Category: USFK

All the best to this family as they deal with a difficult health situation now affecting the entire family:

The wife of an American soldier who tested positive for the new coronavirus also has been infected, the military said Saturday as the total number of confirmed cases in South Korea soared past 3,000.

The soldier was the first U.S. service member to contract the pneumonia-like illness, which has spread rapidly since first appearing in China late last year.

His wife and their baby were transported from Daegu to an isolation unit at Camp Humphreys where the soldier also is being held, officials said.

The woman had been in self-quarantine since Wednesday, when her husband tested positive, according to U.S. Forces Korea. She also was confirmed to have the virus earlier Sunday.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

The furloughs are coming:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) issued a 30-day advance notice of a potential furlough to its Korean employees, apparently to further pressure Seoul in defense cost-sharing negotiations.

Korea and the United States have been engaged in talks over how much Seoul should pay for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong USFK under their cost-sharing deal, the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), but have yet to reach a deal. “Their loss will have an impact on readiness,” USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams said. “Unfortunately, without an agreed upon SMA, we must continue to prepare for a potential furlough.”

Absent an agreement, the furlough will begin on April 1, it said.

The U.S. Department of Defense earlier said it will fund the salaries of key Korean workers who provide life, health, safety and other readiness services, but USFK sent the notice, as required by U.S. law, to all its nearly 9,000 Korean employees as it is still unclear who will be subject to the potential furlough, it said.“We’ve explored all options that remain within my authority to delay a potential furlough due to the SMA lapse, and we will continue to explore funding alternatives up to and even during a required furlough,” Abrams said.

Joong Ang Ilbo

Here is a good common sense decision to unnecessarily avoid exposing more U.S. military personnel to the coronavirus:

South Korea and the United States decided to postpone their springtime joint military exercises over growing concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus, their combined command said Thursday.

The two sides had initially planned to stage their computer-simulated combined command post training in March but decided to put it off “until further notice” in light of Seoul’s decision to raise its alert rating to “severe,” the highest level, over COVID-19, according to the Combined Forces Command (CFC).

It is the first time that the allies have decided to modify combined exercises due to health-related issues.

Yonhap

The news of the exercise cancellation comes on top of the fact that USFK employee in Daegu has now come down with the coronavirus as well.

Here is the latest from US Army Garrison Camp Humphreys on which facilities on post are currently closed due to the coronavirus:

‼️MWR FACILITY and PROGRAM NOTICES‼️
(Updated 8:26 p.m., February 26)

The following MWR facilities are closed February 27:
– Arts & Crafts Center
– Automotive Skills Center
– CAC/Family Fitness Center
– CAC Indoor Pool
– Discover Seoul
– Downtown Lanes Bowling Center
– Downtown Recreation Center
– First & Ten Restaurant
– Library
– Morning Calm Center
– Parent Central Services (limited Parent Central Services are available at Hess Child Development Center between 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Please call DSN 756-1104/1103 for additional information on limited services.)
– RBGC / Pub
– The White Heron Restaurant
———————————
The following facilities will have normal operation hours on February 27:
– Army Community Service (limited services)
– Flightline Restaurant (limited menu)
– Humphreys Army Lodging 
– Warrior Zone
– Collier Fitness Center
– Collier Indoor Pool
– Sitman Fitness Center
– Turner Fitness Center
– Zoeckler Fitness Center
———————————
The following facility hours of operation are currently pending:
-Texas Roadhouse
———————————
Fitness and martial arts classes are canceled until further notice.
———————————
Effective February 26, operations at all USAG Humphreys Child and Youth Services facilities are suspended. This includes all Child Development Centers, School Age Center, and Youth Center. All Youth Sports, CYS Instructional Programs (SKIES), and Family Fields Trips remain suspended.

Also posted on Facebook is that all ACS classes have been suspended and the on post Pyeongtaek DMV is closed as well. Anyone needing licensing services needs to go to the downtown DMV.

Here is some additional guidance from US Army Garrison Humphreys that was posted on Facebook in regards to off-post activities:

AttentionHumphreys!
Under the current protection measures against COVID-19, military personnel are prohibited from participating in non-essential activities for entertainment. This includes off-post dining in restaurants, bars, clubs or movie theaters. Also, they are to stay away from gatherings larger than 20 people. Restaurant take-out is authorized. The same is recommended for civilian personnel and family members. All on-post activities are authorized.

On top of the closure and limiting of services on post, according to the Stars & Stripes it is taking up to 5 hours for people to enter Camp Humphreys because of the health checks being done at the gates.

Here is the latest gate hours for Camp Humphreys:

Dodu-ri Gate (Adams) (NO CHANGE) – 24 hour POV and Commercial access; All personnel

Donchang-ri (Yoon) (NO CHANGE) – 24 Hour POV access; All personnel 

Hamjeong-ri (CHANGE) – OPEN 0530-1000 FOR INBOUND POV ACCESS; All personnel, No outbound traffic;

Pedestrian Gate (CHANGE) -24 Hour Pedestrian access; All personnel; 

CPX (CHANGE) – OPEN 0530-1000 FOR INBOUND POV ACCESS; DoD ID Card Holder ONLY; No outbound traffic 

Anjeong-ri (CHANGE) – OPEN 0530-1000 FOR CREDENTIALED MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ONLY

KNP will assist with off-post Traffic Control at Hamjeong-ri and Donchang-ri gates.

Tough times to be stationed in South Korea currently.

All the best to this young soldier who was moved from his off-base residence outside of Camp Carroll to the military hospital on Camp Humphreys:

 An American soldier has tested positive for the new coronavirus at a base in the area hardest hit by a recent outbreak in South Korea, the military said Wednesday.

The 23-year-old soldier, stationed at Camp Carroll, is the first U.S. service member to be confirmed with an infection of the rapidly spreading pneumonia-like illness called COVID-19.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but at least he was not living in the barracks which would have made the chance of spreading the virus even worse. This infection of a U.S. soldier comes on top of 11 ROK military personnel now infected with the virus as well:

Eleven service members have been confirmed to have the new coronavirus as of early Monday, and around 7,700 others are quarantined as part of efforts to stop the virus from spreading further into barracks, the defense ministry said.

Eight COVID-19 cases in the Army and one each in the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps were confirmed as of 8 a.m. Monday, up from a total of seven cases the previous day, according to the ministry. 

The four newly confirmed soldiers are suspected of having been exposed to the virus after contacting patients inside barracks, according to military officers. South Korea reported the first virus case among its service personnel on Friday.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Via the Stars & Stripes comes word that a U.S. military dependent has contracted the coronavirus:

A U.S. military dependent who visited base facilities on a southeastern base tested positive for the new coronavirus in South Korea, officials said Monday, as they raised the risk level for the military community to high.

South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “informed us today a [U.S. Forces Korea] dependent in Daegu tested positive for COVID-19, making this the first time a USFK individual has tested positive,” a USFK statement said.

“USFK has raised the risk level to ‘high’ for USFK peninsula-wide as a prudent measure to protect the force,” it added.

No active-duty service members have tested positive for the coronavirus that has rapidly spread in the country over the past week, Camp Humphreys garrison commander Col. Michael Tremblay said separately at a town hall-style meeting Monday.

He said the woman who tested positive was a 61-year-old widowed dependent.

USFK said the woman had visited the post exchange on Feb. 12 and 15 at Camp Walker in the southeastern city of Daegu, which has been the epicenter of a recent outbreak.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest from USFK on their coronavirus prevention response:

There remains zero confirmed cases of USFK personnel with COVID-19 despite the rise in confirmed South Korean cases to more than 100 patients.

Out of continued abundance of caution and the utilizing the USFK Commander’s authorities to protect the force, the risk for USFK peninsula-wide personnel and installations remains moderate.

To ensure USFK remains vigilant in preventing the spread of COVID-19 within USAG-Daegu and Area IV, the following prudent health protection measures are in effect:

All service member mission-essential only travel to/from/around Daegu, and all service member non-mission essential travel to/from Daegu requires GO/FO authorization; this is highly encouraged for all family members, civilians and contractors.

USFK Website

You can read much more at the link.