The JoongAng Ilbo, citing multiple unnamed Korean and US military officials, said US military authorities have virtually decided that Eighth US Army Command would move to Hawaii in 2012, after the transfer of wartime operational command to the Korean military.
Knowing how these things work, I fully expect a USFK statement denying the report shortly.
Anyway, the sources say this has been in the works for a year, although the Korean government has yet to be officially notified.
A military source told the JoongAng that even if Eighth US Army Command moves to Hawaii, actual operational functions would be left in Korea to deal with the North Korean threat. So that 8th Army Command could immediately return to Korea in the event of a war, basic organization and facilities would remain in Korea.
In Korea, Eighth US Army Command directly commands 2ID and 19th Theater Support Command in Daegu, although they would be augmented in wartime by the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii and other US units on the Pacific coast.
The JoongAng says major changes are expected to USFK due to the decision to relocate command. A US military official said that if Eighth US Army Command moves to Hawaii, it would be incorporated into United States Army Pacific Command. It would stay in Hawaii and deal with security in the entire East Asia region, he said. Accordingly, it’s believed that Eighth US Army’s mission and operational scope would expand to what it was prior to the outbreak of the Korean War. In the Pacific War, for example, 8th Army fought against the Japanese in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.
19 Comments
Smells like bull. Anyone that’s visited Camp Humphreys or Osan/Songtan would see that the massive construction clearly points to a much longer-term presence than just four more years.
Unless, of course, this move to Hawaii is the result of fallout from the beef crisis.
Regardless, that’s a good rumor too start circulating.
On the other hand they built that huge overpass between Yongsan south post and main post when they had planed to move in two years. But wait, they haven’t moved yet. Hmmmm…..
I also fully expect USFK to deny this, which does not mean that it’s not true. Still, the things we wish were true seldom are. Max makes a good point, but when I was last at Yongsan two years ago, there was a lot of new construction happening there, too, despite the fact that we’re supposedly about to leave the place. Plus, I’m not sure that the Humphreys relocation is entirely on track, with all of the ongoing disputes about cost-sharing.
Another thing to bear in mind is that Defense has not undergone the same kind of soft-line shift that State has. Richard Lawless’s successor, John Shinn, talks pretty much the same talk as Lawless.
Apparently, they will be establishing a Operational Command Post - Korea (OPCK), which will strengthen the overall operations and combat capacity of the present USFK.
A high-ranking officer quoted that this move is just a part of the entire restructuring plans of the U.S. military.
It will be interesting if someone can find a connection with the current Korean beef crisis though.
8 goon dan’s home is
Korea.
But where will I get my FUBU?
Oh no!!!! Now the Hawaianns will then be the new victims of merciless rapes by american gis… LOL!
USFK isn’t leaving (unfortunately), only Eigth US Army “Command” and that’s actually been in the works, or rather talked about, longer than a year (more like three).
Yeah, if you look at the current U.S. Army command structure, the 8th Army does sorta stand out like a cold war era sore thumb. You got United States Army Central (a.k.a. the old CENTCOM), United States Army Europe, United States Army Pacific then all of a sudden Eighth United States Army, Korea.
It makes more operational sense to fold Eighth United States Army into United States Army Asia. As long as US Army Troop Command Korea is still here, the current structure should still be relatively the same.
I believe there are currently 28,500 UFSK personnel, in total, based on the penninsula. So, roughly speaking, how many people would a transfer of command only involve? Apologies, if this question is too direct.
“As long as US Army Troop Command Korea is still here…”
Errr… I mean still THERE. I’m not in Korea…
2012 can’t come soon enough! Pointless to have 28,000+ plus GI’s positioned in an area where they’ll be nothing but cannon fodder within the first 3 minutes of the eventual NK bombardment of SK.
Might as well have operations conducted from the safety of PACOM where bombers in Japan, Guam, Hawaii and whatever aircraft battlegroup is in the vicinty mop up the mess.
Actually, this article is completely right. They are not saying that the US is pulling out, but the command itself is leaving. Over a year ago, now-retired CSM Wheeler informed me and a room full of soldiers about this over a year ago. He said they were in the process of either A) dissolving 8th Army completely and letting PACOM command Korea B)Move the headquarters to Hawaii. He joked about not being in the army long enough to get to be 8th Army CSM living in Hawaii. The time frame may be off, but the fact that big changes for 8th Army are coming is probably certain.
Good. FUCK OFF!
AND DON’T COME BACK.
mind you, its funny of the toady joongang to bring this up now.
As was mentioned by others, this move has been in the works for some time. GIKorea covered this back in 2005 with this story, http://rokdrop.com/2005/06/16/.....-for-usfk/. You can even read it in the font of all human knowledge, Wikipedia, “The Headquarters of the Eighth Army is located at Yongsan Garrison, but it is scheduled to move south to Camp Humphreys by 2012. Competing with the scheduled move to Camp Humphreys is a possible redeployment of US ground forces from South Korea back to the United States. Tentative plans include the redeployment of Eighth Army to Hawaii where it will merge with US Army Pacific. US Army Pacific and Eighth Army will then serve as the Army component command of US Pacific Command (PACOM). This is akin to the Army merged command structure (i.e. US Army Europe and Seventh Army) that supports US European Command (EUCOM).”
Regarding Max’s comment on the ongoing construction at P’yongt’aek, the bulk of that construction is for USFK and the remaining brigade from 2ID. Some of that construction will also be used by the South Korean military as it is also having to move some of its soldiers since USFK will no longer be on Yongsan.
It makes sense….where do you want an Army Command?
1 - 60 km / 2 hrs from being utterly overrun
or
2 - Further back safe in the rear.
#2 seems to make so much sense I’ve wondered before why 8th Army command is here at all.
Johnson, I guess it all depends on what you expect that command to do. Remember, we are talking a post-Combined Forces Command world. The South Koreans are in charge of the battle, not the US. Therefore, the South Korean command needs to grow stronger and the US command needs to shrink.
Eighth Army only exists to command US units that would enter the Peninsula in time of war. The battlefield today is a lot different than the battlefield 20 years ago when CFC was formed. South Korea doesn’t really need the US to help defeat the Norks. That’s one reason why there is only one US infantry brigade on the Korean Peninsula, not multiple divisions, much less multiple corps, which would necessitate the existence of an Army command. Eighth Army has outlived its usefulness. Its command assets are more needed elsewhere.
Shut it down now! The goals of 1950 were realized decades ago. Why hang around? The sad thing is that I left Puerto Rico in 2001 and moved to Korea, expecting that I was leaving a U.S. territory with a third world mentality for a first world nation. What a disappointment! Yes, there are segments of Korea that possess a First World mentality, and they have made Korea a modern nation. But intellectually, there is a strong third-world mentality that banishes some Koreans to a realm where emotion, rather than logic, rules. Why should the US continute to underwrite much of the military component of such a state? Grant Puerto Rico independence, whether it has the guts to vote for or against it, or not, and cut Korea loose to realize the fruits of all its labors. It is not a third world country, and it is time that it stood up and accepted full responsibility for its own defense.
The second China-Japan war is coming. Most casualties will be Koreans.
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[...] latest musing about camp closures appear to indicate that the bulk of USFK forces will be pulling out and moving to Hawaii by 2012. Shit, then that’s gotta be, like what, 2017, [...]