Tag: USFK

Here is the latest on the COVID guidelines for US troops in Korea:

USFK similarly extended its own “enhanced” COVID-19 mitigation measures until Aug. 27. Unit-level commanders are generally able to implement their own rules in addition to USFK policies, and all service members are instructed to follow local guidelines.

U.S. troops are allowed to leave their bases, but regardless of their vaccination status are banned from visiting bars and clubs and are prohibited from visiting the greater Seoul-area except for mission-essential duties.

Seoul continues to report a higher number of infections than any other area in the country. The capital city recorded 515 new cases Thursday, down from its record high of 638 daily cases earlier this month.

Over 80% of USFK troops and civilian employees have been inoculated and less than 1% of its active-duty service members tested positive for COVID-19. The command has maintained that it “remains at a high level of readiness,” despite the recent surge of infections in the surrounding communities.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but does anyone really think the protocols will end August 27th?

No matter what the combined US-ROK exercise is called North Korea is still going to complain about it:

North Korea has resumed its belligerent rhetoric against a combined summertime military exercise between Seoul and Washington, raising questions about whether the Kim Jong-un regime will escalate the situation with a military provocation. 

Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website, issued a warning Tuesday to South Korea and the U.S. with regard to the drill expected to be held in August, saying that “war exercises” and peace cannot exist simultaneously. 

“The current instability on the Korean Peninsula is fully attributable to the warmongers among the South Korean military colluding with an outside power, and engaging in reckless, confrontational machinations,” the website commented.

Citing previous exercises including the Combined Command Post Training in March and Seoul’s participation in the cooperative maritime exercise Pacific Vanguard, it alleged “(South Korea) showed its craze for war exercises.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but I guess we will see what North Korea decides to do next month.

When I see these reports it would be more informational if we knew if any of these people had the vaccine and if so what symptoms did they have?:

South Korea recorded 1,212 COVID-19 infections Wednesday, its highest on-day number of patients this year and the second highest of the pandemic. 

U.S. Forces Korea, meanwhile, announced that 19 people had tested positive for the coronavirus respiratory disease between June 29 and July 2.

The surge in cases, which forced Seoul to suspend plans to ease pandemic restrictions related to masks and social distancing, came the same day that public tours were temporarily halted to the Joint Security Area at the border between the two Koreas.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but of interest is that the article states that USFK has an over 80% vaccination percentage.

The article gives no specifics on what happened so it is impossible to determine if this was a preventable accident or not:

A 2nd Infantry Division soldier has died after suffering a “medical incident” during combat water survival training, the command announced Thursday. 

Spc. Brandon Martinez, 25, of Mesa, Ariz., died Saturday at Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital, 10 days after the June 9 incident at Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Vandal Training Center, a statement said. He was a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist assigned to 4th CBRN Company, 23rd CBRN Battalion who joined 2nd ID’s sustainment brigade on July 13.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Korean authorities plan to go after USFK personnel who decide to hold parties on Haeundae Beach in Busan:

U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea will be fined if they hold parties without wearing masks on and around a popular beach here during the coming U.S. Independence Day holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic, a local ward office said Wednesday.

The Haeundae Ward office in the southern port city of Busan said it will intensify monitoring of any unruly behavior on Haeundae Beach, together with local police and the U.S. Army Military Police, from July 2-4. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

If you are a male soldier stationed in Daegu here is something to be aware of:

Male soldiers based at Baumholder in Germany were more at risk of being sexually assaulted than at any other Army post, according to a service-commissioned study that found two other posts in Germany with similar risks.

A Rand Corp. report released Friday examined sexual assault data at U.S. Army bases worldwide and found elevated risks of male sexual assault at Vilseck and Landstuhl in Germany.  (……..)

When adjusting for key factors such as age, marital status and education, LRMC rated as the riskiest, followed by Baumholder and Daegu, South Korea, the report said.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but for sexual assaults on women Camp Humphreys and bases in Daegu ranked 7th and 8th across the Army which is really high as well.

Here we go again, this same thing happened last year at Haeundae Beach:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday it is cooperating with local authorities over allegations some of its members were involved in no-mask parties on a Busan beach over the weekend in violation of social distancing rules.

According to police, around 2,000 foreigners, including U.S. soldiers, set off firecrackers and held parties without masks at Haeundae Beach in the southeastern city of Busan, marking U.S. Memorial Day. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.