Category: USFK

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.

This high rate of vaccination of personnel is putting USFK pretty close to herd immunity:

Three American service members and a dependent have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. 

One of the service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, around 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on a U.S. government-chartered flight, while the others traveled via commercial flights, according to the U.S. military.

All of them have since been transferred to isolation facilities designated for COVID-19 patients, it said.

“Despite the recent confirmed cases, USFK remains at a high level of readiness with more than 75 percent of its affiliated community vaccinated and less than 1 percent of its active duty service members currently confirmed positive with COVID-19,” it said in a release.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but an interesting statistic which will be probably never hear is how many of the USFK personnel who tested positive on arrival were previously vaccinated?

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.

It will be interesting to see how many ROK troops end of taking the vaccine if allowed considering the bad press the vaccine has received due to the blood clot issue:

The U.S. military wants to give Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine to the South Korean government to vaccinate its troops, two Ministry of National Defense officials told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.

U.S. Forces Korea offered the one-shot vaccine a few days ago, according to a South Korean defense official who did not wish to be identified due to ongoing discussions.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.