Korea for me

[gogators]

When I was active duty Air Force, I was at Kunsan AB for one year (2006-2007) and loved it. Right on the southern coast and it had the four seasons as well. I enjoyed traveling through Korea and would love to go back one day on vacation and soak it up some more. Seoul was a blast, and so was the partying!

Good luck with your assignment!

[Rollmodl]

When I was active duty Air Force, I was at Kunsan AB for one year (2006-2007) and loved it. Right on the southern coast and it had the four seasons as well. I enjoyed traveling through Korea and would love to go back one day on vacation and soak it up some more. Seoul was a blast, and so was the partying!

Good luck with your assignment!

Thanks brother!

[CJR300C]

Just let us know where you'll be. I working on getting my self there for a year in about 6 months. I'm looking for info too.

[Rollmodl]

Just let us know where you'll be. I working on getting my self there for a year in about 6 months. I'm looking for info too.

Okay. Well it'll be Camp Casey for sure. 1/38FA or 6/37FA 210 FIRES BDE

[Matt9285]

It'll be a good time. I did a year in Korea back in '08. I was stationed at Kunsan AB. Honestly it was a blast!

[gogators]

Which squadron? I worked for the Comm Sq from 06-07...

[HEMI~C~]

Korea was a blast for me..... almost 20 yrs ago. Worked out of Camp Humphreys, Red Cloud, Yongin, and Osan. Worked mostly night missions a few nights a week and had all day to travel around. Picked up a good deal of the language from the ROK Officers we worked with. They loved to party as much as we did. Work hard/play hard sums up my tour. I liked it so much I ran a covert operation called "Kimchi Run" sneaking my girlfriend out of the country without her parents knowing. Lots of good stories to tell there.

Now my buds on the other hand have a slightly different perspective as they were part of 2 ID, up at Camp Casey, digging fox holes and deploying gear 9 months out of the year. :(

Good luck bud, and let us know when you have your first Soju experience.

Chris

[Rollmodl]

Hahahaha. That's some good stuff! 2id is the division I'm under. But I don't think I'm gonna be digging fox holes. Thank the man upstairs I didn't choose infantry.

[goodeforu]

Been there twice and the second tour was better than the first. I followed the advice of keeping myself busy when not working and one way I did that was volunteer tutoring english at a local school. Good part about that was allowed me to get the know the people and made learning the language easier. Casey should be easy to get around, learn how to use local transportation not just the taxi and it will make getting around getting alot easier. Travel with a buddy and watch your six at all times cause things go down when you least expect it. While I was there went to the water park, horse track, the movies multiple time, all the amusment parks, aquarium, and some I don't even remember. And I did all of that on local trans, use the internet do the research and it will be fun.

Last have fun and stay safe.

[Rollmodl]

Been there twice and the second tour was better than the first. I followed the advice of keeping myself busy when not working and one way I did that was volunteer tutoring english at a local school. Good part about that was allowed me to get the know the people and made learning the language easier. Casey should be easy to get around, learn how to use local transportation not just the taxi and it will make getting around getting alot easier. Travel with a buddy and watch your six at all times cause things go down when you least expect it. While I was there went to the water park, horse track, the movies multiple time, all the amusment parks, aquarium, and some I don't even remember. And I did all of that on local trans, use the internet do the research and it will be fun.

Last have fun and stay safe.

Thanks bud! Sound like there's a lot to do over there.

[Bryali]

Well, here's some tips from a guy that's here right now. First, some background so you know where my advice is coming from. I am in aviation--my first time out here I was enlisted at Camp Stanley in 2003-2004 by myself and now I'm a Warrant Officer at Camp Humphreys and I'm Command Sponsored. The 2 experiences are completely different. If it seems like I'm getting too Barney-level, it's just because I want to hit it all. I was initially expecting to go to K-16/Seoul area, but we all know how promises and agreements between Soldiers and DA go....but I digress....on to the tips:

1. Stay away from the 'drinkie girls'. They're nothing but trouble. Some people will find 'true love' and get married but if you wouldn't visit a prostitute in any major city in America, don't both with these girls. The overwhelming majority of them are victims of slavery/human trafficking. A 6oz glass of orange juice isn't $20 anywhere in the world....I don't care HOW bad the freeze in Florida was, that's highway robbery. If you're not married and you want to find love in the Orient, try meeting a respectable lady somewhere other than a bar/night club. You'll save yourself ALOT of time, money, drama, and rank!

2. Immerse yourself in the culture. Get away from the villes and see other stuff. You don't have to stay out of the ville completely, but your tour will be alot more rewarding if you see more than the 'westernized' areas. Go on tours with the USO, BOSS, or just get out on your own. The food is unique--some good, some bad. Any Korean food you've had in the States is nowhere near what it is here. You'll have to try things for yourself to decide what you like and what you don't. I recommend the typical things that most Americans are familiar with to start before you venture out to other, more exotic offerings. Here are the most common:

kimchi--cabbage that has been smeared with red pepper paste and other spices then left in pots to ferment for months--try it before you make up your mind
yakimandu--aka yaki--fried dumplings similar to won-tons but better, lol
kimbap--kinda like sushi--pork, fried egg, veggies, rolled in rice and seaweed
bulgogi--a beef bbq/stirfry that's heavily seasoned with sesame (both oil and seeds), green onions, garlic, and mushrooms--very sweet, very savory, very delicious--my favorite dish--typically served with white steamed rice
galbi--this is probably the most popular restaurant types you'll find, they're also called a 'beef and leaf'--it's generic BBQ with strips of meet hanging from the rib down that are cooked on grills at the tables. Again, they're seasoned with spices and served with dishes of different types of kimchi, slivers of garlic, red pepper paste, and large lettuce/cabbage leaves. You cook the meat to your preference, grab a lettuce leaf and pile up the meat and different kimchi/veggies you like. You then roll it up as best you can and eat it as a lettuce wrap--hence the beef and leaf generalization. It'll be done with beef and pork in most places and sometimes you'll find chicken.

3. Shopping is ridiculous, like has already been said. Some things will be knock-off's (Nikee's, Adidos, fOakleys, Bolex, etc) but some things will be legit: especially Korean brands like LG, Samsung, etc. Custom tailors can be found everywhere which means they are all competing for your money. When I was here in 2003 I could get a beautiful wool suit custom fit to me with complete with pants, jacket, vest, shirt, tie and shoes for under $200!! If you're worried about labels, they can put any designer label on it you want. You WILL not find better craftsmanship for this price ANYWHERE. I built a top-of-the line (in 2003) desktop computer that would compete with the best Alienware-type gaming computers for around $250-$300, excluding the monitor.

4. Be smart with your money. I know it seems like a contradiction since I've said go on trips, shop, and eat. However, I am making about the same as I did in Iraq/Afghanistan when you count the Cola, HDP, and the like. If you're married: the Family Sep, BAH, and Separate Rat's are just that much more. Be smart and you can pay off debt or even save some money for a big modding party on that 300 of yours when you get back to the States.

I always tend to reply with really long answers to relatively simple questions, but I hope this helps. Just like anywhere else, it is what you make of it. Korea is a good time...if you make it a good time. I enjoyed it enough by myself that I was willing to bring my family back. Oh, and just for clarification: I didn't have trouble with drinkies personally, but I watched people around me deal with the problems I listed above. My wife and I are celebrating our 11th anniversary today....that would not be the case if I got caught up with drinkie girl issues.