Definitely no reason to keep a ground force in Korea. Keep the Air Force and maybe the APS 4 prepo fleet but other than than no need for 8th Army, 2ID, or USFK in its current form.
I’m torn. On the one hand, overseas assignments are necessary for our troops’ training. On the other, the Koreans don’t act like we’re wanted.
Maybe we let them choose between American, Chinese, or Halal food and enjoy their meals in peace. It’s their country
Only, if we leave because they don’t want us, we shouldn’t spend another 50-75,000 American lives to pull their arse out of a North Korean noose again.
South Korea, at this point, is more than capable of handling the NK military. The USFK is just window dressing to keep NK from trying anything stupid. The fact that families and non-essential civilians now make up a larger part of the USFK population than do the 25,000 service members, is a worrisome thing. If NK decided to launch a strike using only their forward deployed artillery, rockets, and front line troops, USFK and their evacuation plan would be caught flatfooted and it would be everyone for themselves like it was in 1950. The whole plan to evacuate families and civilians from the peninsula hinges on NK making preemptive moves that we will be able to detect. If Fatty Kim or anyone up there decided to push the launch button without warning, families and non-essential civilians would die.
If the U.S. wants to keep forces in the ROK and they still want us there, the forces should be pared down to service members only on 1-year tours. Pay the service members extra for the hardship of being away from their families for a year and save the U.S. plenty of money. This would alleviate the need for families to move there and would cycle a lot more forces through the peninsula to get experience of what fighting in Korea would be like if necessary.
Tim, that makes sense. Especially if the only US Military are in Kunsan and Taegu; but my favorite shops are in Songtan. We probably need the same numbers of troops; but I don’t think the younger folks behave as well away from home as we did. And that, as I recall, may not have been sterling…
2ID Doc
4 years ago
I remember being told in 1989 that the US military would not bee needed by 2000, at that point the ROK military would be as modern and as strong as the US military and we could let them defend themselves against anything the Norks would try. Coming back for Team Spirit and maintaining a small presence in the Southern areas is useful, but I see no reason 2ID needs to sit south of Seoul (with entirely too many dependents running around). When the Norks do start the next war, the Navy & Air Force are going to be the first on scene in any case, ground forces will be needed as follow on troops or perhaps for security south of the MDL, the US ground forces really have no business going North of the MDL, letting Koreans deal with fellow Koreans.
As an aside if I were the 4 star, if the Norks came south, my first act would be to put commie moon pie in leg irons and handcuffs lead him to President Park’s cell and trade places and work on rounding up all his commie buddies before they hand the keys of the country to the Nork Army.
J6Junkie
4 years ago
I think Commie Moon learned from Kwangju 1980. No way he and the Kronies are losing power.
ChickenHead
4 years ago
“I remember being told in 1989 that the US military would not bee needed by 2000, at that point the ROK military would be as modern and as strong as the US military and we could let them defend themselves against anything the Norks would try.”
Can anybody here think of a ten-year prediction or promise made by government or military that came true?
(At least in a good way)
Flyingsword
4 years ago
Yeah, the Koreans like daddy war bucks guaranteeing everyone’s investments and paying its troops pennies. The US thinks they are getting some sort of regional influence when, in fact, just being played for the fool.
radarorielly
4 years ago
I was at Osan 75-76 everyone unaccompied, Cp Page 76-78 ditto, and Humpheys 78-80 everyone unaccompied. Page is gone and when I look at Osan and Humphreys today they look like little America. It would be a ClusterFxxk if the Norks ever came down. Agree make everything a 1 year tour
J6Junkie
4 years ago
And our ROK neighbors would just let them waltz on down.
I knew USFK was in trouble when they built the Dragon Hill Lodge. Speaking of which, does anyone know if they’ve given it over to the Koreans yet?
2ID Doc
4 years ago
CH, I think I told during the same week of briefings that the Army would be smoke free by 2000 as well. I’m surprised they haven’t started putting cigarettes in the MREs.
Mcgeehee
4 years ago
The DHL is not scheduled to move to Humphreys or close. Even when Yongsan closes for good (in 2052?), the Dragon will remain as an AFRC recreation hotel for authorized guests and visitors to Seoul.
J6Junkie
4 years ago
I thought Commie Moon wanted all of the Yongsan land back and DHL would close?
agreement was Dragon would stay, like the New Sano in Tokyo. There have been rubblings that pop every now and the about the Koreans wanting to move the Dragon, but nothing substantial so far.
Definitely no reason to keep a ground force in Korea. Keep the Air Force and maybe the APS 4 prepo fleet but other than than no need for 8th Army, 2ID, or USFK in its current form.
I’m torn. On the one hand, overseas assignments are necessary for our troops’ training. On the other, the Koreans don’t act like we’re wanted.
Maybe we let them choose between American, Chinese, or Halal food and enjoy their meals in peace. It’s their country
Only, if we leave because they don’t want us, we shouldn’t spend another 50-75,000 American lives to pull their arse out of a North Korean noose again.
South Korea, at this point, is more than capable of handling the NK military. The USFK is just window dressing to keep NK from trying anything stupid. The fact that families and non-essential civilians now make up a larger part of the USFK population than do the 25,000 service members, is a worrisome thing. If NK decided to launch a strike using only their forward deployed artillery, rockets, and front line troops, USFK and their evacuation plan would be caught flatfooted and it would be everyone for themselves like it was in 1950. The whole plan to evacuate families and civilians from the peninsula hinges on NK making preemptive moves that we will be able to detect. If Fatty Kim or anyone up there decided to push the launch button without warning, families and non-essential civilians would die.
If the U.S. wants to keep forces in the ROK and they still want us there, the forces should be pared down to service members only on 1-year tours. Pay the service members extra for the hardship of being away from their families for a year and save the U.S. plenty of money. This would alleviate the need for families to move there and would cycle a lot more forces through the peninsula to get experience of what fighting in Korea would be like if necessary.
Tim, that makes sense. Especially if the only US Military are in Kunsan and Taegu; but my favorite shops are in Songtan. We probably need the same numbers of troops; but I don’t think the younger folks behave as well away from home as we did. And that, as I recall, may not have been sterling…
I remember being told in 1989 that the US military would not bee needed by 2000, at that point the ROK military would be as modern and as strong as the US military and we could let them defend themselves against anything the Norks would try. Coming back for Team Spirit and maintaining a small presence in the Southern areas is useful, but I see no reason 2ID needs to sit south of Seoul (with entirely too many dependents running around). When the Norks do start the next war, the Navy & Air Force are going to be the first on scene in any case, ground forces will be needed as follow on troops or perhaps for security south of the MDL, the US ground forces really have no business going North of the MDL, letting Koreans deal with fellow Koreans.
As an aside if I were the 4 star, if the Norks came south, my first act would be to put commie moon pie in leg irons and handcuffs lead him to President Park’s cell and trade places and work on rounding up all his commie buddies before they hand the keys of the country to the Nork Army.
I think Commie Moon learned from Kwangju 1980. No way he and the Kronies are losing power.
“I remember being told in 1989 that the US military would not bee needed by 2000, at that point the ROK military would be as modern and as strong as the US military and we could let them defend themselves against anything the Norks would try.”
Can anybody here think of a ten-year prediction or promise made by government or military that came true?
(At least in a good way)
Yeah, the Koreans like daddy war bucks guaranteeing everyone’s investments and paying its troops pennies. The US thinks they are getting some sort of regional influence when, in fact, just being played for the fool.
I was at Osan 75-76 everyone unaccompied, Cp Page 76-78 ditto, and Humpheys 78-80 everyone unaccompied. Page is gone and when I look at Osan and Humphreys today they look like little America. It would be a ClusterFxxk if the Norks ever came down. Agree make everything a 1 year tour
And our ROK neighbors would just let them waltz on down.
I knew USFK was in trouble when they built the Dragon Hill Lodge. Speaking of which, does anyone know if they’ve given it over to the Koreans yet?
CH, I think I told during the same week of briefings that the Army would be smoke free by 2000 as well. I’m surprised they haven’t started putting cigarettes in the MREs.
The DHL is not scheduled to move to Humphreys or close. Even when Yongsan closes for good (in 2052?), the Dragon will remain as an AFRC recreation hotel for authorized guests and visitors to Seoul.
I thought Commie Moon wanted all of the Yongsan land back and DHL would close?
agreement was Dragon would stay, like the New Sano in Tokyo. There have been rubblings that pop every now and the about the Koreans wanting to move the Dragon, but nothing substantial so far.