Anyone Uptodate on the S Korean Pullout

[williams919]

I have read several places that we are pulling troops from S Korea and sending them to Iraq as replacements????
Don't understand this completely except, we don't have enough soldiers to replace those in the combat zone.
I know I could have posted this on several subjects but, this is where I ended up.
Seems that a previous PREZ took care of base closings and reduceing our forces to where we have to re-deploy soldiers from one hot spot to another. Wasn't there something in history about spreading your forces too thin, or maybe it was fighting on too many fronts.
Just wondering???????

[darrels joy]

The latest Thu May 20, 2004 10:14 PM ET
SEOUL (Reuters) - The planned withdrawal of 3,600 U.S. troops from South Korea is part of a ploy to attack North Korea rather than a welcome force reduction, a North Korean diplomat was quoted on Friday as saying in an interview.

The United States is reviewing a possible cut in its military presence in South Korea, where it has 37,500 troops and heavy firepower and surveillance technology to deter the North. It is one of the heaviest U.S. force concentrations outside Iraq.

"The purpose of the announced realignment is to begin the second Korean War by launching a preemptive strike against the North, according to experts," Han Song-ryol, deputy North Korean ambassador at the United Nations, was quoting as saying by the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper.

The comments follow an announcement this week that the United States will pull out a tenth of its troops stationed in South Korea to redeploy to Iraq.

South Korean officials said the move was part of the U.S. global troop alignment, which also involves a possible cut in U.S. military in the South.

Such a cut would be replaced by enhanced capabilities and not lower the combined U.S. and South Korean defense against the communist North, the two countries have said.

Han said the North Korean military had been put "on higher alert" and was closely watching developments. The North has long called for all U.S. troops to leave South Korea.

For the second time in two weeks, Han also called for a peace treaty involving the two Koreas and the United States.

"The peace treaty should be signed and guaranteed by the parties with a military presence on the Korean Peninsula," Han was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The inclusion of South Korea is a departure from Pyongyang's insistence that such a treaty to replace the armistice signed in 1953 by the North, the United States and China is valid only with those three combatants as signatories.

The two Koreas are technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

[Bill Farnie]

williams919

The 3rd Brigade of the 2nd ID will be going to Iraq.
I have to agree that we seem to be spread a little thin.

[williams919]

I figured that was the group going. My boy in that bunch.
Sure wish I could take his place. But they don't want any antiques. Just wish he had time to grow up a little before seeing what he will see in the big sandbox.
I checked globalsecurity.org, had some pretty interesting reading.
God Bless Our Troops.

[Phyllis]

My soldier over there is getting leave, has yours said anything about this? Mine just got to Korea in March, and even extended this month for another year. He was over there at the beginning of the war and in Kuwait 6 months before that and he sure wasn't happy about going back.

[williams919]

He hasn't said anything about leave. He didn't get leave after AIT, went straight to Korea. Kinda strange that no leave is granted on an unaccompanied tour like that. But I have been out of the service for 20 years so I guess it has changed.
God Bless em All

[Phyllis]

The way I understand it all of them are getting 10 day leave. drop off points Seattle and Chicago. we have to get them home from there. I know they are busy trying to get it all in place as it is suppose to start 31, 1, and the 2. I assume when they get back it will be busy with packing stuff up for deployment and for storage and I hope some more intensive training. My son has only been there 2 months and its not like going back over there with his previous unit out of Ft. Riley who he knew and trusted them guys. My son-in-law left yesterday for a 18 month deployment to Afganistan and now Kris' second tour over there...this is putting those grays in....what unit is your son with? mine is 1/503

[williams919]

My son is with the 2nd ID, they are sending the entire Brigade. Haven't heard anything about leave or anything. Kinda strange, my son lived in Clay Center, KS about 40 miles from FT Riley.
I know exactly how you feel. The gray is coming quick. I just worry about all the mental problems these young men will have in the future and so many are getting injured. I spent 21 years in the Navy and 3 tours in Viet Nam, so I can relate to the deployments. Its just that times have really changed and the Moslum attitude toward life is unrealistic for an Americans point of view. Those folks over there are a different brred of cat from anything or people I have ever seen.
All we can do is pray and be thankful that we have raised our children to beleive in whats right.
God Bless You and Yours and All Our Troops

[Phyllis]

Yes, my son has been back from Iraq now for 8 months with the 1/41 out of Ft. Riley. That was a nice base as it was only 3 hours from us, his first duty station was Ft. Carson. One thing, I never pushed for him to talk, every once in a while something comes up and then he'll visit with me a while and then sometimes he clams up. He brings up things when he is ready, what I can't get over when he first returned, the questions and the gall people actually would ask him. He looked down that SSGT nose and say, I'm sorry I do not want to discuss that right now. I do know that he is still bothered by some things and I'm sure they always will be. Its going to be a whole different ballgame this time instead it being the beginning of the war....
Do they get another leaf or star for how many tours you take over there?
Now my son in law left for Afganistan today, man, some of the stories they were briefed on about some of the culture there...I can't even imagine....and he couldn't either. After Kris' tour in Korea he was suppose to be headed for Ft. Lewis, now I have no idea where he will be located, or if he goes back to Korea. Time will tell and things will change several more times it being the military! I'm just anxious for him to show up this week. First time in 4 years he'll be home on his birthday and it being his 27th we are in for some fun, before he leaves. He's always missed all holidays and the last 4 birthdays, but we celebrate whenever. I've had Christmas in August and february. Its just called MILITARY..LOL

[DMZ-LT]

When I first got home from Viet Nam my parents had the neighbors over for a little party. One guy got vocal about how we shouldn't be there and then he turned to me and asked me how many civilians I had killed. Before I could say a word my Dad knocked him out with a right hand to the jaw. Guy went down like a sack of flour. No body said a word , they just carried him outside and closed the door . God bless your son and all our troops

[Bill Farnie]

Willie,
It's not the 3rd Brigade that is going to Iraq.It's units of the 2nd Brigade.
This link is to the 2nd ID web site and it has some info but because of OPSEC no specific units are named. God bless your son and may he keep him and all of our troops out of harms way.

http://www-2id.korea.army.mil/view.asp?id=4

[Phyllis]

I didn't know if you had this website.

http://www-2id.korea.army.mil/

[Robert J Ryan]

I was stationed with the 2ndID in Korea from Oct 1975 to Nov 1976, I was B-1/23 Inf. In Aug of 1976 two American Officers were hacked to death by North Korean guards over of tree that was going to be trimmed. We went on alert drew our basic load for going to the field and waited for our orders to move out (at least that's is what though was going to happen) instead President Carter decieded to blow the tree down. That was the end of that alert.

[Robert J Ryan]

Also I wanted to add that the 2nd ID will be moving from its current bases and move furthere south to Oui Jon Bo and camps below there. The ROK Army will take over the guard of the DMZ.

[the humper]

As should be!!! The ROK's taking over the total thing, AND should have been,many years ago!!!!!!!!!!
SF
NC

[DMZ-LT]

What Humper said, We don't need "trip wire " troops any more.

[Bill Farnie]

The Currahee's of the 1/506 are part of this deployment and they are in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Although they are an Air Assault battalion, in Iraq they are using humvees and will be operating in Iraq as a Motorized Infantry unit.

[the humper]

Different time, totally different type warfare !!!!!!!!!!! :8:
SF
NC