Posted on Feb 1, 2016
SSG Battalion Operations Sergeant
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MAJ Rene De La Rosa
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Be wary of the option to extend in South Korea. They are always trying to lock people down on this (especially before they get to the unit while they are in reception). Look at this way: how valuable is you time? If they offer the extra year for $300, that comes down to $10 a day or about .42 cents an hour extra. I am a numbers guy (I need to see the whole picture), and I would not dissuade anyone from staying if they want to. They money looks enticing until you do the number crunch above. I had my enlisted folks thank me for showing them the bottom line.
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
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Unless things changed, AIP was $300 a MONTH for the EACH month you are there under the extension....retrograde to the day it's approved, not a single lump sum of $300. Which is why if you are considering extending your tour, it's financially advisable to do it the moment you get there. That way you are potentially collecting an extra $7200 for 2 years. THAT is actually worth staying the extra year, especially if you like serving in a foreign country.
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SPC Power Generation Equipment Repairer
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Yea the money we receive sir while here on rotation was not worth the 9months here. And I'm glad to see there are leaders that are enough to break the numbers down to the younger enlisted.
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
8 y
SPC (Join to see) - If you are over there as a 9 month rotating BDE, AIP doesn't apply to you. AIP was traditionally offered to folks who were there for the full 12 month assignments. Like I said in my above post, when I was there last (11-13), you were paid $300 a month for every month you were over there on an extended tour, retrograde to the day it was approved, not just the 12 months of the extension. I put in for AIP the first month I was there so I was getting the extra pay for 24 months. That was over $7000 extra. Which is why AIP was such a popular program. Now things may have changed on pen with the change of now having combat arms BDEs doing 9 months as a unit.
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MAJ Staff Officer
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Based on your listed job title and location, you'd probably be stationed with 65th MED BDE or 121 Hospital in Yongsan (downtown Seoul). Stay out of Area I at all possible to fully enjoy the opportunities Korea has to offer. Good luck.
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
8 y
Duty with the 121 is really good. Living in Yongsan district affords Soldiers lots of opportunities to do really cool stuff. Most folks I've talked to who were with 121 or 65th Med loved their tour in Korea and would go back in a heartbeat (myself included). Folks who hated it were folks who either couldn't stand being separated from their family or couldn't adjust to being in a foreign country....because Korea IS very different.
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SGT Signal Support Systems Specialist
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I loved Korea. Welcome the experience and the culture. Some older people will not like you at all. Always travel with a buddy and stay away from the soju, unless you drink it around someone you trust and will take care of you. Make the most of it. Good luck
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