Why is Korea not classified as a deployment?

SPC Deyton Privette — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 07:45:15 -0400

I don't mean to sound like a boot or as a "whiny baby" but why is Korea not classified as a deployment? No Official peace treaty was ever signed.

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Sep 24 at 2018 8:30 AM

Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 08:30:14 -0400

Good question...it is a 365 and most time a remote. An armistice was signed but never an ending to the war.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2018 9:03 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:03:49 -0400

Are you asking why it’s not considered a combat deployment?
It reflects on the Overseas/Deployment section on my ERB. It’s an operational (non-combat) tour.

Response by SGT Jason Murphy made Sep 24 at 2018 9:15 AM

SGT Jason Murphy — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:15:26 -0400

A cease fire was established in 1953 between the two Koreas. That could be the reason. On a different note, I purchased many nitro powered RC vehicles while on my two tours there. I absolutely enjoyed Korea

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Sep 24 at 2018 9:18 AM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:18:37 -0400

- at times, it has been authorized combat awards such as the CIB but they are selectively designated periods and then it goes back to status quo. This hasn't happened since 1985 (correction 1987) and before that, the 1960s. There have been other events but an event doesn't necessarily = CIB.
- it's not designated as a combat zone. Families live there.
- There is no current AUMF or Declaration of war for Korea. Forces are there as part of security agreements with South Korea.
- you live under an alert status, but so did units in Europe until the wall fell in 1991. Germany wasn't a combat theater since 1945. We had no peace treaty with the USSR and still don't.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 24 at 2018 9:42 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:42:33 -0400

Did you get shot at? Did you shoot anyone? No? Okay.

Response by SGT David T. made Sep 24 at 2018 11:06 AM

SGT David T. — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 11:06:57 -0400

I am not sure soju and drinkie girls count as a deployment lol

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Sep 24 at 2018 1:32 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 13:32:02 -0400

It is not a deployment because Service Members are not living in and amongst the enemy. They are living and serving in a free country. For over 40 years we served in Germany across the border from the USSR and Germany was not a deployment. Two foes facing each other, while keeping the other in check. Thank you for your service.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Sep 24 at 2018 11:26 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 23:26:53 -0400

1. You are whining- it is a PCS because Korea has been this way since 1954. It is not a peace keeping mission, nor a war mission- hence it is not a deployment.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Sep 25 at 2018 12:48 AM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 00:48:44 -0400

Both Korea and Germany are considered forward deployed and with Korea, your dwell time is reset. Difference between Korea and Afghanistan is you do not get a combat patch or tax exemption. You do receive a small amount of hazard pay (as of 2014) and really is a form of deployment just not as a combat tour.

Response by SGT Walter Ingram made Aug 1 at 2020 9:28 PM

SGT Walter Ingram — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 21:28:48 -0400

Korea isn't considered a combat zone under it's current status. The Korean DMZ does continue to be a volatile area considering it's a ceasefire agreement between two nations not a normal treaty.

The Combat Infantry Badge was authorized for service in Korea on the DMZ (4 January 1969 to 31 March 1994).

The change concerning Korea going from a 12 month to 24 plus duty deployment seems to have happened in 2008.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/washington/04gates.html

Gates Approves of 3-Year Tours for U.S. Troops in South Korea

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he supports extending the tours of thousands of troops stationed in South Korea to three years and allowing their families to live with them.

Response by SFC Domingo M. made Oct 12 at 2021 11:25 PM

SFC Domingo M. — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 23:25:36 -0400

This question brings back some fond memories of my first two tours. So I can see, why, the question. First off, I was there in 1970/'71. On my first tour we rotated DMZ duty with other units sister. On my second tour, 1975 I was stationed at Camp Liberty Bell and we stayed on DMZ duty for all 14 months I was there.

We did two weeks of ambush patrols, two weeks guard duty on the fence in foxholes and then two weeks guard duty on either GP Ouellette, GP Collier, or GP Martin. If I remember correctly, any time we were performing these duties we had live ammo, grenades, claymore mines, smoke flares, Radios and a CEOI. In other words, we were rigged for combat. The people who were guarding the fence had live ammo and if you were on ambush patrol, as you were about to cross the checkpoint into the DMZ, you locked and loaded. Why does that sound like a combat scenario? I forgot, we also test fired our weapons prior to going on patrols. You would think that they thought we might need them in working order while on that patrol.

My point is, nobody that I knew while serving on the DMZ had a wife and family there. There were many who never made it anywhere near the DMZ other than medics or FO's attached to our patrols sometimes. My opinion, and this is only my opinion, the least the big wigs who get together for this type of brain storming should at least allow those who earned the Imjin Patch wear the 2nd ID patch on the right shoulder, it won't cost the tax payers one more red cent if they do and it will do justice to tens of thousands of soldiers who served there. That's my two cents.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 14 at 2021 1:40 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 13:40:43 -0400

You want a combat patch for this?

Response by SFC K Daniels made Mar 3 at 2022 10:18 PM

SFC K Daniels — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 22:18:36 -0500

DMZ VET 1982, 1/17 Inf. There was no soju, drinkie girls or family on the DMZ.

Found this deep in the VA Regs.
M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iv, Chapter 1, Section A - General Information and Development for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Claims
Article ID: [login to see] 77468
Service along the Korean demilitarized zone, which separates North Korea from South Korea, has been a location of hostile military activity since the Korean War armistice of 1953, whereas service on U.S. bases in the rest of South Korea generally has not been.

Korea is/was not a tour like Germany. Since the end of the Korean War/signing of the Armistice Agreement there have been a total of 90 US Military Members killed by hostile action along the DMZ. The last US soldier to die from hostile action was in 1994. As in previous post, soldiers have received CIB’s and CMB’s, Purple Hearts and a Silver Star in Korea along the DMZ. The Korea Defense Service Medal was created based on hostile duty along the DMZ. For many Infantry Units, It was more than just an overseas tour. It was unknown and unrecognized dangerous duty.