Category: USFK

The 7th Air Force in South Korea is about to get a new commander:

The Korean government on Thursday conferred a medal of merit to Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Bergeson, the outgoing commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force, for his contribution to peace and stability on the peninsula.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo gave Bergeson the Gukseon Medal, the second-highest class in the Order of National Security Merit, on behalf of the Korean government, his office said. Bergeson, who took the commander post in July 2016, is set to leave the position next week.

“[Bergeson] has contributed greatly to safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through a show of strong deterrence capabilities against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” the Defense Ministry said.

“He was recognized for his contribution to establishing the strong combined defense posture by enhancing the combined operations capabilities,” it added.

Lt. Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the commander of the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, is set to succeed Bergeson.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

Here is the latest on any drawdown of US troops in South Korea:

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense authorization bill that restricts any drawdown of American troops in South Korea.

The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, which approves US$716 billion for defense in fiscal year 2019, passed the House by a vote of 359-54. Upon Senate approval, it will be sent to U.S. President Donald Trump to sign into law.

The bill notes that about 28,500 American troops are currently stationed in South Korea as a demonstration of the U.S. commitment to the bilateral alliance.

Their “significant removal” is “a non-negotiable item as it relates to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization” of North Korea, the bill says under a section describing the Sense of Senate on U.S. military forces on the Korean Peninsula.

In a conference report accompanying the legislation, Congress also prohibits the use of the funds to reduce the troops’ number below 22,000 without certification from the secretary of defense that “such a reduction is in the national security interest of the United States and will not significantly undermine the security of United States allies in the region.”  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

It seems to me that the heat wave in South Korea did not cause this heat injury considering the article says he fell out when the temperature was 77 F.  It seems like other factors such as how well hydrated he was before and during the ruck march might be more responsible than a 77 degree F temperature, especially with the humidity in South Korea.  A major question that will need to be asked is how much water were the airmen carrying on the march and were there water stations for access to more water?:

A South Korea-based airman who collapsed during a ruck march is among thousands hospitalized from a heat wave that has claimed dozens of lives this month in the Far East.

A GoFundMe page seeking donations for the family of Airman 1st Class Mikhahael Ragay says that “during a ruck at Osan Air Base, South Korea, A1C Ragay fell out due to heat exhaustion/dehydration. His core body temperature was 108 degrees Fahrenheit and he is currently in critical condition in a comatose state. His family flew out to Osan to be with him, and all proceeds will go to his family to support them during this difficult time.”

Members of the 51st Security Forces Squadron participated in a ruck march at about 6 a.m. Saturday, said Staff Sgt. Tinese Jackson, a 51st Fighter Wing spokeswoman. The trek culminated an eight-day Combat Readiness Course, which is an initial training exercise for airmen new to the unit.

“A member of the 51st SFS passed out during the ruck march and was taken to the emergency room,” she said. “The Airman is currently being treated and recovering at an off-base hospital in the Republic of Korea.”  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link, but hopefully the airman makes a full recovery.

Friends and family gathered at Knight Field, US Army Garrison Yongsan, to welcome newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Harry Harris, and to say goodbye to Marc Knapper, outgoing , July 17.  Knapper served as Chargé, d’Affaires for more than a year replacing former ambassador, Mark Lippert.(Photos by Staff Sgt. David Chapman, UNC-CFC-USFK)  [USFK Facebook page]

Moon Jae-in wants political cover as he compromises Seoul's strategic position & US troops give moderate voters a false sense of security. But without robust missile defenses & a host-nation ally that has our backs, our troops are vulnerable — really, just hostages for N. Korea. https://t.co/DRFevqpAoQ

— Joshua Stanton (@freekorea_us) June 30, 2018

Leave it to General Brooks to dispel media hyperbole about the cancellation of UFG:

The chief of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Wednesday dismissed concerns that the recent decision by Seoul and Washington to suspend their combined military exercises would lead to an end of all other allied drills and weaken deterrence capabilities.

Gen. Vincent Brooks defended the decision, noting that the suspension appears intended to help the allies build trust with North Korea and add “greater effectiveness” in ongoing diplomacy on the communist state’s denuclearization.

“I don’t anticipate that this is an end of all exercises and training as we know it, but rather these visible exercises that are right up front that may cause unnecessary irritation at a time when the need for trust building is so important,” he said during an alliance forum in Seoul.

“I will eliminate the doubt and concerns about all military training going away. I don’t have any such instruction coming my way. I don’t feel that is the spirit of our leaders but rather to create a room for them to be able to navigate the way forward … to give them room if this helps set the conditions for them to have greater effectiveness in their dialogue and discussions,” he added.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

Considering how popular the Dragon Hill Lodge is, I would not be surprised if from the US side these talks get slow rolled as much as possible:

There was sharp criticism from the city of Seoul and civic groups that leaving the 240,000㎡ ROK-US CFC on the site of the Yongsan Garrison would cause the park that will be built there after the land is returned to South Korea to end up looking malformed. South Korea and the US bowed to the pressure by agreeing at the end of last year to move ROK-US CFC to a building on the precincts of South Korea’s Ministry of Defense, located nearby. The relocation of the ROK-US CFC to the Defense Ministry grounds is reportedly supposed to be completed within the year.

On the other hand, little progress has reportedly been made in deliberations between South Korea and the US about relocating the Dragon Hill Lodge, which is located on the grounds of the base. The original agreement was for the 84,000㎡ resort to remain at Yongsan regardless of the base’s relocation. But recently, objections have been raised about leaving a US military facility that is not open to South Koreans at the center of the planned park.“There have not been any official discussions, and we are currently exchanging opinions,” said Defense Ministry spokesperson Choi Hyeon-su when asked about this in April.  [Hankyoreh]

You can read more at the link.

Much like the closing of Yongsan Garrison, Camp Red Cloud in Uijongbu is getting closer to closing as well:

Soldiers stood in formation as the garrison’s colors were cased Thursday in a ceremony officials said marked an important step toward closing this Korean War-era base and reducing the U.S. footprint north of Seoul.

The inactivation of Camp Red Cloud, which remains home to the 2nd Infantry Division, was a largely administrative move aimed at consolidating resources as the Army steps up much-delayed plans to move most forces to its new hub in the southern half of the country.

But Col. Brandon Newton, who served for the past two years as the final garrison commander of the area that includes Red Cloud and Camp Casey, stressed the process was well underway.

“The details of the way that we return bases are more complex than just the casing of the colors,” he said in an interview after the ceremony on the parade ground. “We’re certainly on the lead edge of what I would consider the vacating of Camp Red Cloud. Vacating and closing a camp is about a year’s process.”  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read much more at the link, but according to the article the 2nd Infantry Division headquarters is going to remain at Camp Red Cloud for quite some time due to (drum roll please)……… building delays at Camp Humphreys.  Anyone shocked by that news?

By the way for those wondering how Camp Red Cloud was named I recommend reading the below link:

https://www.rokdrop.net/2012/10/the-true-story-of-how-camp-red-cloud-south-korea-got-its-name/

This has been a long time coming:

The U.S. military’s main command in South Korea will officially open its new headquarters next Friday in Pyeongtaek, 40 miles south of its current home in Yongsan District, central Seoul, marking a major milestone in the relocation of the U.S. Forces Korea.

Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday that the opening will be celebrated with a ceremony at the new headquarters compound, in which South Korean and U.S. military officials will participate. The ministry did not disclose the list of invitees, but U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis arrives in Seoul next Thursday for a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Song Young-moo, and local media assumes he’s on it.

The relocation of the headquarters follows a years-long process of moving the U.S. Forces Korea from the Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, a rural city in Gyeonggi. The 8th U.S. Army relocated its headquarters from Yongsan to Pyeongtaek in July 2017.

Seoul and Washington agreed to the transition in May 2003 and set a deadline for 2020. Local authorities plan to build an ecological park at the garrison site in Yongsan once the transition is complete, with the hopes of opening the park for public use by 2027.

The new headquarters is composed of a four-story main building and a two-story annex, taking up 240,000 square meters (59.3 acres) in total. A ministry official said some other buildings on Camp Humphreys were still under construction, but are most likely to be completed by the 2020 deadline.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link, but how much of Yongsan Garrison do people think will actually become an ecological park?

Over at the Diplomat there is an interesting article published about former US President Jimmy Carter’s failed attempt to remove US ground troops from South Korea during his term in office:

With U.S. President Donald Trump once more touting his desire to withdraw the 28,500 U.S. troops currently stationed in South Korea, it is perhaps worthwhile briefly examining the last time an American president attempted to remove U.S. forces from the Korean Peninsula. U.S. President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s was ultimately stopped by congressional obstruction, the Pentagon, and the intelligence community, among others, from implementing a troop withdrawal policy he had repeatedly promised during his presidential campaign in 1976. Put otherwise, and to use 21st century Trumpian parlance: the so-called “deep state” stopped Carter from executing his plans.

During the 1976 presidential campaign — the same year two American soldiers were axed to death by North Korean soldiers in the demilitarized zone — Carter repeatedly voiced his desire to pull out the 40,000 American soldiers (out of which only 15,000 were combat troops) from South Korea, where they served as a de factotripwire to deter a North Korean invasion. For example, at a Foreign Policy Association luncheon that year Carter declared: “I believe that it will be possible to withdraw our ground forces from South Korea on a phased basis over a time span to be determined after consultation with both South Korea and Japan.”  [The Diplomat via a reader tip]

You can read much more at the link, but basically the intelligence community changed its assessment to state that North Korea had a military advantage over South Korea and removing US ground troops would only increase their advantage.  This gave opponents of Carter’s troop removal plan the backing they needed to oppose and eventually stop it.  President Carter has always been skeptical of the assessment and how the bureaucracy circled the wagons to stop his troop withdrawal strategy.

Carter wanted to pull out the ground troops to put pressure on South Korean President Park Chung-hee to implement democratic reforms.  Carter may have failed in his quest to remove US ground troops, but he did indirectly succeed in getting Park Chung-hee removed from office.  In October 1979, Park was assassinated by the Korean CIA chief Kim Jae-gyu as part of a coup attempt against him.  After the coup attempt failed, Kim said one of the reasons for the coup was to restore the US-ROK relationship that had been so badly damaged by Park’s rule.

So are there any lessons President Trump could learn from Carter’s failed bid to remove US ground troops from Korea if he decides to do that?  I don’t think so because of how different the circumstances are.  It is clear today that South Korea has a conventional military advantage over North Korea thus muting concerns that US military leadership may have.  When former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld moved entire combat brigade from South Korea in 2004 to send to Iraq there was little pushback because of the ROK military advantage.

If President Trump does decide to remove US troops from Korea as part of a larger deal over North Korea’s nuclear weapons, I suspect there would be little pushback compared to what Carter experienced.