Category: USFK

Some enterprising hiker in the future may wander upon this prize one day:

 An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot inadvertently dropped a projectile outside a designated training area on Oct. 13, according to the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan.

The pilot from the 25th Fighter Squadron was on a routine training flight when he released the non-explosive projectile over rough, remote terrain just south of Pilsung Ragne in Gangwan Province, according to an emailed statement from wing spokesman 1st Lt. Daniel de La Fe.

The South Korean Ministry of Defense was immediately notified and a combined search and recovery team from the wing and South Korea swept the area from the air and ground, according to the statement.

“During the sweep, leadership from both the U.S. and [South Korean] sides determined that based on the terrain at the projected location of impact, there was not a significant threat to anyone and called the search off on Oct. 16,” de La Fe wrote.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Anyone with any measure of intelligence on defense issues on the Korean peninsula could of told Bob Woodward that a nuclear strike on North Korea is not feasible:

Although Bob Woodward’s latest book, “Rage,” disclosed last month that the Donald Trump administration had reviewed firing scores of nuclear weapons at North Korea in 2017, experts said Wednesday that such an attack would not be an easy option to implement due to various reasons including possible escalation involving other countries.

In the book, based on interviews with Trump, the writer said the United States studied “OPLAN 5027” for regime change in North Korea ― the U.S. response to an attack that could include the use of 80 nuclear weapons. OPLAN 5027 refers to a joint South Korea-U.S. military operation plan to respond to a North Korean invasion.

Experts on Korean Peninsula issues saw a low chance of the plan ever being carried out, because of concerns that a U.S. nuclear strike against Pyongyang could lead to accidental escalation in the region.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link about the issues a nuclear strike on North Korea would cause.

This is an unusual story involving a soldier at Camp Humphreys:

An Army soldier who is finishing his assignment abroad might be blocked from reentering the U.S., government officials said, in a dispute over his legal status stemming from his birth in New York while his father was a foreign diplomat there.

Army Pfc. Fadel Tankoano, 22, said he thought he was a dual citizen of Niger and the U.S., pointing to the U.S. passport he was issued as a toddler and a birth certificate from a Manhattan hospital.

But officials said Tankoano misrepresented his status when he enlisted in 2018 and on passport applications.

Tankoano’s Nigerien father enjoyed full diplomatic immunity as a counselor at the United Nations when his son was born, State Department officials said. That means that he was not subject to domestic law — and that Tankoano was exempt from birthright citizenship.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more a the link, but the soldier is being discharged for a fraudulent enlistment. Additionally since he doesn’t have a valid passport he may not even be allowed back into the United States where he was born.

Eighth Army has a new commander:

 Lt. Gen. Willard “Bill” Burleson III assumed command of the Eighth Army on Friday, stressing the need for U.S. and South Korean troops “to train rigorously and realistically” to maintain readiness on the divided peninsula.

Wearing a camouflage mask to match his uniform and ward off the coronavirus, Burleson accepted the Eighth Army colors from Lt. Gen. Michael Bills during a ceremony in a gym on Camp Humphreys, the Army’s main headquarters in South Korea.

The change of command occurred amid fears of renewed tensions as U.S.-led nuclear talks with North Korea have stalled. Many experts have predicted that the North may conduct a missile test or another provocation in connection with the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

“Eighth Army’s presence here in Korea and in the Pacific certainly sends a strong signal, not just to the Republic of Korea but to our regional allies on the United States commitment to deterring our potential adversaries,” Burleson said during the ceremony, which was streamed live on Facebook.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

This must have been fun for the people who won this award:

Fifteen troops and civilians affiliated with U.S. Forces Korea filled their shopping carts at the post exchange Thursday after each won a $10,000 shopping spree.

The prizes were part of a $2 million Sip. Rip. Ultimate Trip sweepstakes sponsored by Subway that began on July 1 to honor the 125th anniversary of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which runs exchanges and other stores on military bases worldwide.

Army Sgt. Justin Moore, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, stopped to eat on Aug. 12 at a Subway before picking up a friend on the way to a basketball game. He peeled a game piece off his 30-ounce drink that came with his order and made a game-changing discovery.

“I decided to eat, and I just happened to get lucky,” Moore said. “First thing that happened when I read it was, I just yelled out ‘no way’ and everybody looked at me funny.”

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.