Bell Hints at USFK Transformation Review
As many of you may remember, last year South Korea decided they would rather send a over a billion dollars to North Korea this year rather than properly fund the US-ROK alliance. Well now the impacts from this decision may effect the USFK transformation plans:
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.
In other base transformation news, if the expanded Camp Humphreys is to be built a contracting consortium has been selected to build the base expansion. There is only one problem, of one of the five contractors chosen; the company’s president is the husband of the commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers Far East District, Colonel Janice Dombi who’s department was responsible for awarding the contracts. Can anyone say conflict of interest?
Finally, the Koreans can cry and whine and I can actually see they have a point on this one. This is a glaringly obvious conflict of interest. Even if the process was completely transparent, even the appearance of impropriety is, well, er improper!
It's funny how these supposedly smart folks get themselves in messes like this. Maybe they thought the great unwashed masses (on both sides) would be too preoccupied with taxi driver beatings and such to notice.
As far as the relocation, the whole time table was always overly optimistic. Now, everyone is finding excuses to backpeddle. Har Har-larious.
You know I go to these Ethics briefings twice a year and its at these briefings they tell us not to drive a TMP through the drive-thru or dont park at the PX with a Govt vehicle or certainly dont accept gifts but one thing they all say and always said for the dozen or so briefings I have attended both in Civilian and Military is that you cannot be related to someone who the govt negoiating contracts with….especially if your the one incharge of the agency doing the negotiating
I think the IG and CID needs a call about this
Is it just me or does USFK have an inordinate amount of corruption or unethical practices for some reason? It just makes me wonder how many other shady dealings are going on that are not reported?
[…] the entire project may have to be “reviewed.” And he’s right – after all, as GI Korea points out, South Korea had no problems sending records amounts of money and aid to North Korea, yet seems to […]
Does anyone remember this one?
Some Maryland contactors were also convicted of trying to arrange for post-retirement employment for Moran in exchange for contract awards.
When I was one of the Trial Counsel in Yongsan, I used to read the CID blotter every day. That was back in 1998 and 1999, when they were doing the procurement on the Dragon Hill addition. In a word, "cesspool." CID seemed to have a new person in the title block for graft or kickbacks every week.
They built a nice addition to a nice hotel, though. My one regret about leaving Yongsan is the Dragon. We need to keep that place as an R&R spot, like the New Sanno in Tokyo.
Hmmm…
I didn't study this as closely as I could (if it wasn't after midnight) but…
…after a quick reading of Title 18 U.S.C. § 208, Colonel Dombi can't do what she did unless she:
1. "receives in advance a written determination" that her "interest is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the Government may expect from such officer or employee."
If that happened, whoever wrote the written determination needs to be looked at very carefully.
2. As per Office of Government Ethics regulations, her financial interest is "too remote or too inconsequential to affect the integrity of the services of the Government officers or employees to which such regulation applies"
Her husband is regional president and stockholder of an employee-owned company. CH2M HILL is entirely employee-owned and has an internal stock market that operates buy/sell events quarterly. The last buy/sell event was March 9, 2007, according to CH2M HILL's SEC filing.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/777491/000…
Could this apply? Naw.
3. "the need for the individual's services outweighs the potential for a conflict of interest created by the financial interest involved"
Is she THAT important? Doubtful.
4. She is an Indian dealing with Indian stuff.
I don't think so, ki-mo sah-bee.
And, the kicker is…
…in all of the above exemptions, there has to be a written determination… and it is available upon request to the public.
"d)(1) Upon request, a copy of any determination granting an
exemption under subsection (b)(1) or (b)(3) shall be made available to the public by the agency granting the exemption pursuant to the
procedures set forth in section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978."
Anybody interested in requesting that?
I can't see any way this deal went through without somebody being shady.
J!
Chickenhead, are you a PI?;-) That is some good digging for facts. How come I have a feeling you will be requesting some paperwork soon?
Man, I often wonder what kind of pillow talk goes on in that relationship. CH2MHIL is involved in another high profile, high cost project for USFK as the prefered sub-contractor. You can do the research into what the project is, but a hint is the cost is around $100M for the one program/project.
Stars and Stripes reports today that a Korean Judge ruled that there was nothing improper with the awarding of this contract
So since when is the Korean Judicial system the most honest judge of fairness and proper contracts
I would think its up the the Army to figure out if this is improper or not. I wondering whats taking them so long to react