Category: USFK

Fortunately it appears so far that no one else on the plane was infected:

USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams said Wednesday that he would not yet lift the military restrictions, which include a ban on nonessential travel off base and dining in at local restaurants and bars.

Many of the infections reported in recent weeks have been imported from abroad.

The American sailor landed at Osan Air Base on the charter flight on Wednesday and was transported to a barracks on Camp Humphreys for a mandatory 14-day quarantine, according to a press release from U.S. Forces Korea.

“Since testing positive, the sailor has been moved to Camp Humphreys’ isolation barracks designated for confirmed COVID-19 cases,” the command said.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but this is a perfect example of why the 14 day quarantine is so important.

Here is an interview in the Stars and Stripes with the first U.S. soldier in South Korea to be infected with the coronavirus:

Army Spc. Deontae Chappel, the first U.S. service member to test positive for the coronavirus, was “shocked” but not overly worried when he found out he had the respiratory disease in late February.

But then the 23-year-old network systems clerk learned his wife and toddler also had been infected and would be joining him in a hospital isolation unit on Camp Humphreys, the main U.S. military base in South Korea.

“The saddest thing throughout the entire process was knowing that my wife and daughter caught it. If it was just me, I would say, ‘OK I’m going to prevail,’” Chappel said Tuesday in his first interview since being discharged from medical care.

Stars & Stripes

Her is the most interesting part of the interview:

“The tests were fluctuating between positive and negative the entire time,” he said, sitting in a conference room in which everyone present was placed a socially distant 6 feet away from each other.

These fluctuations in test results is likely what explains the supposed “reinfections” of South Koreans that has been making media news.

You can read more at the link, but is good to hear that SPC Chappel and his family are doing well after this ordeal.

Camp Casey soldiers have been getting hit hard by UCMJ for violating coronavirus restrictions:

At least six soldiers also have received nonjudicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for going to bars off-base or otherwise violating restrictions on nonessential movement off-base, according to the Eighth Army.

Two privates assigned to the 210th Field Artillery Brigade at Camp Casey had to forfeit pay and received extra duty and a written reprimand for traveling to Camp Humphreys without authorization on March 28, violating their unit’s sign-out policy and possessing alcohol while underage.

Two privates first class with the 210 FAB were reduced in rank, forfeited pay and received written reprimands for drinking in a bar on March 14 in Dongducheon, the city that is home to Camp Casey, near the border with North Korea.

A specialist with the same brigade received the same punishment for drinking in a bar on March 20 in Dongducheon.

A sergeant first class with the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade had to forfeit pay and received a written reprimand for visiting an off-post bar in Songtan, the area outside Osan Air Base, on March 31.

Abrams clamped down on civilians after a contractor who works at Eighth Army headquarters tested positive after he continued to go to restaurants in the local community despite restrictions on nonessential activities off base.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Here is some more good news coming out of USFK:

Time for people to start getting their hair back into standards:

 As the daily count of coronavirus cases declines in South Korea, Camp Humphreys will take a step toward normalcy this weekend by reopening gyms, barber shops and some other services, the commander said Thursday.

Anticipating crowds, garrison commander Col. Michael Tremblay said military standards for haircuts would be phased back in slowly.

“What we don’t want to have is a rush on the barbershop,” he said in a community update via Facebook live. “We know you’re all shaggy out there and that’s fine.”

“We’re going to do this deliberately. So you’re going to get at least a week before there’s going to be any type of hair cut inspection,” he said.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but I wonder how many infections it would take for everything to get closed back down again?

Here is some good news from USFK:

The first U.S. service member to test positive for coronavirus has recovered and been released after 49 days in isolation in South Korea, the military said Thursday.

The announcement came as the pace of infections has slowed across South Korea since an outbreak began in the southeastern city of Daegu in late February.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but his wife who was infected as well has recovered too. That is however a brutal amount of time to be in isolation, 49 days. All the best to the couple in their recovery.