I wonder if these kids will get suspended for ditching classes or is the school supporting this?:

More than 100 high school students — the children of Navy parents and Defense Department employees — staged a half-hour walkout Friday morning to protest Pentagon policies targeting diversity programs. About 150 students at Nile C. Kinnick High School on Yokosuka, the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet, circled the school courtyard, chanting and carrying banners.

“I love this school; I think one of its greatest strengths is its diversity,” said senior Chase Hassell, president of the student council. “I think we have such a great multicultural community, and I think that it’s important for the development of all children — not just us — to have experiences with different people of different beliefs and backgrounds,” Hassell told Stars and Stripes after the demonstration.

The protest pushed back on a Jan. 27 executive order by President Donald Trump ending diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs created under previous administrations.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

The only strategic assets the North Koreans have is ICBMs and nuclear weapons. So if they are going to respond it will be with a ICBM test or a nuclear test:

North Korea warned Saturday it will mobilize “strategic means” against what it called strategic threats from the United States and other adversaries, in response to a joint military exercise between South Korea and the U.S. involving a U.S. strategic bomber.

The chief of the press office at North Korea’s defense ministry issued a statement after Seoul and Washington staged combined air drills, involving at least one B-1B bomber, on Thursday for the first time since the launch of the Trump administration.

“The DPRK will counter the strategic threat of the U.S. and other enemies with strategic means and continue its responsible military activities to control and manage the unstable security environment on the Korean Peninsula with powerful deterrence,” the official was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.

Japanese simps are in mourning.

Ukrainian influencer that came to Japan three years ago on a refugee visa quickly gained popularity among Japanese simps for being cute and having the Japanese ability of a toddler.

The same girl has now revealed that she has acquired a Japanese… https://t.co/PBHJSFW38F

— Callisto Roll (@callistoroll) February 19, 2025

This would be a big change to military culture if family days are eliminated:

The Air Force is scrutinizing the extra day given to troops that turn federal holidays into four-day weekends as the U.S. government hunts for ways to streamline operations. At many bases, service members receive an automatic “family day,” typically scheduled alongside a Friday or Monday holiday. In the coming weeks, the Air Force “will evaluate Family Days to ensure they align with our ability to support warfighter readiness,” Gwendolyn DeFilippi, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, wrote in a Feb. 11 memo.

The review comes as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, drives cost-cutting and efficiency measures across the executive branch of the federal government.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest update from the ongoing impeachment trial:

Impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told the Constitutional Court that Cabinet ministers were concerned about President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law bid and attempted to dissuade him before he announced it on Dec. 3. 

Han, who was impeached on Dec. 14 over his alleged role in Yoon’s botched martial law bid, made the remarks as he attended what is likely the last hearing of Yoon’s impeachment trial Thursday.

“As I recall, all (Cabinet members) were concerned and tried to dissuade him,” Han said, referring to a hastily arranged meeting of some Cabinet ministers shortly before Yoon’s surprise imposition of martial law. 

When asked about former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s testimony that some members were in favor of Yoon’s plan, Han replied, “From what I recall, that was not the case at all.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is going to be interesting to see what kind of cuts is going to be made at the Pentagon once DOGE gets through with it:

The Trump administration has directed defense agencies to turn over a list of their probationary employees by the end of Tuesday, with the expectation that many could be fired as soon as this week, according to five people familiar with the matter.

The directive coincides with the arrival at the Pentagon of personnel from billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which has overseen the firing of thousands of probationary employees in other federal agencies and coordinated the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

It was not immediately clear whether any probationary employees in the Defense Department will be exempt from plans to reduce headcount, but the expectation is that many will not, said people familiar with the matter who, like some others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

The community that surrounds the USFK installation Camp Casey in South Korea is the city of Dongducheon. The city has roughly 87,000 people living in it, but for most U.S. Soldiers the only part of the city they really see is what is located immediately outside of Gate #1. This area for many decades was called the “TDC Ville” or just the “ville” for short. TDC stood for Tongducheon in reference to how the city’s name was spelled back then. The TDC Ville twenty years ago was also very seedy and packed with juicy girls.

As the U.S. military began to actively crackdown on prostitution and human trafficking, the ville tried to clean up its act in the 2010’s and rebranded itself as the Bosan-dong Special Tour District. During this timeframe the juicy girls were still there, but greatly scaled down compared to decades prior.

Now during my most recent visit to Dongducheon the ville has once again rebranded itself as Camp Bosan in English even though in Korean it is still being called the Bosan Special Tour District. Here is the large sign near Camp Casey calling the ville now Camp Bosan:

Another large Camp Bosan sign has been installed on the opposite far end of the ville as well:

For my most recent visit to Dongducheon I got off at the Bosan Subway Station and immediately began walking along the interior street adjacent to the subway line:

Here is a view looking down the street adjacent to the subway line:

As I walked near the subway line I could see that Konglish is still a thing in Dongducheon:

Here is something we did not have to worry about back in the day because we were not allowed to drive cars in Korea:

Along the strip adjacent to the subway line I could see that the King Club after decades in business is still open:

I also spotted this huge and impressive mural of a Korean woman in a hanbok on the Eagles Club:

I then turned down a side street further into the ville where I spotted another long time club called the New World. Right above the New World was the Friday Club:

It was here near the New World Club 25 years ago when I saw one of the funniest fights I had ever seen:

Ville Memories: Juicy Girls and Snowballs

I then walked to the far end of the ville where I saw this unique structure that appears to be a little cafe:

I then walked through the main walking path through the center of the ville where I spotted a bar called the Torque Bike Club:

As I continued into the ville I noticed this newer establishment named Miami Club:

Here is a view looking further down the main path that runs through the ville:

As I continued to walk through the ville I saw the Top Club with a karaoke place right next to it:

Here is a club that has been around for awhile, Cowboys:

The Yolo Club is an establishment that seems fairly new in the ville. I did think it was clever of them to have a cash machine right at the entrance of their club:

Down a side street from the Yolo Club is the Spot Club:

Here is a restaurant named the Mommy Store:

Here is a view looking up the street towards the Mommny Store and Club Miami:

I also walked by a Board Game Cafe:

The ville still has plenty of custom tailor shops that I saw as I walked around:

The Star Custom Tailor is one that has been around a long time:

The ville also had plenty of places to get your favorite sports jerseys made:

There is of course a pawn shop for Soldiers to sell off there goods to in exchange for cash to give to girls in the ville:

Here is another newer club the Super Moon:

Here is the New York Club and the DD214 Club:

Here is a wider angle view of the intersection where the New York Club, the New World Club, and Miami Club can all be seen:

Here is a street view of the Loto Club and the Pentagon Bar:

Here is a closer look at the Loto Club:

Here is a closer look at the Pentagon Bar:

I next saw what is probably the oldest club in the entire ville, Club Rendezvous. The Rendezvous had actually been renovated since the last time I had saw it:

According to a sign near its entrance the Rendezvous has been open since 1970. That is a very impressive 55 years of operations in the ville:

The Rendezvous used to be the club I used to hang out at frequently when I was stationed at Camp Casey way back in the day. Then the club was operated by a local gangster named Mr. Han. Here is a story I previously shared about Mr. Han:

Ville Memories: The Rendezvous Club

Here is the Hurricane Club which is right next to the Rendezvous:

Next was the Players Club and the Bridge Club:

In a side alley I saw the Beat Club:

This location used to be where a popular latin club called the Pan Korea used to be at:

Some more clubs I saw was the Seoul Club:

There was also the Crown Club that is one that has been in operation for quite some time:

The Silver Star Club is another one that has been around for decades:

The Las Vegas Club likewise has been around for decades:

Same with the Sky Club:

Further down the street I then saw the Sclub Club. I have no idea what a Sclub is:

I next saw a colorfully painted Popeye Sandwich shop:

Here is the Ace Tattoo, the Link Up Lounge, and Camp One:

As I looked down the street I could see on the right all the food stands that have been added in the ville over the past few years:

This area is where an ajumma used to sell chicken on a stick from a little shack at back in the day. I used to get chicken there all the time until I found out where she got the sticks from:

Ville Memories: Why I Don't Eat Chicken On A Stick

Further down the street I saw a mink blacket store. Getting a mink blanket in Korea seems like a right of passage for GIs to get.

Next I saw the Ace Club:

Then I saw the Empire Club which is another one of the clubs that has been in operations for many decades:

I then came to the area where a large stage has been installed in recent years in a courtyard park:

Near this park is the Sun Club, which used to be located in a different area of the ville, but has apparently relocated in recent years:

The building housing the Sky Club had some pretty impressive grafitti:

Here are some more businesses located adjacent to the park:

Here is a panorama I took of the park:

Here is a closer look at the Wing 212 business:

I then walked into a side alley from the park where I saw the Poory Chop Store. Above this building is where the infamous 1992 murder of the Korean female Kum-I Yun by USFK servicemember Kenneth Markle happened:

Just down the alley from the Poory Chop Store I could see Club Peace:

Here is a closer look at Club Peace which is also one of the older clubs in the ville:

Some other clubs in the alley were the Olive Club and D Club:

There was also the Phoenix Club which has been around for a while:

Here is a look at a few other business located in this alley before it exits where Camp Mobile is located:

Here is a sign at the end of the alley promoting Camp Bosan and the Do Dream Music Center:

Across the street I could see Camp Mobile which back in the day was called the Turtle Farm. This is because the CIF used to be located there and Soldiers had to carry all their gear on their back to Camp Casey looking like a bunch of green turtles:

I then walked over to MSR-3 that passes through Dongducheon and right by Camp Casey. It is where many more businesses are located:

While walking along this section of the ville I spotted a coin and trophy shop:

I also walked by the first vape shop I saw in the ville:

Here are a waffle and kebab restaurants:

I then walked across a crosswalk then began walking towards Camp Casey’s Gate #1:

Here is the view looking back across the street:

Here is a picture of more businesses along MSR-3:

There was also more restaurants and a massage parlor that could be seen:

I also spotted a barber shop:

Here is the last few businesses I spotted before reaching Gate #1 at Camp Casey:

Overall though I am kind of surprised how many clubs and businesses are holding on in the TDC Ville. There has been a large reduction of Soldiers on Camp Casey and the adjacent Camp Hovey to just 4,000 personnel due to the relocation of the 2nd Infantry Division to Camp Humphreys. To make matters even more challenging for the business owners is that the subway station makes it much easier for the Soldiers to go to Seoul which means they spend less money in the ville as well.

Because of the change in the business environment it is very clear that much effort over the past decade plus has been put into cleaning up the TDC Ville. It does look better than I remember it, but the place is still old and rundown. An analogy I like to use is that you can put make up on Songtan Sally, but it is still Songtan Sally.

It really should be systematically torn down and redeveloped, but instead of redevelopment, the city of Dongducheon is leaning in to promoting the ville as a “retro” area in Korea. I don’t think this appeal is going get Korean tourists to visit a rundown neighborhood catering to U.S. Soldiers. Regardless a visit to the TDC Ville was a nice trip down memory lane to see how much has and has not changed in Dongducheon. However, whenever this place is enevitablly torn down one day to be redeveloped, I don’t think I will really miss it.

Note: If you have stories to share about any of the clubs listed in this posting feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below.