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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.
Posted in these groups: 
Deployment
South Korea
Deployment South Korea
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 13
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SPC Kevin Ford
SGT David T. I always joked that the most danger I was in over there was when I crossed the street.
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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.
It reflects on the Overseas/Deployment section on my ERB. It’s an operational (non-combat) tour.
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SPC Deyton Privette
- 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.
- 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.
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SPC Kevin Ford
LTC Jason Mackay Things have changed a bit, it was an unaccompanied tour when I was there.
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SFC Domingo M.
LTC Jason Mackay - ...but then don't we have scenarios to deal with aggression from any given country around the world be it Russia, China, or North Korea? Does anyone here keep track of how many times the North Koreans have violated the Armistice Agreement and in what manner?
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LTC Jason Mackay
SFC Domingo M. they keep track, there are periodic meetings to monitor the cease fire in the little building in the JSA between ROK/US and the NorKs. The value of the object doesn’t warrant rolling the DMZ. No One wants to own the NorK humanitarian disaster if they implode. There is also considering The PRC response. It is open source info that the PLA has an active plan to grab their nuclear Weapons of the Kim dynasty falls.
The US has a NEO plan for the peninsula just in case, as they do in all theaters except US territory (cONUS + AK + HI + territories)
The US has a NEO plan for the peninsula just in case, as they do in all theaters except US territory (cONUS + AK + HI + territories)
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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SFC Domingo M.
I was in Germany as well and I have only one question for you, CSM ZaGara, did we ever cross into hostile territory cocked, locked and loaded for bear, or, did we receive OP Orders at TOC each time before those patrols with debriefings after the patrols also at TOC. Did we have orders in Germany to engage and kill any unauthorized personnel between the Fence and the Line of Demarcation. Whether we were on GPs, Ambush Patrols or Fence duty, the orders were the same. We even fired harassing fires at night from atop our GPs with our M72's. Do you know what color tracer rounds the North Koreans use, which are very visible at night? Green.
While I was in Germany, I went on a tour into East Berlin in civies. I don't think we had tours into North Korea when I was there on any one of my three tours. On occasions some people while on patrol would step across the demarcation line which was nothing more than a strand of barbed wire with faded signs, onto North Korean soil. Did soldiers receive hostile fire pay in Germany? I did in 1970 and then again in 1975 on my 1st and 2nd tour. That was what it was labeled on my LES, "Hostile Fire Pay."
Did Germany formally surrender after the fall of Berlin? Did Japan surrender after the atom bombs were dropped? Now on the other hand, did North Korea surrender at any time up to and including the Armistice Agreement? So you see, it is and ongoing war and has been since 1953.
One other thing. We never fought the Russians in WWII. We fought on the same side against Germany. So it was totally different than Korea.
While I was in Germany, I went on a tour into East Berlin in civies. I don't think we had tours into North Korea when I was there on any one of my three tours. On occasions some people while on patrol would step across the demarcation line which was nothing more than a strand of barbed wire with faded signs, onto North Korean soil. Did soldiers receive hostile fire pay in Germany? I did in 1970 and then again in 1975 on my 1st and 2nd tour. That was what it was labeled on my LES, "Hostile Fire Pay."
Did Germany formally surrender after the fall of Berlin? Did Japan surrender after the atom bombs were dropped? Now on the other hand, did North Korea surrender at any time up to and including the Armistice Agreement? So you see, it is and ongoing war and has been since 1953.
One other thing. We never fought the Russians in WWII. We fought on the same side against Germany. So it was totally different than Korea.
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SFC Domingo M.
This is what it looked like when I was there. https://inf.news/en/photography/2bb812e69e9077e070eee5fea9928c58.html
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Good question...it is a 365 and most time a remote. An armistice was signed but never an ending to the war.
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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
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.
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