenance agreements were officials from U.S. Forces Korea, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Installation Management Agency-Korea Region Office (KORO) and contracted program adviser Colliers/Knighthorse. There was a “conscious effort … to develop a straightforward approach that can be easily understood by Korean companies,” said Darrin Kennedy of Colliers/Knighthorse. His colleague, Joseph Faccone, said the original request for proposal will be released “when it’s appropriate” for the U.S.-South Korean alliance. He suggested contractors not go into an “emotional tailspin” if the RFP isn’t released by Sept. 22.

The build-to-lease concept already is being used in Seoul. Under it, South Korean contractors are constructing a housing tower according to detailed U.S. standards. In return, USFK agreed to lease it for 15 years. While only about 5 percent of U.S. troops here have their families living with them, the goal is to increase those percentages, officials said. “It may go up to 20, 30, 50 (percent) or whoever wants to bring their families,” said Kevin Shanahan, housing engineer with KORO, which will determine the housing units’ size and design. The key to keeping the troops and their families happy, Shanahan said, is to let them feel like they’re still living in the States when they’re within the camp’s perimeter.

Potential contractors were advised to follow the guidelines available on the project Web site, www.koreabtl.com. “We want to have fair, open competition and let the best proposal win,” Faccone said. “All we need from you is to follow the cookbook, fill in the numbers and give us a good deal.” (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

On 6 April 2006, the Defense Ministry announced that the total relocation plan would cost $7 to $9 billion and South Korea would bear $5.5 billion of that cost. 43% of South Koreans said the cost should be shared equally between Seoul and Washington because both nations have a common strategic interest. 27.2% believed that Washington should pick up more financial responsibility because the military alliance in the Korean peninsula is part of the U.S. global strategy. Only 2% said that South Korea should foot the entire bill because the alliance was to protect South Korea.

Unfortunately, the ROK is mixing apples and oranges when talking about cost-sharing. The support of the USFK is one issue, while the relocation of the USFK is another. As to relocation costs, Gen LaPorte said 74 percent of the relocation costs would be footed by the Seoul government, including 53 percent that South Korea promised under the 2004 agreement regarding the base relocation project and the remaining 21 percent would be covered by South Korea’s defense cost-sharing contribution.

However, what Gen LaPorte said about the cost-sharing was that the US government paid 60 percent of the non-personnel costs. The South Korean government support equaled 40 percent of the command's non-personnel costs. In a recent interview with the Stars and Stripes, USFK commander Gen. B. B. Bell called on Seoul to cover 50 percent of the defense sharing cost. Currently Seoul covers 38 percent.

When one compares the USFJ with the USFK one sees that the USFJ received $4.4 billion in host-nation support in 2006 and expect $1.2 billion in 2007 and 2008. On the other hand, the USFK received only 680 billion won ($707 million) for 2005 and 2006. The ROK cost sharing squabble is NOT complete as the ROK wants to REDUCE its support, while the US wants the ROK to INCREASE its support.

According to USFK, that formula accounted for about 40 percent of the American military cost in 2005 and was expected to cover only about 38 percent of 2006's costs. That money is used to cover local supply contracts, construction projects and salaries for Korean workers at the U.S. bases, according to USFK. In the past, the U.S. has argued that South Korea should pay more; Japan, for instance, pays about 75 percent of the cost of its American military presence. South Korea, however, has argued that as U.S. forces shrink here, so should the bill. The U.S. military is in the midst of a plan to remove 12,500 troops from the peninsula, from 37,500 to 25,000. Currently, there are about 29,000 U.S. troops here. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

The US is pressing the point that the Congress mandated that the host country must foot 75 percent of the bill for stationing US troops on their soil -- but will settle for the ROK footing 50 percent of the bill. The Korean press started trying to interpret what Rumsfeld meant by "equitable" as the ROK pays 38 percent of the cost sharing ($680 million a year) -- but also wants to reduce it further. The Master Plan hinges upon this cost-sharing of both support and relocation costs. The Yongsan move costs were fully ROK initiated -- but the ROK wants to wiggle out of those costs as well. Watch the National Assembly and Uri Party for more moves to renege on their part. The move from Uijongbu of the 2d ID is shared by both but this is still being hassled out.

We are only outsiders reading newspapers, but from our perspective the Master Plan is far from settled -- despite the contractors views that it is on-track with minor changes due to the CFC being split away. Reports have said South Korea's total cost-sharing (support share and relocation costs) is estimated to reach up to $5.5 billion with respect to costs for the provision of land for new U.S. military facilities and the relocation of the headquarters of the USFK and related facilities in Yongsan, Seoul. The United States is expected to pay as much as $4.5 billion for the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division stationed north of Seoul to Pyongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The problem is that recent National Assembly reports show that the ROK still thinks its share should be in the $3.2 billion range.

There are other problems with the Master Plan that surfaced when Korea refused the return of the bases due to pollution concerns though the SOFA stated the bases would be returned "as is." The amount required to repair environmental damage to the old military base sites is another area of contention. 41.4% South Koreans believe the U.S. should shoulder the entire bill. Another 32.6% want the U.S. to take up most of the cost. Another 22% said it should be shared equally. In addition, there is the US demand that the land at Pyeongtaek requires $500 million in flood control improvements while the ROK claims that it is impossible due to the land fill issues -- and then simply refused to talk about it.)

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Seohee Construction Gets Landfill Contract for First Parcel (Nov 2006) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $29.7 million contract to Seohee Construction Co. Ltd. of Seoul on 17 Nov and on 20 Nov issued clearance to start work. The 200-acre tract is the first portion of land scheduled for construction. The first work on the site will go forward on “Parcel 1,” a 200-acre portion of the overall expansion site, officials have said. The contract calls for Seohee to blanket the parcel with landfill and put in roads and a drainage system. An estimated 3 million cubic yards of soil is to be laid down there, officials have said. Later, a separate contract will be issued for building construction, Monaco said.

The parcel is to be the eventual site of a barracks and dining hall, battalion headquarters, vehicle maintenance shops, administrative buildings, physical fitness center, sports field and a religious education center, project officials have said. Building construction is to begin in 2007, they’ve said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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December 2006

South Koreans in Pyeongtaek mixed on U.S. realignment plan (Dec 2006) According to a 12 Dec Stars and Stripes article, four out of 10 South Koreans in the Pyeongtaek area have favorable or very favorable feelings about the future U.S. military presence in this port city about 40 miles south of Seoul, according to a survey recently released by a South Korean government think tank. Of 1,000 people surveyed in Pyeongtaek in April, 41.9 percent said they have a positive perception of the American military’s planned growth, which will relocate U.S. headquarters from Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. But 38.3 percent said they disliked or strongly disliked the increased presence, which is a joint project by the South Korean and U.S. governments.

Another 19.8 percent said they had no strong feelings one way or another, according to the survey done by the Gyeonggi Research Institute, a provincial government research center that covers the area from north of Seoul down past Pyeongtaek. When asked about the move of the 2nd Infantry Division — a unit now stationed closer to the North Korean border that includes thousands of young, single soldiers — opinions shifted. Nearly one in four Pyeongtaek residents said they strongly disliked the move.

Kim Dong-sung, the researcher who headed the study, said this week that some of the most surprising findings involved what he called misconceptions by local residents of U.S. soldiers. Kim said many local residents imagine soldiers as rude and heavy drinkers, an image he said is more akin to experiences from the 1960s and 1970s.“It is very important to break that kind of old image,” he said during a telephone interview last week. Kim, who is on sabbatical this year at the University of Maryland at College Park, was in South Korea to present the survey’s findings to a group of government officials and residents in late November. (SITE NOTE: In order to reverse this perception, the ROK media must not jump on every incident involving a USFK military member as though it were a national outrage. The sensationalism panders to the underlying anti-American feelings in the Korean public in general. In a recent trial, a soldier hit a woman with a bottle over vague circumstances. Though the act deserves punishment, the treatment in the press was out of proportion to the numbers of cases of brutality by Koreans to both males and females while under the influence.)

The overall report also included partial results from a questionnaire by 211 U.S. soldiers on Yongsan Garrison and K-16 Air Base, Kim said. That portion of the research was headed by U.S. Forces Korea’s community relations office, Kim said. Kim said the survey’s purpose was to hear from Americans and South Koreans about their perceptions of each other. Kim said he hopes by exposing these perceptions, both governments might work to foster better relationships between the groups.

The questions asked of U.S. soldiers ranged from their exposure to the Pyeongtaek area residents to the benefits of the relocation plan. Nearly four out of five soldiers thought the move would benefit Pyeongtaek’s economy, according to the partial results released. Four out of 10 Pyeongtaek residents also thought their local economy would benefit from the move, according to the survey, which is available in Korean at: www.kydi.re.kr.

When asked to rank the advantages of the move, 42.7 percent of those surveyed named the local economy, followed by 19.8 percent who said national security, 17.4 percent said new jobs, 8.3 percent said more subsidies for the local government and 5.3 percent said cultural exchanges between the two nations.

When asked to rank the disadvantages, 30.2 percent said they feared a larger influence of drinking and prostitution in the area, which might in turn influence younger South Koreans. Tied for second on the list was rising crime and environmental impacts, such as noise pollution, at 23.1; third was restrictions on land use for private citizens at 14.8 percent and fifth was lower property values at 6.5 percent. (SITE NOTE: Korea has a sex industry that is estimated at $22 billion per year. Red light districts are sanctioned in most cities. Unregistered prostitutes that once worked in the red light districts have now moved into the neighborhoods after the police crackdown (mostly for international media show) in 2005. Besides, the GI business is considered "cheap trade" by the Korean prostitutes who have left it to Filipinas and other foreign nationals from impoverished countries. As to alcohol, those familiar with Korea know that drinking is part of the fabric of group dynamics in business and leisure. Thus the influence of GI drinking and prostitution are minimal.)

Kim made several recommendations to both governments in his report. He urged the South Korean government to give Pyeongtaek local officials a larger voice when making decisions and assuaging conflicts that arise between the local community and U.S. servicemembers.

To the Americans, Kim urged the commands to take a more active role in promoting the community relations programs already in existence. According to his survey, three out of four people know little or nothing about USFK’s Good Neighbor Program, a campaign that brings together U.S. servicemembers and South Koreans in a wide range of civic activities. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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South Koreans want U.S. troops to bring families (Dec 2006) A South Korean government research group will survey U.S. servicemembers with the hopes of encouraging more troops to bring their families along for long-term assignments. The Family and Women Development Institute of Gyeonggi Province plans to interview U.S. servicemembers early next year to discover what aspects of South Korean life might attract more families.

Of the 29,500 servicemembers assigned to U.S. Forces Korea, only about 10 percent get financial support — including housing — to bring their families along. Because of that restriction, most assignments here last only a year. As the U.S. forces centralize at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek in coming years, leaders hope to change that shortened, solitary assignment into a three-year stint with orders to bring family members along.

In tandem with that move, local leaders say they want to provide housing and social needs that will better fit foreign families. Last week, the Gyeonggi governor Kim Moon-soo requested help from USFK commander Gen. B. B. Bell to conduct the survey. The local officials also are planning a trip to Okinawa to study examples of U.S. military families living abroad. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: The only problem with this is that the ROK refuses to increase their cost-sharing which directly impacts upon the accompanied tours in Korea. This is why the ROK is NOT the area of choice for most personnel because of the unaccompanied tour. In the USFJ, 75 percent of married personnel are accompanied tours, while in Korea only 10 percent are accompanied. Even those that were accompanied live in substandard housing on the camps near the DMZ -- and even worse off-base. In addition, the MND has complained in 2006 that it was "unfair" that the ROK should shoulder the burden of the Build-to-Lease (BTL) programs for family housing.)

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2007

January 2007

Camp Humphreys growth to top Area III agenda in 2007 (Jan 2007) Major construction work and other key steps toward turning Camp Humphreys into the U.S. military’s flagship installation in South Korea will top Area III’s agenda in 2007, its commander said in a year-end interview with Stars and Stripes. The post eventually is to become home to the bulk of U.S. forces on the peninsula, including those currently stationed in Seoul and points north, and triple in size, expanding onto 2,328 acres of adjacent land. “That’s really our No. 1 focus,” said Col. Michael J. Taliento Jr., commander of the Army’s Area III Support Activity at Camp Humphreys, in Pyeongtaek.

Dozens of new buildings will open on post this year. And work crews will take their first steps in getting land next to the post ready for Camp Humphreys’ expansion. South Korean authorities have said they will act early this year to remove from those lands residents who have resisted previous government efforts to move them. A South Korean court recently ruled they remain illegally. Most residents have accepted government relocation payments and moved.

Inside the installation, about $220 million in construction projects are set for completion this year, Taliento said. “We’ll see dozens of new and refurbished buildings come on line to support our existing tenants,” Taliento said. They include barracks, a dining hall, motor pools, two gyms, a high-rise Army family housing tower, child development center, a multistory parking garage, a 96-person bachelor officers’ quarters, an aquatics park, perimeter security walls, installation of a sewer line system and expansion of the existing Camp Humphreys Army Lodge. “All emerge this year to support the existing population,” he said. “And we have another $280 million under design that will start in the upcoming year.”

Officials will continue alerting people to a variety of temporary inconveniences that could result from the high construction tempo on- and off-post, he said. Those include unplanned power outages and traffic tie-ups, as well as an increase in noise and dust, he said.

One key, said Taliento, will be for residents to “acknowledge that we’re in a transitory period” and to accept the inconveniences. Outside the installation, workers this month are to begin laying landfill set aside for the expansion. “That is decidedly a milestone in creating the conditions” for the expansion to proceed, Taliento said.

Also pending is the move by the South Korean government to relocate the remaining holdouts. Past efforts to remove the residents were met with violent protests involving anti-expansion activists who clashed with South Korean riot police. “How it is perceived by the Korean people will be important,” Taliento said. “I have a high degree of trust and confidence,” he said, that the government will accomplish the relocation with the “greatest degree of dignity, sensitivity,” aiming to minimize the hardship of relocation for the residents. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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February 2007

South Koreans paving way for Camp Humphreys project (Feb 2007) The troops and their equipment began arriving at the site Tuesday and were continuing on Wednesday to stage there for the road construction, an official at South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) told Stars and Stripes. They’ll build a “construction road” for trucks working on the expansion project. The road will be about 5 miles long and more than 20 feet wide, the MND stated in a news release. The construction contingent comprises 112 troops in two engineer companies. The road project will take about six months, the release stated. (SITE NOTE: We've seen the ROK build four-lane portions of freeway in a week -- and had it opened for traffic in a month. These ROK engineers are SLOW ... or they are under orders to drag their feet.)

The camp is to expand onto a 2,328-acre tract of neighboring land South Korea has set aside for the project. The troops will build the road across one portion of the land slated for the expansion, a Camp Humphreys official said. MND said building the road was important to get the lands ready for eventual construction and that it would do its best to minimize inconvenience to the public while the road is being built.

Word of the road project came only days after a Feb. 14 MND announcement that it had settled a long-standing dispute with residents who refused to vacate their homes to make way for the expansion. The settlement climaxed a lengthy effort by the government to persuade the residents to vacate without a repeat of the violence that derailed previous relocation efforts.

As construction progresses on Camp Humphreys, the U.S. military gradually is to shift its forces from the peninsula’s northern tier, including the Seoul area, to Camp Humphreys. That base is to house senior military headquarters and most U.S. troops in South Korea, officials have said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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South Koreans say Camp Humphreys Master Plan COULD be Imminent (Feb 2007) According to the Stars and Stripes on 24 Feb, negotiations between the United States and South Korea on a master plan for U.S. base relocations to Camp Humphreys should be wrapped up as soon as late Feb, according to a South Korean government agency. A lead project-management contractor should be agreed upon by May, South Korean officials said. However, officials also said due to the negotiations’ nature, target dates always could change.

U.S. Forces Korea officials declined to name a date for the end of the ongoing master-plan negotiations. Once finished, the master plan will include details on cost sharing and construction for relocating U.S military bases in Seoul and Area I to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. The move originally was scheduled after agreements with USFK for 2008 but South Korean officials said in January that relocation could be delayed until 2013. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: The Master Plan was delayed from June 2006... July 2006... Oct 2006... Dec 2006... and now Feb 2007. We'll believe it when we see it. That it will be finalized without the ROK agreeing to cost-sharing issues makes this article highly suspect -- and when cost-sharing agreement is announced, then the master plan and selection of a consortium to complete the construction can go forward.)

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March 2007

Gen. Bell: Allied Burden Sharing to House Armed Services Committee (Mar 2007) Without a cost-sharing formula agreement the finalization of the Camp Humphreys relocation plan is up in the air. Gen B.B. Bell's report before the House Armed Services Committee on 7 Mar 2007 contained a portion entitled "Allied Burden Sharing." It is extracted below:

With the Republic of Korea's tremendous economic capacity and prominence in the international community, a balanced defense burden sharing arrangement in support of Unites States forces in Korea is fundamental to the strength of the Alliance. Today the Republic of Korea contributes approximately 2.6% of its GDP to its national defense, while the United States expends around 3.9% for our defense. At the end of 2006, the Republic of Korea and the United States concluded talks on a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) regarding ROK cost sharing support of United States forces in Korea for 2007-2008. (SITE NOTE: The amount of ROK contribution to defense is actually 2.57 percent of GDP -- while a frontline flashpoint nation usually spends about 6% of GDP. The percentage of GDP up to Kim Young-sam remained at 8.0% of GDP, but as soon as Kim Dae-jung took office he used the excuse of the IMF Crisis to reduce the defense share to 2.8% of GDP. Roh Moo-hyun continued with the reductions -- and postponing defense upgrades -- until the present 2.57 percent of GDP.)

In principle, both sides agreed to the goal of reaching an equitable level of cost sharing. The United States believes that to achieve equitable levels, the two allied nations should contribute approximately 50% each of the non-personnel stationing costs (NPSC) for U.S. forces in Korea. To date the Korean Government burden sharing contribution to assist the U.S. in military stationing costs has been below this 50-50 ratio; the 2006 SMA contribution represented on 38% of the NPSC. For 2007, the ROK agreed to provide 725.5 Billion Won ($770M) as a direct contribution and to increase its level in 2008 with the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The ROK 2007 SMA contribution represents 41% of our NPSC, still short of the principle of equitable 50-50 cost sharing. As a result of SMA burden sharing shortfalls, we are forced to stretch limited funding. I cannot allow readiness to suffer, and I will not allow the quality of life of my Servicemembers or families to suffer. Without more equitable allied SMA funding, we may be forced to recommend a range of fiscal measures to the U.S. government, including a review of base relocation and consolidation plans. (SITE NOTE: Now that the USFJ Military Reorganization agreement has been completed in June 2006 and the close alliance with the Japanese, the ROK alliance is on the brink of collapse if it continues to refuse to pay for its share of the costs. The move is already underway to relocate the 3rd MEU Hq to Guam and reshuffle the forces in Japan. Part of this is to move I Corps to Camp Zama to take over the contingency planning for Korea -- and relocate the UNC to Japan in a support role.)

Clearly, defense burden sharing is advantageous to both Alliance partners. For the United States, the Republic of Korea's willingness to equitably share appropriate defense costs is a clear indicator that United States forces Korea are welcome, wanted and held necessary by our host. For the Republic of Korea, an appropriate SMA investment gives them the presence and capabilities of the U.S. military. Additionally, 100 percent of ROK SMA burden sharing contributions are returned directly into the Koran economy by paying the salaries of Korean USFK local national employees, Korean contractors and service agents, and Korean construction firms. ROK contributions for the past four years represent shortfalls that USFK has struggled to absorb by reducing expenditures while maintaining readiness. (SITE NOTE: The USFK has already laid off 100 temporary positions in the past due to the ROK refusal to increase its contribution. More can be expected in the future with the current ROK refusal to increase its share.) (Source: Gen Bell before House Armed Services Committee, 7 Mar 2007, pp 17-19.)

But the key phrases of his report was: "We will remain in Korea as a trusted ally as long as we are welcome and wanted." In another portion of his report he stated, "Clearly, defense burden sharing is advantageous to both Alliance partners. For the United States, the Republic of Korea's willingness to equitably share appropriate defense costs is a clear indicator the United States forces in Korea are welcome, wanted, and held necessary by our host."

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USFK Chief Agrees to Completing Relocation by 2012 (Mar 2007) Commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Gen. Burwell Bell expects the relocation of USFK headquarters and other bases here to be complete by 2012, four years later than planned. Bell told the Stars and Stripes military newspaper that the South Korean consortium winning the bid for the relocation project will be tasked with completing it by 2012. The USFK chief earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in the relocation of U.S. bases to Pyongtaek, south of Seoul. Korea and the U.S. agreed to complete the relocation by 2008, but many expect it to take four or five years longer. Bell's most recent remarks suggest that he has accepted Korea's view, but he appeared determined to start as soon as possible. "So there's not going to be a giant movement one afternoon of thousands of Americans to Pyeongtaek," he said.


Camp Humphreys Relocation (Mar 2007)

"Hundreds of Republic of Korea staff officers and commanders and leaders would have moved down there with that operation. That is now not going to happen," Bell said, since the allies agreed to disband Combined Forces Command by 2012. Bell "said he assumes South Korea will build its own headquarters in Seoul to house what he refers to as a 'Republic of Korea Joint Forces Command,'" the paper added. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: The acceptance of the 2012 date is a compromise to obtain the 50-50 split in relocation costs, BUT Gen Bell left the door open to relocate units as the facilities become available -- as it has been doing all along.)

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USFK holding 800 bln won worth of defense sharing funds in banks (Mar 2007) Yonhap News reported on 19 Mar that the USFK was holding 800 billion won (US$846 million) worth of defense sharing funds provided by Seoul in banks, military sources said Sunday. The insider, who declined to be identified by name, said the money had been deposited in U.S. and South Korean banks since 2002. (Source: Yonhap News.) (SITE NOTE: We wonder why the US would deposit funds in South Korean banks when the funds would be transferred to the US government -- and then budgeted to the USFK from DoD funds. We wonder what NGO activist group is responsible for spreading this -- and how they arrived at the 800 billion won figure.)

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Seoul officials seek to lower burden (Mar 2007) Korea will pay up to 5.6 trillion won ($ 5.9 billion) for the relocation of U.S. military bases, about half of the total costs, the Defense Ministry said on 19 Mar. This breaks down to 1 trillion won for the purchase of land and 4.6 trillion won for the construction of facilities. The ministry released a plan for the base relocation after 17 months of negotiations with the United States. In 2004, the two countries agreed to consolidate 42 U.S. military installations scattered across the peninsula into two hub bases in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province and Daegu regions. ``Despite 17 months of negotiations, there are still unresolved issues that we have failed to compromise on,'' Army Gen. Kwon Haing-keun, chief of the Defense Ministry's U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) base relocation office, said in a briefing. ``We expect that such remaining problems will be solved after a consortium of firms to handle the relocation is picked in May.'' Kwon declined to comment on how much the United States will pay for the project, only saying, ``Total cost-sharing between the two sides is likely to be 50-50.'

"The Korean side is expected to spend 4.58 trillion won ($4.86 billion) constructing the new military bases and facilities, about 50 percent of the total cost, which is estimated at over 11 trillion won. The remaining half will be paid by the U.S. side under the principle of even cost sharing," Maj. Gen. Kwon Haing-keun, chief of the government's base relocation bureau, told reporters at a news briefing.

But Kwon said his estimate does not include the 1.01 trillion won cost for purchasing land on which the new base will be constructed. So, including the cost of the land, the total cost will be in line with previous estimates of 5.6 trillion won. "The cost is still flexible. We are working on lowering our cost burden through extended negotiations on details," Kwon said.

According to the master plan, the ministry estimated that Seoul will spend 3.67 trillion won to construct new facilities including buildings, infrastructure, and the digital C4I (command, communication, control, computer and intelligence) system for the expansion of U.S. Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. But the master plan, which was reported to the National Assembly, lacks a compromise on some sensitive issues, including the deadline for the project and cost-sharing for the transfer of the "C4I" system. C4I refers to a joint command, control, communications, computers and intelligence system that enables a commander to selectively apply and maximize combat power at critical points in time and space on the battlefield.

"South Korea and the U.S. have yet to reach an agreement on how to split the cost for the construction of schools, hospitals, other welfare facilities, and the setting up of C4I," he said, adding the C4I transfer is likely to cost up to 380 billion won. The United States wants South Korea to pay up to $400 million for the C4I move, $200 million more than South Korea intends to spend, sources said. (SITE NOTE: We are now confused. The latest we heard was the ROK was going to develop its own indigenous system. Now there is talk of "transfer"??? The US C4I system is a NOFORN (no foreign national) system which cannot be transferred. The current system is a dual system that interfaces only in time of war. A continuation of this system was offered to the ROK, but was refused. Thus this must be the transfer of the USFK system to Camp Humphreys ONLY.)

The remaining budget breaks down to 530 billion won for base site planning and program management, and 380 billion won to relocate the facilities in Gunsan, Gimcheon, Waegwan and Pocheon, the ministry said. A concrete date for the completion of base construction will be decided after investigations by the Program Management Consortium (PMC) firms who will run the construction project. Seoul and Washington plan to select a PMC in March for the bid in which four Korean firms and a U.S. consortium are competing, the ministry said. (NOTE: Yonhap News stated the selection of a PMC was in May for a five-year contract.) The PMC will begin the land construction to expand Camp Humphreys from September. The consortium will decide on the exact timing for the completion of the expansion plan but informed defense sources said it will be no later than 2012.

The master plan will get final approval from the joint committee of the Status of Forces Agreement in March. The Defense Ministry plans to begin examining cultural assets at the site of the base and conduct geological investigations of the site later this month. When the investigations are finished in September, the ministry will embark on landfill work to elevate the land. The ministry expected that the large-scale construction project will boost the national economy, stimulating 440 billion won of production and creating 30,000 job openings. It will also contribute to balanced regional development, the ministry said.

Korea and the United States agreed on the Yongsan Relocation Plan and Land Partnership Plan in 2004 to relocate U.S. Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul and 2nd Infantry Division, north of Seoul, to two hub bases in southern Korea. Under the plan, the U.S. military will return 35 military bases and seven training facilities across Korea, measuring 51.7 million pyeong (171 million square meters), to Korea. South Korea will foot the bill for the relocation of the Yongsan compound, while the U.S. side will pay for the move of bases outside of Seoul, according to South Korean negotiators.

Camp Humphreys will be remodeled to accommodate more than 44,000 U.S. soldiers, their families, and Korean employees. On the one million pyeong site, 500 new buildings will be built, including headquarters, an administrative complex, maintenance and logistics facilities, residential housing, dining facilities, a recreational center and hospitals. (Source: Korea Herald, Korea Times and Yonhap News.)

Korea to Pay W5.59 Trillion for U.S. Base Relocation (Mar 2007) The Defense Ministry said it will cost about W10 trillion (US$1=W942) to relocate several U.S. military bases, including the Yongsan Garrison and the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division, to a new base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. South Korea will pay W5.59 trillion of the total cost.

South Korean and U.S. military authorities have agreed to finish the relocation, which was previously slated for the end of 2008, by 2011 or 2012 when construction on the new base is scheduled to be done. Army Maj. Gen. Kwon Haing-keun, chief of the Defense Ministry's base relocation bureau, revealed the plan on 20 Mar.

South Korea is expected to spend W4.58 trillion on construction and W1.01 billion for land for the military base, for a total of W5.59 trillion. The U.S. will bear a similar cost for relocating their bases from the outskirts of Seoul. The Pyeongtaek base, measuring 3.3 million sq. meters, will consist of 500 buildings, including the headquarters of the U.S. Forces Korea, the 8th U.S. Army Command, an operations command room, senior officers' quarters and a hospital. The facilities will accommodate 44,370 personnel, including 17,030 American soldiers.

The Defense Ministry will seek approval for the plan from a joint committee of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) this month. It will select Program Management Consortium firms to run the project around May and finish building a road, 8 meters wide and 1.8 kilometers long, for the project by August.

An archaeological survey to check for artifacts and a geological study will be conducted at the Pyeongtaek site for six months if local residents finish moving out this month. Ground-leveling work will begin around September. (SITE NOTE: The US needs to be wary of the archaeological survey. The ROK used this issue of "possible" artifacts to stall the construction of a new US Embassy on a site -- a former girls' high school -- that the US had purchased and been approved by the ROK to move to. After years of frustration, the US has now opted to accept a portion of the Yongsan Garrison transferred land -- in exchange for the site. No artifacts have ever been found and only surface examinations have been undertaken -- though a lot of opinions (papers) have been written by Korean "scholars." The warning is the same can occur here. The geological survey was done in 2005 and the separate military surveys by the MND and USFK done after that. The archaeological surveys were supposed to be done in 2006, but no action was taken by the ROK ostensibly because of the turmoil from prostestors. Our opinion is the USFK needs to watch this element carefully.) (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

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April 2007

Pyeongtaek development plan finalized The government will spend 3.15 trillion won ($3.38 billion) next year to develop Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, which will host the headquarters of U.S. Forces Korea in approximately 2012. The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs said yesterday that the government has finalized a development plan to support the region in compensation for the U.S. base relocation. The plan comprises 59 specific projects aimed at boosting commercial activities in areas near the U.S. base site, creating a high-tech farming land and constructing an industrial complex. It was completed through consultations with 11 related government authorities on a draft plan presented by Pyeongtaek City, the ministry said.

The development is in accordance with a special law to help people who move out from the planned U.S. base site and reside near the U.S. base Camp Humphreys. They will be entitled to priority beneficiary status for newly created job opportunities from the development, the ministry said. Under the plan, the Defense Ministry will contribute 100 billion won to construct 71 convenience facilities, such as roads, small parks and physical exercise facilities. Those facilities will be built at areas within 3 kilometers from the U.S. base.

The Home Affairs Ministry will spend 35.1 billion won to refresh regions neighboring the U.S. base through building commercial support facilities and welfare centers. The Agricultural Ministry will create a 100,000-square-meter high-tech farming area that will cost 32.5 billion won, while the Construction Ministry will secure a 10.6 square kilometer of land by 2008 to build an industrial complex. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will pour 313 billion won into increasing the capacity of Pyeongtaek harbor, which currently accommodates 14 ships. Under the plan, the harbor will be expanded to accommodate 52 ships by 2011. Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province will begin a project next year to build a 17.5 square kilometer international area that will be home to 157,000 people. (Source: Korea Herald.)

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ROK Selects Contractor to Relocate US Bases (Apr 2007) The Ministry of Defense chose a five-company group on 24 Apr as its preferred contractor to relocate U.S. bases between Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone to Camp Humphreys. U.S. company CH2M Hill won the competitive bidding process as part of a consortium with South Korean companies Kunwon Engineering, Yooshin Engineering, ITM and TOPEC Engineering & Consulting. The Englewood, Colo.-based CH2M Hill is a multinational engineering, consulting, construction and operations company. Kuwon managed construction of World Cup Stadium, while Yooshin and ITM both performed work on Incheon International airport.

The two governments will now open contract negotiations with the group. Government officials hope to have a contract in place by mid-May, a spokesman with the ministry’s USFK Base Relocation Office said. “We estimated about 160 billion won ($173 million) to employ a consortium to manage the project,” the spokesman said. It is unclear how much of the cost U.S. Forces Korea will pay, he said. USFK officials Tuesday referred all questions to the Ministry of Defense. The two countries are expected to almost evenly split costs for the overall relocation.

The 10-member panel took nine months to select the winning bid. The panel included equal representation from both countries and considered technology and past performance among its criteria. South Korean officials have not decided whether they will pursue a five-year contract or an annual contract. A 10-member joint evaluation team of both militaries chose CH2M HILL-Kunwon as the Program Management Consortium (PMC) for the estimated 11 trillion won (about $12 billion) project, after a three-week review of bid proposals from four consortia. (SITE NOTE: A concrete date for the completion of base construction will be decided after investigations by the Program Management Consortium (PMC) firms who will run the construction project. The PMC bid was from four Korean firms and a U.S. consortium for a five-year contract. The PMC was to begin the land construction to expand Camp Humphreys from September. The consortium will decide on the exact timing for the completion of the expansion plan but informed defense sources said it will be no later than 2012.)

However, some construction companies immediately questioned the fairness of the selection, claiming that a senior official of CH2M HILL's branch office in Korea is the husband of Col. Janice Dombi, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Far East District Commander. The commander of the Far East District was in a position to influence the nomination of five U.S evaluators to the 10-member joint evaluation panel. The Defense Ministry denied any conflict of interest, saying the evaluation was conducted in a fair and transparent manner under the principle of consensus among evaluators. Citing an unidentified source, the Munhwa Ilbo reported that the head of CH2M HILL’s Korean offshoot is a family member of the commander of the Far East Engineer District, which oversees the construction of life and operational facilities for American troops on the peninsula. Lee, however, denied that family ties affected the process. (Source: Korea Herald and Joongang Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: On the blogs there were immediate questions raised as CH2M HILL is also a sub-contractor on another high profile contract at Osan AB. Col Dombi also may have affected the selection of the five US evaluators on the 10-member evaluation panel -- and now questions are being raised about the five US evaluators. Raytheon and MTC -- amongst others who submitted bids -- may protest this award.)

South Korea rules no conflict over big contract involving spouses (Apr 2007) An Army Corps of Engineers district commander’s marriage to an engineer for a company that won a multimillion-dollar contract does not present a conflict of interest, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said on 25 Apr. The Army Corps of Engineers Far East District (FED) commander is not part of the process that recently granted the company her husband works for a multimillion dollar contract, FED officials said on 26 Apr. Col. Janice Dombi signed a disqualification statement on Sept. 21, 2004, because her husband, Joseph Dombi, works for CH2M Hill — a U.S. firm that seeks contracts with the U.S. government. She renewed her disqualification on April 26, 2006. Far East District commander Col. Janice Dombi is married to Joseph Dombi, an employee with multinational engineering and construction firm CH2M Hill. "Col. Dombi has been disqualified from participating in any official matter which has an effect on the financial interests of CH2M Hill," FED spokesman Joe Campbell said in an e-mail query. "She did not select or influence the selection of US members to the Joint … Evaluation Board which recently concluded its deliberations."

The Englewood, Colo.-based CH2M Hill teamed with four South Korean companies to submit the winning bid for moving U.S. bases from Seoul to the Demilitarized Zone down to Camp Humphreys. During the request for qualifications from five groups of bidders last year, the five South Korean members of the 10-member choosing panel asked the U.S. members whether the applicant groups were eligible under U.S. law, according to a Wednesday defense ministry news release. “The U.S. made it clear that the applicant company had no problem in qualifying for bidding, making sure that no problem existed in their domestic law,” the release stated.

Joseph Dombi hasn’t worked in his former position with CH2M Hill in South Korea for the past six months, a second ministry press release stated. Joseph Dombi is also a West Point graduate and a retired army major. He has never worked at the FED. Col. Dombi was out of the country on 24 Apr on temporary deployment and unavailable for comment.

The project’s contractor will work closely with Far East District on moving bases and constructing new facilities at Camp Humphreys. Originally set for the end of 2008, the move is now expected to be complete within four to five years. CH2M Hill won the competitive bidding process as part of a consortium with South Korean companies Kunwon Engineering, Yooshin Engineering, ITM and TOPEC Engineering & Consulting.

The South Korean government has reserved 160 billion won, or about $173 million, to pay the group. U.S. Forces Korea has not disclosed how much it has set aside, but the two countries are expected to split overall relocation costs about evenly.

Although the group was selected as preferred bidder, it must still negotiate a contract with the two governments. Privately held CH2M Hill had $3.15 billion in sales and 18,363 employees in 2005, according to Hoover’s business information service. The selection committee based 70 percent of its bid evaluation on technical plans and 30 percent on a combination of cost, management plan, necessary work force and performance history, a South Korean defense ministry official said. The two governments are now negotiating a contract with the winning group to manage the expansion at Camp Humphreys, which was originally set to finish by the end of 2008. Political opposition and other delays have pushed the date back to a U.S. target date of 2012. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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USFK Chief Hints at Review of Base Relocation Plan (Apr 2007) On 25 Apr it was reported that Gen. Burwell Bell has hinted that a review of U.S. base relocations in Korea will be inevitable unless the Korean government shoulders a bigger share in the upkeep of U.S. forces here.

In a written statement to a Senate Armed Service Committee hearing on Monday, Gen. Burwell Bell said, "Without more equitable allied SMA funding, we may be forced to recommend a range of fiscal measures to the U.S. government, including a review of base relocation and consolidation plans."

Commenting on a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on Korea's cost sharing support for the USFK for 2007-2008 concluded at the end of last year, Bell said, "The two allied nations should contribute approximately 50 percent each of the non-personnel stationing costs (NPSC) for U.S. forces in Korea."

But Korea paid 38 percent of upkeep last year and is to pay 41 percent this year. Bell said that was "still short of the principle of equitable 50-50 cost sharing." He added, "I cannot allow readiness to suffer, and I will not allow the quality of life of my service members or families to suffer."

Washington has called on Seoul to pay more. But it is highly unusual for a USFK commander to flag a review of base relocation plans to pressure Korea to bear a bigger burden. Bell also urged Korea to buy the latest Patriot missiles (PAC-3). "Korea must purchase and field its own theater missile defense (TMD) system, capable of full integration with the U.S. system," he said. (Source: Chosun Ilbo and Stars and Stripes.)

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May 2007

Camp Humphreys opening gate for construction traffic The newly built Wonjung-ri construction gate, across from the northwest portion of Desiderio Army Airfield, is only for vehicles going to and from Zoeckler Station and MP Hill, where gyms and barracks are going up. The gate will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

About 500 construction vehicles traverse various parts of the post daily, including those working at the Zoeckler Station and MP Hill sites. About 300 of that total will go through the new gate, post officials said. Previously, construction vehicles moving to and from Zoeckler Station and MP Hill had to use the post’s CPX gate and, more recently, a new “commercial” branch of the gate. That took them past some of the post’s most pedestrian-heavy areas: Beacon Hill, the main gate, the pedestrian gate, the Alaska Mining Company restaurant and other popular sites, Camp Humphreys spokesman Bob McElroy said. The new gate will use the same security measures and personnel as other gates on post. The newest gate is the fourth temporary construction gate put in on the post. The others are Mool gate, a gate at MP Hill and the Hamjeong gate south of MP Hill. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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New commander at Humphreys (May 2007) The U.S. Army officer who led the Camp Humphreys garrison since June 2004 — an intense time in its high-profile expansion — relinquished command Friday. Col. Michael J. Taliento Jr. is headed to Seoul to become special assistant to U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. B.B. Bell. His tenure has not been without controversy with "Hate Tolentino" banners erected over his blanket off-limits of Anjung-ni and open opposition from radical activists bent on preventing the expansion. (Source: Stars and Stripes and Stars and Stripes.)

Succeeding Taliento in the politically sensitive job is Col. John E. Dumoulin Jr., who assumed command at Humphreys after serving since July in Area III as commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Daegu. Dumoulin was “hand-picked” for the Humphreys commander’s job, Brig. Gen. Al Aycock, commander of the U.S. Army Installation Command Korea, said. The Humphreys garrision is responsible for day-to-day operations at U.S. military installations in Pyeongtaek, Suwon and Wonju. The position has become especially key in the past several years as Humphreys works toward tripling in size, with plans calling for expansion onto thousands of acres of nearby land provided by the South Korean government. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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Camp Humphreys aquatic center to unveil full array of attractions (May 2007) Pool’s open! Jump right in. The Family Aquatic Center at Camp Humphreys opens Thursday, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of summer. The center — the U.S. military’s first aquatic park in South Korea — will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The $7 million center affords community members of all ranks and ages not only a chance at fresh air and sunshine but access to several pools, a hot tub that seats 10, a sports area and a snack bar. The main pool is Olympic-sized, and there’s also a diving pool with two one-meter diving boards and one three-meter board. Along with those is a “splash pool” with tube slides and a separate water play area with a slide and a children’s play area with shallow water and a large serpent figure spewing water for kids to play in.

In addition, there’s a dry playground area with a volleyball court. Both have resilient surfacing to help prevent injuries. The snack bar will offer beverages and snacks, including hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza, said Mike Ross, chief of community operations for the directorate of community activities at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys.

Post officials will schedule bands, karaoke and other live entertainment on the park’s outdoor stage, said Ross. And they’re keeping in mind good eating, too. “On alternating Saturday nights we’ll do either baby back ribs, fish fries or steaks,” said Ross. The on-post Alaska Mining Company restaurant will provide the food service, he said. “We’re trying to make it fun,” he said.

Last summer, officials opened one portion of the park so community members could use the main pool and the diving well. About 250 turned out daily, Ross said. “It’s an alternative to ‘the ‘Ville,’ ” said Ross, offering soldiers another diversion from the bar district outside post. And it means more entertainment for Camp Humphreys’ growing number of families. Fees vary according to rank and other categories, and range from $2 to $6 for single visits, and $50 to $150 for season passes. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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June 2007

AAFES fires three accused in Camp Humphreys beer-smuggling scheme (Jun 2007) It was reported in the Stars and Stripes on 6 June that three of five AAFES employees authorities say were involved in smuggling 140 cases of beer out of Camp Humphreys, South Korea, in January have been fired.

The case, the third major black-marketing scheme busted at AAFES this year, came after another AAFES official observed suspicious activity and initiated an investigation, according to AAFES spokesman Master Sgt. Donovan Potter. A fourth person said to be involved in the alcohol-smuggling scheme has retired, and a fifth was suspended for two weeks because there was not enough evidence to fire him, Potter stated in an e-mail from his Okinawa headquarters. According to a police blotter listing in Friday's edition of The Morning Calm Weekly, the U.S. Forces Korea newspaper, one person "removed various brands of liquor, valued at $14,689.48 over a six-month period," admitted to the theft and "rendered partial payment of $10,997.19."

A Pyeongtaek customs official said last week that police worked the case with the U.S. military for months before deciding it was a customs matter. Police officials recently turned the case over to customs, the official said, and his office is just beginning its investigation.

According to a 5 June statement from AAFES head spokesman Lt. Col. Dean Thurmond, AAFES is working to stop black marketing with other law enforcement agencies, including the Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Korean Customs Service and U.S. Forces Korea J1. "These efforts are about doing the right thing, not the bottom line," he said. "As a military command and a guest in Korea, AAFES is dedicated to strengthening relationships with local law enforcement agencies to eliminate illegal business practices."

In late March, South Korean police confirmed they were investigating 18 people, including two American base personnel and two AAFES employees, for smuggling beer and food off Camp Market and selling it on the black market. The group reportedly managed to move about 25,000 cases of beer and 633 tons of expired food by manipulating the tracking system and falsifying documents. In January, two AAFES employees were convicted of taking about 21,000 cases of beer from Camp Long. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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Anti-terrorism focus pays dividends for Humphreys, Yongsan commands (Jun 2007) Army installations in Pyeongtaek and Seoul soon will have $175,000 more to spend on efforts to thwart terrorists. The U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys in Pyeongtaek will gain $75,000 because its anti-terrorism program has been named the best within the Army’s Installation Management Command. And the program’s manager, Edmond Teague, has been named the agency’s best anti-terrorism program manager, which will bring the garrison another $75,000.

The garrison’s senior leadership has placed heavy emphasis on anti-terrorism and other security-related matters. For example, Humphreys officials mounted six anti-terrorism exercises in seven months, mostly during 2006, Teague said. And they’ve emphasized broad participation of all community members, not just emergency service first-responders like firefighters and police. “During our anti-terrorism exercises, everybody gets involved — the host nation fire department, police department, their intelligence agencies, our civilian population on post,” Teague said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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September 2007

BTL at Camp Humphreys (Sep 2007) On 6 Sep it was reported that the first Build-to-Lease barracks in South Korea opens at K-16. The business relationship calls for South Korean companies to pay for the construction and to make back their investment in military lease fees through the years. The success of the project will be extended to Camp Humphreys future projects.

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November 2007

ROK to Pay for 55 percent of Earthwork at Camp Humphreys (Nov 2007) Seoul agreed to pay for 55 percent of the land elevation work required at +nformation sources found on the internet. Previously the US demanded that the ROK carry 60 percent of the burden, but the ROK negotiated it down to 55 percent. The base expansion is located on relatively low-lying land and is surrounded by a river. The plan is to elevate the land one-three meters to prevent flooding during the rainy season. The experts estimate the cost to be between $334 million - $445 million, depending on where the sand needed for fill will be transported from. According to the agreement, Seoul is expected to spend between 165-220 billion won, while the US is expected to spend between 135-180 billion won.

The two countries are also close to concluding an agreement where the ROK will shoulder 60 percent of the C4I relocation to Camp Humphreys. These are part of the big budget items that the US-ROK have differed up on cost-sharing measures. Originally the US had proposed spending 300 billion won on relocating the C4I from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys. The ROK is attempting to lower the costs to 200 billion won. Accordingly, the ROK may spend 120 billion won and the US 80 billion won.

The agreement is still a big increase in cost share. Under the previous ROK proposal, the ROK pledged to build the new C4I installation and Camp Humphreys would spend $9 million on replacing obsolete parts. (SITE NOTE: The ROK grandiose idea was to install an indigenous C4I system that is being installed at this time. However, reality has set in that without the tie in to satellite intelligence the value is degraded -- and the ROK military satellite is still only as good as Google Earth. In addition, it will be many years before the inter-service glitches can be worked out. The ROKAF C4I supposedly is on-line, but no more word has been heard of its operation. The Army command posts have also been upgraded, but unfortunately the tanks and other equipment are not modified to provide real-time battlefield informaton. As an interim "fix" the USFK has offered to "bridge" the ROK capabilities until it is ready to assume control -- meaning that it can still used the "old" GSS-K system where they are provided a manual interface with the US C4I system.)

The big problem is that Korea has earmarked 5.6 trillion won for the relocation -- while the US estimate of 11 trillion won remains as it was in the beginning. (SITE NOTE: This cost-sharing problem is far from over. The cost-sharing formula for 2008-2009 is still being hammered out -- with a lot of acrimony involved.) (Source: Korea Herald.)

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S. Korea, U.S. to break ground for Camp Humphreys Expansion (Nov 2007) South Korea and the United States will formally kick off a 12-billion-dollar project to relocate the Yongsan base in central Seoul to Pyeongtaek. The two sides plan to hold a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday for the expansion of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. The U.S. military has been pushing to consolidate the Yongsan base and other facilities north of Seoul into an expanded compound in Pyeongtaek, as part of efforts to realign its 28,000 troops here. The allies have agreed to almost evenly split the cost for the project scheduled to finish by 2012.

"The ground-breaking ceremony, hosted by Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo, will be attended by more than 1,200 people including U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. B.B. Bell, Pyeongtaek Mayor Song Myeong-ho, and local residents," said Lee Jae-young, spokesman for the Defense Ministry's U.S. base relocation team. The ceremony is aimed to demonstrate the government's will to push for the project in harmony with local residents, he added. The base relocation work had been delayed because some residents refused to vacate the site. (Source: Yonhap News.)

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February 2008

Former Corps of Engineers worker accused of bribery (Feb 2008) South Korean prosecutors said 21 Feb that they are seeking an arrest warrant for a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee accused of accepting more than $70,000 in bribes in connection with the expansion project at Camp Humphreys. Pyeongtaek chief prosecutor Im Seok-pil said Thursday that Yang Hwa-sok, a 57-year-old South Korean man, is accused of accepting the bribes from the Jingsung Development construction company between January and September 2007. Jingsung officials were unavailable for comment.

Corps of Engineers Far East District spokesman Joe Campbell confirmed Thursday that Yang, citing “personal reasons,” resigned his position as a general engineer on Feb. 13. Campbell said Yang worked for the district’s Pyeongtaek resident office since July 1999. During the period when the bribery is alleged to have taken place, Campbell said, Yang was one of the district employees who worked quality assurance to “enforce contract compliance.” Campbell said his command is cooperating with the South Korean investigation. “As for any other details, we cannot comment on ongoing investigations,” Campbell said. Campbell said the district deals directly with prime contractors, not subcontractors. In the case of the expansion work at Humphreys, the district works with the Seohee Construction Co., Campbell said. He also said all district employees attend mandatory annual ethics training. The eight-hour sessions are taught by the command’s legal counsel, Campbell said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

Former employee is charged with accepting bribes (Feb 2008) A former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee has been charged with taking bribes from a South Korean subcontractor working on the Camp Humphreys expansion project. Yang Hwa-sok, a South Korean citizen, was put in pretrial confinement and indicted on the charges earlier in the week, Pyeongtaek chief prosecutor Im Seok-pil said on 28 Feb. Army Corps of Engineers officials have said that Yang, 57, resigned his position on Feb. 13. He had worked for the the district’s Pyeongtaek resident office since July 1999 and was responsible for enforcing “contract compliance.” Im explained during a phone interview that Yang is accused of taking the bribes from Jinsung Development, a subcontractor hired by Seohee Construction Co. Ltd.

Im said that Yang kept “his eyes closed in supervising the construction work,” conducted by Jinsung, allowing them to avoid following regulations. He called it a “give me a break” sort of relationship and has said that Yang accepted more than $70,000 from Jinsung. The prosecutor wants the president of Jinsung to pay about $30,000 in fines and the vice president to pay about $20,000 in fines. Jinsung officials were unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon and no date was set on Yang’s pending trial. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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Base expansion workers say contractor has not paid them (Feb 2008) Ahn Byeong-chul has supplied gasoline to construction vehicles at Camp Humphreys for 10 months. But he says a South Korean government contractor owes him nearly $150,000 for his work, and he blames U.S. Forces Korea for his missing paychecks. “USFK says they came here to protect us. And USFK’s top men are always saying ‘Katchi kapshida’ (We go together),” Ahn said. “But I feel they are going just their own way, and we are left out.”

Ahn is one of 23 South Koreans who gathered Thursday outside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District compound in Seoul to protest what they say is USFK’s mismanagement of its contractors on the Humphreys project. The district awarded the prime contractor, Seohee Construction Co. Ltd. of Seoul, a $29.7 million contract to prepare 203.6 acres outside Humphreys for an expansion of the base.

Seohee then hired a subcontractor, Jinsung Development, to work on the project, and the protesters say Jinsung owes them nearly $750,000. Ahn said some of the protesters have had to take out high-interest bank loans or borrow from loan sharks because they haven’t been paid. “Many people gathering here are living from hand to mouth,” he said. “My family’s livelihood is threatened.” (SITE NOTE: Jinsung is also the company involved in the bribery case of a former FED employee in Feb.)

FED spokesman Joe Campbell said Seohee was to provide documentation to FED officials by Friday to show they’ve paid their subcontractors. “We’re confident that Seohee will provide proof,” he said. FED’s contracting officer and Seohee’s chief executive officer met to discuss the issue earlier this week, Campbell said. The Seohee officer understands that he needs to resolve the issue, and the FED will track Seohee’s compliance, Campbell said. Nobody from Jinsung or Seohee was available on 28 Feb for comment.

The South Korean protesters, most of whom are from Pyeongtaek, were hired to provide the subcontractor with equipment, food, snacks, water, hardware parts and other essentials during the 21-month landfill project to prepare the land for construction. Humphreys is scheduled to triple in size in coming years, as the U.S. military shifts all personnel in and north of Seoul to the southern half of the peninsula by 2012.

Yoon Yong-han, 49, operates his dump truck at the landfill site. He said Jinsung owes him $96,000. In turn, Yoon owes his neighborhood gas station $9,600 for fuel. “How can I pay him without being paid for my work?” he said. Lee Young-wan, who runs a convenience store for the construction workers, said the $2,883 Jinsung owes him doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a big amount to him.

Even though there were violent protests against the expansion in 2005 and 2006, Lee said he demonstrated in favor of the project. He’s now disappointed in USFK, he said, becuase he believes USFK is not making sure its contractors paid their workers. “I still welcome U.S. troops to … my neighborhood, but I just hope they are concerned for people like me living from hand to mouth,” he said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

UPDATE: 2 Mar 2008 Seohee hired subcontractor Jinsung Industrial Development, and paid that company about $3.2 million for work on the project from January 2007 to October 2007, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District spokesman Joe Campbell said Saturday. “Jinsung walked away from their contact with Seohee in October 2007,” according to a news release from Campbell. When 67 different subcontractors hired by Jinsung — ranging from individual shopkeepers to whole companies — came forward to claim they were never paid, Seohee began repaying for some of the work, according the news release. Seohee provided documentation on 29 Feb that proved it had originally paid Jinsung, according to the release. And, “Seohee provided FED proof that they settled with 34 of the unpaid Jinsung contractors whom they consider unfortunate victims of circumstance, and that they are in the process of settling with 15 companies,” the release said. “The remaining 18 companies were determined by Seohee to be ineligible for settlement.” According to the release, the FED has “promptly paid Seohee for all work completed to date and will continue to make their payments promptly.” It also added that the U.S. government cannot force a contractor to pay twice for the same services. “Therefore, Jinsung’s unpaid obligations are not the responsibility of the U.S. government and need to be addressed through the Korean legal system,” according to the release. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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U.S. military installation causes tug-of-war (Feb 2008) At first glance, the aging collection of no-frills, sand-colored buildings doesn’t look like much. But a South Korean government ministry and one of the country’s top universities are fighting over who gets this tiny U.S. military installation in downtown Seoul when the American military leaves it a few years from now.

The Far East District Compound, located a block from the Dongdaemun area’s trendy department stores, has been home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since the Korean War. South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense seized control of the property from Seoul National University in 1951, at the beginning of war, so the Corps could work there. With all U.S. troops in and north of Seoul scheduled to move south to Pyeongtaek by 2012, the university wants the title to the property back. “We don’t think it’s fair that our land was taken for military purposes and would be sold off again to finance other military purposes,” a university spokesman said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He said Seoul National is reviewing its legal options for regaining ownership of the compound.

A Defense Ministry spokesperson, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the agency has never paid Seoul National for the property. He said the ministry plans to sell the 142,000-square-foot compound to the Korean National Housing Corporation and use the proceeds to help pay for its share of the U.S. military relocation costs to Pyeongtaek. He said the ministry knows Seoul National claims ownership of the property but still plans to sell it. Each 3.3 square meters, or 10.8 square feet, in the compound is valued at about $85,000, according to South Korean media reports. About 180 U.S. employees work at the compound. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: This is the problem with the whole Yongsan area. The Ministry of Defense wanted to make a killing on the sale of the land -- but then Seoul City government claimed the land and made demands to turn it into a large park. The MND share of the pie has been shrinking over the years and its STILL not settled. I would suspect that there have been many shady deals going on because we're talking in the billions of dollars in sales and big time profits. However, the bottomline is that the MND needs money for the moving bill -- and it still doesn't have it.)

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Humphreys' first AAFES gas station is due in fall (Apr 2008) Motorists at Camp Humphreys will be able to gas up later this year at the post’s first-ever AAFES gas station, the first of three planned for construction at the installation, officials said on 23 Apr. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service expects to open the station in early November near the intersection of Freedom and Victory roads, close to the Humphreys Army Lodge, said Robert McElroy, U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys spokesman. And AAFES plans to build the two additional gas stations at Humphreys within the next four years, he said.

Humphreys is in the process of tripling in size to become the U.S. military’s premier installation in South Korea. The only on-post gas source has been a military fuel point, where prices sometimes have climbed well above those at the AAFES station at nearby Osan Air Base, McElroy said.

The Humphreys station will sell regular, premium and diesel fuels, he said, adding that it also will offer snacks and beverages. Construction is to start in late July and finish in late October. Having an AAFES station at Humphreys has been one of the most frequently raised community concerns, McElroy said. “The main thing that’s driven this for people has been the cost of fuel,” he said. Motorists often complained that the prices at the fuel point were higher than at Osan. AAFES sets its overseas fuel prices based on those in the United States, adjusting them monthly, he said.

But the fuel point’s prices are set by the Defense Logistics Agency, with less frequent adjustments. And Humphreys officials are required to add a 14-cent surcharge per gallon. In January, for example, a spike in prices at the Humphreys fuel point saw residents paying almost 70 cents a gallon more than at the Osan AAFES station. Gas at the Humphreys fuel point last week was $3.75 a gallon, while regular unleaded was $3.40 at the Osan AAFES station. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: But the Camp Humphreys station will have diesel which the Osan gas station does not have. Not many people drive diesel cars I suppose is the logic... Drove over to Camp Humphreys because the diesel was cheaper there than off-base here, but the drive and use of fuel and time, didn't add up. Continue to buy it off-base in Songtan.)

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April 2008

Camp Humphreys' new land ready to be developed (Apr 2008) The long-awaited work on the first buildings set for construction on Camp Humphreys’ new lands will kick off in June. Six eight-story barracks are the first of many structures that will go up under plans to transform Camp Humphreys by 2012 into the U.S. military’s flagship installation in South Korea.

The post is to triple in size by expanding onto a large tract set aside for the project under a South Korea-U.S. agreement. Fred Davis, Army Relocation Program manager at Camp Humphreys with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Far East District, said the first piles should go into the ground by early June for construction of four barracks. The Hanwha Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. of Seoul will build those. Sometime in mid- to late July, work should start on two additional barracks, to be built by Shinsung Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. of Seoul. All six will go up on a 205-acre tract planners call Parcel 1.

Each will house up to 302 servicemembers. Each suite will consist of two bedrooms with a shared common area that includes a kitchenette, Davis said. Meanwhile, workers will begin readying another tract of new land, 110-acre Parcel K, for its first round of eventual construction, he said. Workers this week will begin the first steps toward laying landfill on Parcel K and aim to have it ready for building by spring 2009, Davis said.

In spring 2009, work will begin on the first six family housing towers, an elementary school, a high school, a communications center, and three maintenance complexes with administrative space, variously on Parcels 1 and K, Davis said. In addition, on a timetable still to be set, a hospital and dental clinic, as well as headquarters buildings, are planned for inside the existing installation, where major construction is also under way as part of the expansion.

“We’ve got a lot on the drawing board,” Davis said. The new expansion lands measure 2,238 acres. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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June 2008

Changes in plan may delay Humphreys work (Jun 2008) South Korea has made changes to its construction plan at Camp Humphreys that could delay finishing the project, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said on 16 Jun. Those changes, which affect the design and building process on the second of three construction phases, were made in April, the spokesman said. South Korean officials have disagreed on whether the new plan will increase costs and delay the relocation.

Last week, several South Korean media outlets reported that the expansion project at Humphreys could be delayed by as much as four years, which would push the completion date to 2016 because of increased construction costs. Most U.S. forces in South Korea are to relocate to Humphreys by 2012. The installation is scheduled to have tripled in size by then. A U.S. Forces Korea spokesman said Monday that he wouldn't speculate about the construction timeline. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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July 2008

Officials at Camp Humphreys mark new ‘era’ in military housing (Jul 2008) Speeches, shovels and, oh, a severed pig’s head marked another step in the ongoing expansion of Camp Humphreys on 16 Jul, when officials broke ground on four new barracks buildings on the 200-acre stretch of land known as Parcel 1.In preparation to make Camp Humphreys the U.S. military’s flagship installation in South Korea, the barracks will be Parcel I’s first constructed buildings and would be the first on the peninsula to meet the Army’s one-plus-one standard, officials said. That plan that would give each soldier a private sleeping area, while two soldiers share a bathroom and kitchenette. The $54.5 million project — scheduled to be completed in June 2010 — would consist of four eight-story buildings, with room for more than 300 soldiers.

U.S. Army Garrison, Humphreys commander Col. John Dumoulin said the buildings mark a new era for soldier housing in South Korea. "It wasn’t too long ago that we housed our soldiers in 50-year-old Quonset huts that were like ovens in the summertime and iceboxes in the winter. They were drafty. They leaked when it rained and they were about as aesthetically pleasing as living in a warehouse," Dumoulin said. "The bad old days are gone. They are history. No more Quonsets. No more sub-standard barracks. No more just making do because this has been a one-year assignment."

Following remarks by several of those connected with the project, Army officials and members of the Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp. broke ground during a shovel ceremony. Afterward, Hanwha officials participated in a traditional shamanistic Korean ceremony, which consisted of burning incense and putting money into the mouth of a severed pig’s head. To Koreans, a pig represents good luck.

The event was the second ground breaking ceremony in connection with the Humphreys’ expansion. Ground was broken on the 2018-acre Parcel 2 Nov. 13. Parcel K, which covers 110 acres around Parcel 1, had no official groundbreaking. When the expansion is completed, Camp Humphreys will occupy more than 3,500 acres. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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September 2008

Report: Pyeongtaek move could be delayed (Sep 2008) A U.S. Forces Korea spokesman said on 19 Sep that the command has NOT completed or released an updated timeline or costs for moving U.S. troops to Pyeongtaek as part of a massive transformation project. A South Korean newspaper, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, reported this week that a U.S. Congressional Research Service report said the move could be delayed to 2016. All U.S. bases in and north of Seoul are scheduled to move to Pyeongtaek by 2012.

USFK spokesman Dave Palmer said "to his knowledge" that USFK had NOT been contacted by the research service when it wrote the report cited by the Kyunghyang newspaper. According to the newspaper, the CRS report on South Korean-U.S. relations was published on July 25 but "opened" on Sept. 16.

The CRS is an agency within the Library of Congress that writes reports for members of Congress and their staff. Palmer said his office had not seen a copy of the CRS report, and Stars and Stripes could not obtain a copy on 19 Sep. A spokesman for South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense also said Friday that he had not seen the CRS report, but was aware of the Kyunghyang article. He also said he didn’t know of a delay or cost increase in the base relocation plan.

The CRS report said U.S-South Korean relations could become strained over the base relocation plan as it becomes more expensive, according to Kyunghyang. South Korea’s share of the cost of expanding Camp Humphreys is expected to grow as the U.S. military allows troops to bring their families with them, the newspaper said, citing the report. USFK commander Gen. Walter Sharp told Stripes in late August that he expected a timeline for the move to Pyeongtaek to become clearer in about a month. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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Growing Camp Humphreys gets its first middle school (Sep 2008) Camp Humphreys has its first middle school, and with it a new school name. What is now called the Humphreys American School has 340 students, enrolled in Sure Start through eighth grade, and is part of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools system. It’s comprised of the new middle school — with 55 students in seventh and eighth grades — and the existing elementary school.

The change took effect with the Aug. 25 start of the new school year. Before the change, the installation’s only school was the Humphreys American Elementary School. With their own middle school on post, students no longer face a daily bus commute to classes at Osan Air Base, according to Robert McElroy, spokesman for the U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys.

"It’s easier for the families, for transportation," he said. "And it just keeps the community intact. So our kids aren’t over at Osan, 25 or 30 minutes away. It’s very easy for kids to just walk to school in the morning rather than having that bus ride to Osan and back."

The middle school classrooms and those of the elementary school’s sixth grade are housed in a single building on what’s now called the South Campus, near the post’s fire station and Youth Services Center, McElroy said. DODDS hired five new teachers for the middle school, he said.

The change also benefits Osan American School by making class sizes "more reasonable," said Master Sgt. Matthew L. Summers, an Osan spokesman. "It will also give us increased room, so that when we increase the number of family members, then we’ll have more room for them in the school."

Construction is under way at Osan on a new middle school set to open in June and big enough for up to 350 students, Summers said. Adding a middle school at Humphreys reflects an ongoing move toward normalization — equipping the post to serve families after decades of catering mostly to soldiers on one-year, unaccompanied tours.

Humphreys is to triple in size and become the U.S. military’s chief installation in South Korea in coming years. The expanded post is to eventually have a high school, a middle school and four elementary schools, McElroy said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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Camp Humphreys 'Supergym' slated to open Oct. 10 (Sep 2008) The U.S. military’s biggest fitness center in South Korea will open soon at Camp Humphreys, to be followed by another new gym a month later. The openings will bring to three the number of gyms to come into service at Humphreys this year.

The $18.9 million Humphreys Community Fitness Center, also called the "supergym," is to open Oct. 10 next to Soldiers’ Field. It will be the U.S. military’s biggest on the peninsula. It stands three stories, measures 109,512 square feet, and boasts a gym, indoor pool, running track and four-level parking garage, among other features.

That will be followed in November by the opening of a gym in the post’s Zoeckler Station area. No date has been set for the opening. The Zoeckler gym is of the same design as the MP Hill gym, which opened in February.

The gyms cost about $7 million each, and are two stories with 45,000 square feet of space. Unlike the MP Hill gym, the Zoeckler Station gym has a 300-meter track just a stone’s throw away, said Robert McElroy, U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys spokesman. In addition, officials have decided to use the old post gym, Building 111, built in 1976, for teen sports, he said. That will allow pre-teen youngsters to have to themselves the sports room at the post’s Youth Services Center. The room is fitted with backboards and hoops for basketball.

Until now, teens and pre-teens had to share the space for sports at the center or use the post gym, whose spaces were dominated by soldiers working out or playing at individual or unit sports. The supergym has an eight-lane, 25-meter indoor pool; a 200-meter indoor running track; a martial arts training room; a climbing wall; basketball and racquetball courts; and separate rooms for cardio fitness, circuit training, free weights and group exercise.

It also has showers, a sauna and hot tub, offices, classrooms, meeting areas, a juice bar and outdoor picnic areas. The 300-space garage is connected to the fitness center by a skywalk. McElroy said the supergym has "the potential to be kind of the heart of the community with all it has to offer." (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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Camp Humphreys lodge expands (Sep 2008) A five-story hotel wing that adds dozens of new rooms to Camp Humphreys’ Army lodge is to open Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting. The $13.3 million wing adds 40 suites, 45 smaller extended-stay rooms, a conference room and a business center.

Lodging rates will rise $2 effective 1 Oct: $62 for a regular room, $81 for a suite. The lodge will continue charging additional occupants $5. Suites have a small living room and are equipped with a kitchenette, table and chairs, a queen-sized bed, a sofa with a pull-out bed. They also have two TVs, each with 57 cable channels; two DVD players, and high-speed Internet connections.

"It gives us a state-of-the-art lodging facility that is comparable to anything you’ll find in the States, in any civilian facility," said Robert McElroy, spokesman for the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys. The business center has six computers that link to Army Knowledge Online, and six additional work stations at which customers can plug in their own laptops and use the Internet.

The 1 Oct ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the main entrance of the lodge, Building S-246, to be followed by a brief tour of the new wing. Having the expanded lodge will help further accommodate transients at the increasingly busy post, which is being tripled in size and turned into the U.S. military’s flagship installation in South Korea. Its population is expected to grow from about 10,000 to about 45,000, McElroy said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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December 2008

First unit moves from Yongsan (Dec 2008) The first major unit to leave U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan as part of a massive relocation of troops in South Korea will complete its move to U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys this week. Twenty-four soldiers with the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion are to finish the move by Dec. 12 to Humphreys, a once-sleepy helicopter base that eventually will house most U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. About 100 soldiers with the unit are already at Humphreys because they moved directly there when they arrived in South Korea, said 8th Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jeff Buczkowski. Six of the incoming soldiers, who are part of the battalion's headquarters in Seoul, will move with their families.

The battalion's headquarters at Yongsan's Seobinggo compound will be used by another unit to ease overcrowding, Buczkowski said. All U.S. bases in and north of Seoul are scheduled to close by 2012, with Humphreys and a collection of bases in Daegu becoming the two hubs for the U.S. military in South Korea. Approximately 17,000 troops, 4,700 U.S. civilian employees and 13,000 family members will live at Humphreys when construction there is completed.

The move may not happen as planned in 2012, however. U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Walter Sharp said in September that the timeline for the move is being reassessed, and South Korean media have speculated that the move could be delayed until 2016 because of slow construction and funding concerns.

The country currently is home to about 28,500 servicemembers. Longstanding plans for a drawdown — currently on hold — call for that number to eventually reach 25,000. Humphreys spokesman Robert McElroy said it could be several years before the next large unit moves to the installation. The speed of the relocation depends on how quickly new barracks and support facilities for soldiers — including administrative offices, motor pools and maintenance buildings — are built, he said.

"We can't move anybody until we have somewhere to put them," he said. Six new barracks are under construction at Humphreys and are scheduled to be completed in June 2010. Two new barracks at Zoekler Station within Humphreys opened Oct. 28, and a new gymnasium opened Dec. 1, McElroy said. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

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January 2009

'US Forces in Korea to Complete Relocation by 2016' (Jan 2009) The Program Management Consortium, which is overseeing the relocation of U.S. military bases in Korea to Pyeongtaek, has submitted a final proposal to move the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul by the end of 2014 and the 2nd Infantry Division in northern Gyeonggi Province by the first half of 2016. The consortium submitted the proposal at the end of last year. Under the plan, the 8th U.S. Army within the Yongsan Garrison will be relocated by the first half of 2013. The U.S. Korea Command, to be established around 2011 following the transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul, will move to the Pyeongtaek area by the first half of 2014.

Other facilities are scheduled for transfer by the end of 2014. In addition, relocation of the command post of the 2nd Infantry Division and its military units will occur between 2013 and the first half of 2016. Despite Korea's demand to complete the relocation by 2014, the United States postponed the deadline to 2016 citing budget and technical issues. In response, the Korean Defense Ministry said the specific relocation timeline and cost will be released after coordination with its counterpart based on the consortium's final proposal. A military source said, "Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee and U.S. Forces Korea Commander Walter Sharp will reach an agreement on the relocation plan based on the consortium's final proposal within this month." (Source: Donga Ilbo.)

U.S., S. Korea mulling delay of troop relocation -- Spokesman cites budget issues (Jan 2009) The United States and South Korea are negotiating a proposal that could delay the relocation of U.S. Forces Korea from Seoul by two years, according to the Ministry of National Defense. Under the current agreement between the countries, the headquarters in Seoul and the 2nd Infantry Division that sits sprawled along the demilitarized zone are to relocate about 40 miles south of the capital to Camp Humphreys by 2012.

A ministry spokesman, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity, also said on 5 Jan that the 2nd Infantry Division's move could be delayed until 2016. The spokesman said negotiators have agreed on some parts of the proposal, but no final decision has been made in the overall timetable. He said the proposal came from the Project Management Consortium group both governments hired to manage the move. U.S. Forces Korea officials, queried Monday, replied via e-mail that "we do not comment on ongoing negotiations."

The spokesman said U.S. officials are pushing for delays because of budgetary concerns, but that South Korea wants the relocation as quickly as possible. USFK commander Gen. Walter Sharp said last month that the United States and South Korea had rejected several proposals by the Project Management Consortium. "Both the [Republic of Korea] government and the U.S. government are pushing very hard for this consortium to come up with the quickest way we can move and the least costly way that we can move, and to balance those," Sharp said during a news conference in December about a plan to normalize tours in South Korea. Yonhap News reported Monday that the two countries had agreed on the 2014 delay for Seoul, but that they hadn't come to an agreement on the 2nd ID relocation.

Humphreys, once a small helicopter base set amid the rice fields of semi-rural Pyeongtaek, is being transformed into a state-of-the-art installation that is to house the majority of U.S. troops in South Korea. By the time the transformation is complete, Humphreys will have tripled in size and boast billions of dollars in the newest and biggest facilities — a major hospital, schools, family housing complexes, post exchanges and commissaries, barracks, training ranges and other military structures, along with a high percentage of families and troops on three-year tours. (Source: Stars and Stripes.)

USFK relocation timetable in dispute (Jan 2009) The United States has agreed to a South Korea-proposed timetable for relocating its military command here out of Seoul by 2014, but the sides remain split on when to complete the relocation of a frontline U.S. army base, officials here said on 5 Jan. The U.S. proposed last year that the relocation of Yongsan Garrison to Pyeongtaek, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Seoul, be completed by 2016, citing pressure in costs. The U.S. recently withdrew the proposal when its top commander here met with South Korea's defense minister in Seoul, South Korean officials said on condition of anonymity.

But the officials added the two sides have yet to finalize the year for the relocation of a major U.S. infantry division near the border with North Korea to Pyeongtaek. The U.S. Forces Korea declined a request for confirmation, but one official said costs could be a factor in U.S. difficulties in moving the Second Infantry Division to Pyeongtaek by 2014. The relocation is part of a wider U.S. realignment project aimed at streamlining American troops abroad, and it comes as South Korea is pushing to shoulder greater responsibilities for frontline defense by reclaiming wartime operational control of its troops.

About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed here as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The U.S. has retained wartime command since the conflict, and plans to return it by 2012. The U.S. had already delayed the target years for the two major relocations in July. The USFK sought a further delay late last year, estimating the expansion of its Pyeongtaek base to accommodate the relocation by 2015 would require $600 million annually, twice the budget it could procure. South Korea balked, saying the delay would drastically raise its share of the costs due to annual commodity price hikes. Seoul's Defense Ministry estimates the total relocation costs would increase by nearly 50 percent, with Seoul shouldering over 5 trillion won ($3.8 billion) because of the initial delay allowed to the U.S. (Source: Yonhap.)

Relocation Delay Hurts Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Area (Jan 2009) With the delay of the relocation of U.S. military bases to the Pyeongtaek area, around half of 1,500 rental houses built over the last five to six years for American servicemen sit empty. Certain builders have drastically reduced rental fees to find tenants, but their losses are snowballing.

"The biggest problem is the uncertainty of government policy," said Lee Heon-hyeon, chairman of the Korea-U.S. Real Estate Association consisting of brokers and lessors in the Pyeongtaek area. "Nothing can be done about the losses incurred so far, but we hope the government can promptly decide on the year of the relocation, whether it be 2014 or 2016, so that we can plan ahead."

The city of Pyeongtaek, located 50 kilometers south of Seoul, is also facing a dilemma due to the delayed relocation. It must deal with complaints from citizens on the one hand, but cannot express discontent over the government's indecisiveness in setting the exact time of the relocation on the other. A Pyeongtaek official said, "We want the relocation to proceed as scheduled, but we could come off as offending the government if we keep on pressing for an exact timeline."

In northern Gyeonggi Province, home to many U.S. military bases still awaiting relocation, residents have expressed fears that a further delay could slow regional development. Gyeonggi official Han Bae-soo said, "A further delay in the relocation might create a disruption in developing the returned area, and this could slow down development in the entire region. We plan to ask the government to come up with separate support measures to deal with the delay."

Camp Casey and Hovey in Dongducheon each spans more than 14 million square meters. U.S. military bases in the city including the two camps account for 42 percent of the entire city area combined. Consequently, decent culture and education facilities are absent in Dongducheon while entertainment clubs and money exchanges have flourished since American soldiers are major customers.

Yoo Jun-ho, president of the Association of Shops in Dongducheon's Special Tourism Zone, said, "We need to know at least when the U.S. Army will leave. They are our main customers so if they leave, we need to change our business to make ends meet. The uncertainty surrounding the delay in the relocation is bad for our business."

In contrast to Gyeonggi Province, Seoul, home to the Yongsan Garrison, seems rather at ease. A city official said, "The construction of the park (on the land to be vacated by the U.S. Army) was originally scheduled to begin at the end of 2012, and the phase I opening was set for 2015. With the two-year delay in the relocation, however, the construction may be postponed accordingly." "We will closely consult with the central government since it is the main builder of the park and complete it in the near future for citizens on the returned land." A slight delay will not burden the Seoul city government since the transformation of the land where the Yongsan Garrison occupies into a park will be financed by the central government. The year 2045 was the original deadline for the park's completion to be built phase-by-phase on 2.46 million square meters of land. (Source: Donga Ilbo.)

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July 2009

Monsoon rains flood K-16 Air Base in Korea (Jul 2009) Estimators expected to begin assessing flood damage at K-16 Air Base on Wednesday after two days of heavy rain flooded half a dozen buildings with as much as three feet of water. Ten inches of rain fell Sunday at K-16 by some estimates, flooding two barracks, an administrative facility, a hangar and three other office buildings, said Chuck Markham, Area II director of the Department of Public Works. Eleven soldiers were moved out of their barracks due to flooding, and three non-tactical vehicles also were damaged.

The water receded on Monday, but the base flooded again on Tuesday due to more heavy rain. The rain also flooded a South Korean air base adjacent to K-16, Markham said. "They said that was the most water they’ve had there in that amount of time in the last 16 years," he said. South Korea is in the midst of its monsoon season, when the country receives more than half its annual rainfall. The heavy and often sudden rains can cause flash flooding and mudslides.

Nearly 9 inches of rain fell Sunday in Sungnam, where K-16 is located, according to the Korean Meteorological Association. Another 6.3 inches had fallen there by 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Central Seoul had 4.5 inches of rain on Sunday and 3.7 inches by Tuesday evening. KMA spokesman Lee Young-ung said the heavy rains and strong winds were expected to end around midnight Tuesday, with more heavy rainfalls coming on the weekend and on July 22. (Source: Stars and Stripes.) (SITE NOTE: There was the US demand that the land at Pyeongtaek required $500 million in flood control improvements while the ROK claimed that it was impossible due to the land fill issues -- and then the ROK simply refused to talk about it. Later the ROK supposedly agreed. The question that needs to be asked is whether the ROK government actually carried through with their flood control project -- or was that just USFK flim-flam to get the project moving with no real flood control projects ever started? What happened???)

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November 2009

U.S. Army headquarters to stay (Nov 2009) The United States has scrapped an idea to relocate its key Army headquarters here to Hawaii, in a move meant to reaffirm its commitment to the defense of South Korea, a military source said yesterday. "I understand that the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Army have accepted the proposal by U.S. Forces Korea that the 8th Army headquarters should remain in Korea as a symbol of (U.S. military commitment) to the defense of the peninsula," said the source.

The United States has been mulling over moving the 8th Army headquarters to Hawaii by 2012, when the wartime operational control of the Korean military is handed over to Seoul. As part of the transformation of its military posture worldwide, Washington has been planning to move the 8th Army headquarters and reshape its body to a new unit named Operation Command Post-Korea. The USFK said in a statement, " The 8th Army never announced a move to Hawaii ... The 8th Army is remaining in the Republic of Korea." (SITE NOTE: You will never know until it is a fait accompli. 8th Army is nothing but an empty shell now with all the units on the west coast closed and returned to the ROK under the LPP (Land Partnership Program) -- but the stall has been on Uijongbu/Dongduchon bases of the 2d ID. The US is digging in its heels on the move to Okinawa that the Japanese want to "renegotiate." What affects Oki affects the ROK -- and the move to Guam is a biggee. The US Army Pacific has been established at Fort Shafter -- so what is the problem? We'll just have to wait and see.)

The South Korean Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have asked the U.S. military not to relocate the Army headquarters. "The continuing presence of the 8th Army headquarters in South Korea can mean smooth cooperation between Korea and the United States during wartime. As a result, the troop deployment time in case of contingencies can also be reduced," a military official said. In February, USFK commander Gen. Walter Sharp indicated he intended to scrap the relocation plan. At a meeting with Korean lawmakers, Sharp said he had suggested to U.S. Army staff that they should retain the 8th U.S. Army headquarters and that his proposal is likely to be accepted.

Experts say that by having the headquarters remain on the peninsula, the U.S. military can avoid triggering misunderstandings that the relocation of the administrative and supporting unit, consisting of some 150 staffers, could weaken the long-standing military alliance between Seoul and Washington. The 8th Army headquarters is likely to offer administrative support to a new top U.S. military command, called KORCOM, which will replace the current USFK after the operational control turnover in April 2012.

KORCOM, which will oversee the 8th Army headquarters and the 2nd Infantry Division, is expected to be created in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, next year. The 8th Army fought for South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. It has been stationed on the peninsula since 1955 as a main deterrent against North Korea. (Source: Korea Herald.)

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Despite building, Camp Humphreys full (Nov 2009) Most families assigned to Camp Humphreys in South Korea should expect to live off post and wait up to 18 months before an on-post apartment becomes open, according to Army officials. Those families also will have to go off post for dental and non-emergency medical care in coming years until facilities are built at Humphreys. Humphreys is in the midst of a $13 billion construction boom as the post is being tripled in size to eventually become the U.S. military’s chief installation in South Korea and home to the bulk of its Korea-based forces.

But for now, garrison officials are telling new families to be ready to live and get health services off post, Robert H. McElroy, spokesman for U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys, said Monday. The number of command-sponsored families assigned to Humphreys has more than doubled in the past year to 498. But Humphreys has apartments for 148 families, all of which have been fully occupied for the past several months. “Family housing is constantly full now,” McElroy said. “We have a lengthy waiting list for all units.”

The population growth stems partly from the move to transform Humphreys. Also driving the growth is the U.S. military’s move to increase the number of servicemembers on the peninsula who will be accompanied by families for two- and three-year tours. Until recently, most troops served one-year Korea tours without families. “Not only are there more families coming here but they’re staying longer,” McElroy said. “So that increases the wait time for newer people coming in.”

For medical and dental care, active-duty troops receive priority treatment at the post medical clinic, which recently underwent a $3 million overhaul so it can handle a post population of up to 20,000. But until new medical and dental facilities are built at Humphreys, families will have to go off post or travel to the Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital on Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, about a two-hour bus trip each way. (Source: .)

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Miscellaneous Links:

• USACE Contracts for FY2006 -- contains Osan AB, Camp Humphreys projects
  
  
• USFK Pyeongtaek Promo Video -- Joint Pyeongtaek City-USFK Propaganda for Relocation to Pyeongtaek

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