Posted on Mar 2, 2018
What advice would you give to someone going to Korea (first duty station) who has never been out of the country before?
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PCS
Korea
Suwon AB
Responses: 205
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SFC Joseph Behmke
To amend the original reply, Don't come back with a wife you met behind or working at the bar.
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SGT Charles Bartell
PFC Jeffrey Herrington - Lesion learned a long time back, NEVER date the daughter of any one in your chain of commands KID no matter how old they are.
It is like Pissing in your cool aide. It will always come back to bite you.
As a whole it is best not to date any of them while you are still in the military or there parent still is.
It is like Pissing in your cool aide. It will always come back to bite you.
As a whole it is best not to date any of them while you are still in the military or there parent still is.
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SGT Charles Bartell
PFC Jeffrey Herrington - True, If you say anything about the past with family members It will come back at you, One way or anther.
People like to turn things around and add shit to it.
Then if it get's to the wrong person you are straight out fucked.
I made two of these huge Bone head moves.
when I was first in the Army.
Went to the enlisted club my first weekend off. I still in the replacement center.
Hooked up with this skinny very good looking women.
Went back to her place. The next morning I notice some uniforms hanging on the back of the bedroom doors.
(Dumb ass me thinking she was the one in the Army) I asked her what unit she was in?
She told me they where not hers, They were her husbands.
I did not know she was married let alone to a service member.
Any ways two weeks later. I am in my First unit and guess who comes walking in to our building. The Hook up wife. To make it real good on top of that she was my P.L.'s wife.
He see's me looking at them. Then she says high to me by my first name.
I do not know if he ever new for sure, But he was always on my ass until I left that unit.
The next one was the CSM's daughter. (She looked about 20yrs old), And she told me her dad was not in the Military any more.
Guess what happens next out on a date Dinner/ Drinks. My Team Leader see's us. He comes over to us, Tells me that I had to back to company to finish up some paper work.
I say I will be there in about an hour or so. He says it has to be now.
I paid the bill and got her a cab.
He then tells me who she is and how old she is.
CSM's Daughter and she is only 16 with a fake I.D.
The CSM did find out. Even though she showed me a fake I.D. and lie about every thing.
The CSM tried to have me busted and thrown out. That did not happen.
So when the Army was doing a draw down in troop's I got the hell out.
I was going to get busted and tossed out Because of being kind of dumb with the women I went out whit back then.
People like to turn things around and add shit to it.
Then if it get's to the wrong person you are straight out fucked.
I made two of these huge Bone head moves.
when I was first in the Army.
Went to the enlisted club my first weekend off. I still in the replacement center.
Hooked up with this skinny very good looking women.
Went back to her place. The next morning I notice some uniforms hanging on the back of the bedroom doors.
(Dumb ass me thinking she was the one in the Army) I asked her what unit she was in?
She told me they where not hers, They were her husbands.
I did not know she was married let alone to a service member.
Any ways two weeks later. I am in my First unit and guess who comes walking in to our building. The Hook up wife. To make it real good on top of that she was my P.L.'s wife.
He see's me looking at them. Then she says high to me by my first name.
I do not know if he ever new for sure, But he was always on my ass until I left that unit.
The next one was the CSM's daughter. (She looked about 20yrs old), And she told me her dad was not in the Military any more.
Guess what happens next out on a date Dinner/ Drinks. My Team Leader see's us. He comes over to us, Tells me that I had to back to company to finish up some paper work.
I say I will be there in about an hour or so. He says it has to be now.
I paid the bill and got her a cab.
He then tells me who she is and how old she is.
CSM's Daughter and she is only 16 with a fake I.D.
The CSM did find out. Even though she showed me a fake I.D. and lie about every thing.
The CSM tried to have me busted and thrown out. That did not happen.
So when the Army was doing a draw down in troop's I got the hell out.
I was going to get busted and tossed out Because of being kind of dumb with the women I went out whit back then.
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SGT Charles Bartell
If you had ever met that P.L. you would not have told him any thing.
This guy was so by the book, and by the numbers that the whole platoon called him ( Mr by the numbers) I fore got to mention that their were some other guys in the Platoon that had the same thing with her.
We used to talk shit about him being so by the numbers that his wife had to step out on him to get some one that was a so animated about every thing.
The guy was so stiff about every thing, I never did see him smile when people told jokes of did something stupid just for the hell of it. He acted as if he hated every one.
This guy was so by the book, and by the numbers that the whole platoon called him ( Mr by the numbers) I fore got to mention that their were some other guys in the Platoon that had the same thing with her.
We used to talk shit about him being so by the numbers that his wife had to step out on him to get some one that was a so animated about every thing.
The guy was so stiff about every thing, I never did see him smile when people told jokes of did something stupid just for the hell of it. He acted as if he hated every one.
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Do not assume that conduct that is OK in the US is OK overseas. You should get a briefing immediately before shipping out, or before you first go on liberty. Pay attention and remember.
If your liberty buddies tell you something is OK to do, but it seems odd to you, watch them do it a few time before you try it. There's no fun like making the FNG look stupid.
Locals do not like drunk, loud jackasses. If you drink heavy, save that for on post and don't leave post until you sober up. Korean police don't care that you are a US citizen or a US Soldier. They also don't have the same rules about use of force that our police have. They can and will kick your ass if you provoke them. The Koreans liked Americans who are well-behaved and looked out for us on liberty. They know we help keep the North Korean wolf away from the door.
Pick up a language course for the local language and learn it. It goes a long way with the locals, and it just makes you smarter. Over there your the "stupid foreigner" that can't speak the language and mispronounces simple words.
Take a sincere, respectful, and friendly attitude toward the foreign nationals that work on post. They may have an accent, but they're not stupid. Many G.I.'s don't have a good attitude, or worse they have a bad attitude toward the locals on post. The Koreans on post may laugh at some jokes at their expense, but inside they're thinking "jackass." The locals can keep you out of trouble, and help you make the most out of your time in a foreign country. If you ever get invited to a local's home, feel honored (but make sure you let the S-2 know before you go.)
Never make fun of or over estimate your place with a Korean senior citizen, they may forgive you, but the young ones will notice how respectful you are of your elders.
There is a lot more to a foreign country and culture than the bar district outside the main gate. See as much of it as you can.
If your liberty buddies tell you something is OK to do, but it seems odd to you, watch them do it a few time before you try it. There's no fun like making the FNG look stupid.
Locals do not like drunk, loud jackasses. If you drink heavy, save that for on post and don't leave post until you sober up. Korean police don't care that you are a US citizen or a US Soldier. They also don't have the same rules about use of force that our police have. They can and will kick your ass if you provoke them. The Koreans liked Americans who are well-behaved and looked out for us on liberty. They know we help keep the North Korean wolf away from the door.
Pick up a language course for the local language and learn it. It goes a long way with the locals, and it just makes you smarter. Over there your the "stupid foreigner" that can't speak the language and mispronounces simple words.
Take a sincere, respectful, and friendly attitude toward the foreign nationals that work on post. They may have an accent, but they're not stupid. Many G.I.'s don't have a good attitude, or worse they have a bad attitude toward the locals on post. The Koreans on post may laugh at some jokes at their expense, but inside they're thinking "jackass." The locals can keep you out of trouble, and help you make the most out of your time in a foreign country. If you ever get invited to a local's home, feel honored (but make sure you let the S-2 know before you go.)
Never make fun of or over estimate your place with a Korean senior citizen, they may forgive you, but the young ones will notice how respectful you are of your elders.
There is a lot more to a foreign country and culture than the bar district outside the main gate. See as much of it as you can.
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Maj John Bell
SGT Charles Bartell - Are you allowed to go on liberty while you are in holding, prior to the briefing?
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SGT Charles Bartell
You being a Maj, You would probably get the do do anything wrong speech then given some leeway.
Officers went to a different holding back then, But Things have changed a lot since I was there.
sorry I could not give you a better answer.
Officers went to a different holding back then, But Things have changed a lot since I was there.
sorry I could not give you a better answer.
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Maj John Bell
SGT Charles Bartell - For the most part, Marines rotate as units, or at least they did. Also, I was a 2ndLt when I went to Korea. There were three briefs. Rifle companies in the camp theater at 0800. Weapons company and HQ Company in the camp theater 0930. Stragglers at 1100. No one, not even the Battalion Commander was allowed to leave the Camp without attending the brief. If you missed the briefs, no worry... you could go with the next battalion when they arrived in two months. Until then, you were on Camp liberty. The Marines tend not to grant officer/SNCO exceptions or hold "special" officer/SNCO only requirements.
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SGT Charles Bartell
I can not speak about how Marines In Korea And how they rotate.
When I was there. In the Army. It was each individual, Not part of a unit.
You would be sent to the next opening for your M.O.S. and your rank as to fill in open or soon to open spots.
The average tour Is one year depending on if you are allowed to bring any dependents.
I think that has a two year lock on the service member.
All the branch's seem to do the Korea rotations different.
When I was there. In the Army. It was each individual, Not part of a unit.
You would be sent to the next opening for your M.O.S. and your rank as to fill in open or soon to open spots.
The average tour Is one year depending on if you are allowed to bring any dependents.
I think that has a two year lock on the service member.
All the branch's seem to do the Korea rotations different.
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Don't, what ever you do, marry a juicy girl. Don't what ever you do, pay a juicy girl. Stay away from all "too go to be true" girls. If you think she is too pretty, she is foreign, and she is too interested in you, run away. CHECK ID!
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TSgt (Join to see)
1stSgt Mike Earwood - no one is degrading them, they're simply trying to give good advice to young soldiers. And it is good advice not to marry a juicy girl.
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SP5 Jeannie Carle
1LT (Join to see) - I don't know what SJW means, but 1stSgt Mike Earwood is absolutely correct in his statement. You obviously don't know how these girls ended up where they are - or you obviously don't give a sh**. You couldn't BEGIN to cope with what they have to.
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1LT (Join to see)
SP5 Jeannie Carle social Justice warrior. And no. It's why I'm glad I'm an American. But by all means please empathize with prostitutes whose job is to seduce and take advantage of lonely, ignorant men. You go girl.
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There is a lot of doom and gloom here, and I have actively contributed, but let me tell you some good stuff.
- Make friends with a KATUSA
- look for FAT friends: faithful accessible and trustworthy.
- learn some Korean, it will help even if you aren't that good.
- go see stuff. Go experience things. You will never live in a country like this again. Use ITT.
- go see Korean War battlefields like TF Smith.
- go do a DMZ tour if they let you. See the infiltration tunnels.
- eat the food, try everything once. Yakimandoo is one of the best things ever, that and cucumber kimchee. I could eat it every day. Go for real Korean BBQ aka the beef and leaf.
- go see Seoul. Go see the Korean War Museum
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- stay away from chicken on a stick from street vendors. Cue Diarrhea in 3-2-1...
- don't be a barracks dweller. Plenty of Xbox when you get back to the states.
- Make friends with a KATUSA
- look for FAT friends: faithful accessible and trustworthy.
- learn some Korean, it will help even if you aren't that good.
- go see stuff. Go experience things. You will never live in a country like this again. Use ITT.
- go see Korean War battlefields like TF Smith.
- go do a DMZ tour if they let you. See the infiltration tunnels.
- eat the food, try everything once. Yakimandoo is one of the best things ever, that and cucumber kimchee. I could eat it every day. Go for real Korean BBQ aka the beef and leaf.
- go see Seoul. Go see the Korean War Museum
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- stay away from chicken on a stick from street vendors. Cue Diarrhea in 3-2-1...
- don't be a barracks dweller. Plenty of Xbox when you get back to the states.
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Cpl Phil Hsueh
Definitely this. Look on the posting as an adventure, a chance to see another part of the world that many would pay handsomely to do and, in some cases, never get the opportunity to. If you can, I'd also see about taking flights or ferries to other neighboring countries, it's probably a lot cheaper (and quicker) to go, say, Japan from Korea than it is from the States.
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LTC (Join to see)
I've been eating chicken on a stick (and lots of other Korean street food) for more than 30 years without issue. Go to 명동, but bring enough money as its not as cheap as it used to be.
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SFC Thomas Lindsey
This is very good advice. All of it, especially the first bit about befriending KATUSA's. Worked in Signal Corps in Korea, we had extremely intelligent and cool KATUSA's.
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Drinkie girls don't love you. Avoid Soju. Do the right thing and you will come back a higher rank that you showed up as. We had an old saying. The fastest way to make E-4 in Korea was to show up as an E-5.
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SSG Thomas Barry
SP5 Jeannie Carle - mama always said" never use a word you dont know how to spell" thanks for looking out for me :)
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SP5 Jeannie Carle
SSG Thomas Barry - In that case - I'd be hooked up to a dictionary LOL. Spelling has always come easy for me - but lately --------- not so much. Age is not for the weak LOL
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Just stay out of trouble and you'll be alright. OCONUS assignments are higher visibility assignments so just watch yourself over there. Also don't get married, and practice safe sex, hopefully someone gave you that talk with the banana and all that.
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LTC (Join to see)
Don't get married? Don't get married to a prostitute (or another private), but otherwise Korea is as good a place as any to find a great partner.
Korean culture is highly advanced and Korean people are extremely well-educated. My (Korean) wife and I will be going back to Korea to visit family this coming March, right after we celebrate our 26th anniversary.
Korean culture is highly advanced and Korean people are extremely well-educated. My (Korean) wife and I will be going back to Korea to visit family this coming March, right after we celebrate our 26th anniversary.
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SPC David Willis
LTC (Join to see) my don’t get married comment would have been given to anyone CONUS or OCONUS it wasn’t a slight against Korean women just a slight against the institution of marriage haha.
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There's lots more to see and do in another country besides visit the bars and brothels. Remember that you're not in the U.S. and to trust none of what you hear and half of what you see. Listen to the advice of you NCOs and SNCOs. Keep your "powder dry" and remember that three minutes of fun can buy you a lifetime of regret. Come back with pictures and memories of more than just the night life.
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CPO Rick Early
I hope that this young man can tell the difference between good advice from NCO/SNCO and bad advice from a brick head of an NCO/SNCO.
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SSG Thomas Barry
do they still have the signs leaving the motor pool that say you are now entering the most dangerous roads in the world
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Hit CTRL-P and print this out.
1. Drink slower than everyone else. It is OK to get drunk once in a while but always be less drunk than everyone else.
2. Know the rules and follow them. Especially curfew.
3. If you are a paratrooper and from Bragg, you will notice a HUGE difference in soldiers and leadership of people from leg posts. They are SUPER bored, just play the games. It is only a year.
4. DONT BE A BARRACKS RAT! Get out and explore. Try ALL the foods. Especially the squid being cooked on hot rocks in the street. It smells horrifying but is the most delicious thing you will put in your mouth.
5. Don't be intimidated by the language. Go to langintro.com and study for an hour a night. For the first week, just do the alphabet and maybe some numbers. By the weekend you will be reading all the signs. By month 6 if you keep it up you are talking to people in Hangul. Seriously. This is probably your best tip. Learning the Russian alphabet and some key phrases is helpful too while you are there. You'll see.
6. Use your downtime wisely. There may be lulls where you are locked down to camp/base. Take a correspondence course or online course at a university and actually apply yourself in it.
7. The mink blankets you buy in Korea last a lifetime. Buy many, ship them home. While you're at it, grab a couple for your barracks room and get some satin/silk sheets too.
8. Get internet in your room as soon as you can. Pick up a magic jack. Put a computer on a VPN into the USA (Nord is a good choice) and boom, your family and friends have a local number they can call you on. Stay in touch with family.
9. Korea is a good time to either excel or fail. Some E5s come back E4s. Be ambitious, take initiative, ask your leadership what steps you need to take to make the next rank and exceed those standards.
10. Keep your dick in your pants. I can't emphasize this enough. Korea is where ugly troops become beautiful for a year. You will see the queen bees walking around with her following of troops buying her everything. Avoid at all costs. Some are married and screwing around on their spouse and that is nothing but trouble. Don't go falling in love with a green card bandit either. Those are the Philippinas and Russian girls off post in the ville. I understand the rules have changed since I have been there, but they are still there in a lot of places.
11. Get you a train/bus prepaid card. We called them the Camsahamnida (Thank You) cards. It is worth it.
Anything you like to do in the USA is in Korea. Stay away from the depressed barracks rats that are super homesick. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to get out and see something and try something new. Many of us veterans would go back in a heartbeat that actually did get out. Though, most just complain about how much it sucked. Trust me, this could be a staycation for you compared to Afghanistan or Iraq.
Lastly, If you get a chance to see the DMZ on a tour or mission or any reason, DO IT. You need to see that North Korean flag with your own two eyes.
Have fun.
John Galbraith
3 years in Korea
1. Drink slower than everyone else. It is OK to get drunk once in a while but always be less drunk than everyone else.
2. Know the rules and follow them. Especially curfew.
3. If you are a paratrooper and from Bragg, you will notice a HUGE difference in soldiers and leadership of people from leg posts. They are SUPER bored, just play the games. It is only a year.
4. DONT BE A BARRACKS RAT! Get out and explore. Try ALL the foods. Especially the squid being cooked on hot rocks in the street. It smells horrifying but is the most delicious thing you will put in your mouth.
5. Don't be intimidated by the language. Go to langintro.com and study for an hour a night. For the first week, just do the alphabet and maybe some numbers. By the weekend you will be reading all the signs. By month 6 if you keep it up you are talking to people in Hangul. Seriously. This is probably your best tip. Learning the Russian alphabet and some key phrases is helpful too while you are there. You'll see.
6. Use your downtime wisely. There may be lulls where you are locked down to camp/base. Take a correspondence course or online course at a university and actually apply yourself in it.
7. The mink blankets you buy in Korea last a lifetime. Buy many, ship them home. While you're at it, grab a couple for your barracks room and get some satin/silk sheets too.
8. Get internet in your room as soon as you can. Pick up a magic jack. Put a computer on a VPN into the USA (Nord is a good choice) and boom, your family and friends have a local number they can call you on. Stay in touch with family.
9. Korea is a good time to either excel or fail. Some E5s come back E4s. Be ambitious, take initiative, ask your leadership what steps you need to take to make the next rank and exceed those standards.
10. Keep your dick in your pants. I can't emphasize this enough. Korea is where ugly troops become beautiful for a year. You will see the queen bees walking around with her following of troops buying her everything. Avoid at all costs. Some are married and screwing around on their spouse and that is nothing but trouble. Don't go falling in love with a green card bandit either. Those are the Philippinas and Russian girls off post in the ville. I understand the rules have changed since I have been there, but they are still there in a lot of places.
11. Get you a train/bus prepaid card. We called them the Camsahamnida (Thank You) cards. It is worth it.
Anything you like to do in the USA is in Korea. Stay away from the depressed barracks rats that are super homesick. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to get out and see something and try something new. Many of us veterans would go back in a heartbeat that actually did get out. Though, most just complain about how much it sucked. Trust me, this could be a staycation for you compared to Afghanistan or Iraq.
Lastly, If you get a chance to see the DMZ on a tour or mission or any reason, DO IT. You need to see that North Korean flag with your own two eyes.
Have fun.
John Galbraith
3 years in Korea
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SGT Roberto Mendoza-Diaz
Wooow bro this is great advice for them newbies visiting Korea for the first time. I was there from 98 to 01 and from 08 to 11. Hoooaaah.
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SPC William Weedman
Forgot about the mink blanket! Mine is still in the States, until my next visit to my brother....
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SGT John Allen
I have like 20 of them at the house. Most from my first trip in 1999. They last forever.
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1. Don't screw around with curfew. They don't play - there's no grace period. There's no do over. Just one and done.
2. Do your job.
3. Visit the sights.
4. Don't drink more than one drink off post at a time.
2. Do your job.
3. Visit the sights.
4. Don't drink more than one drink off post at a time.
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Don't drink the 'jungle juice' sitting down. Tastes like grape kool-aid, but that s*** hits you harder than you think it will. After about 3, you can't stand up. (Not that I know this from experience or anything... ;-)
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