USFK to Allow Frontline Soldiers to Bring Families

For the first time since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, frontline U.S. troops in South Korea will be able to bring their families to Korea on command sponsorship while they serve their two-year tours, Yonhap News reported quoting the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Monday.

The new command sponsored tours will replace the one-year family-unaccompanied tour, which is the only one currently available to most American troops stationed in the frontline Camp Red Cloud area, according to the USFK.

"This policy change, which offers command sponsorship benefits in an area where they were not previously available, is part of our overall tour normalization initiative which will change the tour structure for U.S. service members in Korea," USFK commander Gen. Walter Sharp was quoted as saying by Yonhap News.

The change was made effective immediately, according to Sharp's policy letter, dated Sept. 24. Troops applying for the new state sponsorship program, however, have to be stationed in either Camp Red Cloud, Camp Stanley or Camp Jackson, all in the northern Uijeongbu area.

The move is in line with USFK's long-sought efforts to introduce three-year family accompanied tours, often referred to by USFK officials as normalized tours, for most U.S. troops stationed here.

"Our goal is to as rapidly as feasible reach the point when most U.S. service members can bring their families to Korea and stay here for normal three-year tours," the USFK commander said, according to the USFK Public Affairs Office.

Currently, only about 14 percent of some 28,500 U.S. soldiers in South Korea have their families here on command sponsorship, according to the public affairs office.

"Tour normalization is a win-win situation for everyone. It improves readiness by keeping our trained forces in place for longer periods of time, improving continuity, stability, and the retention of regional institutional and cultural knowledge," Sharp said.