Military Transformation: South Korea

ArmyTimes.com
October 8, 2008

By William H. McMichael, Staff writer

Money and facilities shortfalls are the only barriers to lengthening troop tours and increasing the number of fully sponsored families stationed in South Korea, the top U.S. commander there said Wednesday.

“I would like Korea to become an assignment of choice for all our service members and their families,” Army Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of U.S. Forces Korea and United Nations Command, told Pentagon reporters. “Our goal is to reach the point when the majority of service members can bring their families to Korea and stay there for normal three-year tours.”

Sharp’s predecessor, Gen. B.B. Bell, launched a sharp increase in two-year command-sponsored tours of South Korea. Command sponsorship grants families full privileges for use of U.S. facilities, the receipt of housing and living allowances, and travel costs.

The command wants to accelerate that change, eventually move to three-year tours and provide command sponsorship for all families — a plan that would complement the planned movement of USFK forces away from the Demilitarized Zone to large bases further south and the ongoing shift of U.S. combat command responsibilities to South Korea, both slated for completion in 2012.

Cash for the moves will come from two sources: South Korea, which provides about 43 percent of non-personnel stationing costs for the U.S. presence, and Congress.

Sharp said that the current burden-sharing agreement, which expires at the end of 2008 and is being renegotiated, could result in a greater South Korean expenditure for U.S. facilities.

“The more we get, the more I can put it in, the quicker that we can build the facilities, so that we have the capability to move to this in the longer run,” Sharp said.

Sharp called the initiative to increase tour lengths and command sponsorships, first launched by Bell, a “win-win” for everyone.

“It improves the readiness by keeping our trained forces in place for a much longer period of time, improving continuity, stability and the retention of regional and institutional cultural knowledge,” Sharp said. “It improves the quality of life for our service members and their families, who no longer have to be separated from each other for extended periods of time. It also strengthens the alliance by encouraging more meaningful interaction between the American and the Korean citizens.

“Finally, it demonstrates a strong and visible commitment by the United States to the Republic of Korea,” he said. “In short, it improves our ability to operationally defend Korea, strengthen the alliances and improves the quality of life for our service members and our families.”

Officials have also said that despite the unpredictable nature of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, they feel the security situation on the peninsula has improved enough over time to safely allow more family members to live there — albeit, eventually, further south, out of North Korean artillery range. Should it come to war, they say they are confident in the ability of the South Korean military to defend the nation.

Sharp said he had nothing to add to recent news reports describing Kim’s deteriorating health.

“We really have nothing new,” Sharp said. “What we’re focused on is what is going on up in North Korea and are we, the ROK-U.S. Alliance, prepared for any contingency, whether it be an all-out war plan that we practice any day, or instability in the north. And we are prepared for that.”

There currently are about 28,500 U.S. troops assigned to South Korea. Sharp, who assumed command in June, said that about 1,800 of these troops live with their command-sponsored families, and 2,100 U.S. families live in Korea without command sponsorship.

The U.S. command grants the latter families limited benefits: a housing allowance for living off post, membership in Tricare Standard rather than Prime and a cost-of-living allowance at the rate without dependents, Sharp said.

But Sharp is working with Pentagon officials to offer command sponsorship and full benefits to these families. Most are living in the very northern sector of South Korea that is the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division’s area of operations, and Sharp said that full sponsorships have recently been instituted in Uijongbu, home to Camp Red Cloud. Benefits there include some financial assistance to send children to international schools, he said.

The availability of schooling, health facilities and other services will drive the pace of the initiative, he said. Sharp said he is comfortable with the current level of medical services U.S. families in South Korea enjoy, touting U.S. facilities, the “very good” quality of Korean medical and dental care and the new hospital under construction at Camp Humphreys, site of a major facilities expansion.

“I am going to increase it somewhat on the margins, to the point where I think that I am comfortable, service-wise,” Sharp said.

The next step would be to extend by one year, to three full years, the command-sponsorship of families on two-year tours living in larger areas to the south, such as Seoul — for now — and the area surrounding Osan Air Base, about 55 miles south. Sharp also wants to give those stationed in more remote areas who want to stay on extensions from 12 to 24 months and also allow command sponsorship to families, with the understanding that they will enjoy only limited services.

Then, Sharp said, “We will just continue to grow. … The goal is to grow as facilities become available to be able to expand into as many service members as possible.”

Eventually, nearly all U.S. forces in South Korea will be located around two major hubs: Pyongtaek and Daegu.