Camp Red Cloud, South Korea

1. Your name (as you would like it to appear): Rebecca

2. Army Post Name: Camp Red Cloud also called CRC, Area 1

3. Army Post Location: Uijeongbu (pronounced We Jong Boo), South Korea

4. Dates When You Lived Here (please include year): Sept 2009 – July 2010

5. How is housing? On-post? Off-post? There is no on-post housing in Area 1. All families live off-post. The homes are normally in multi-story buildings. Ours is a 20 story building that requires a code to enter. Within 1-2 miles of either the front or back gate of the post there are at least 3 home communities that many families live in. The floors are normally wood throughout and the entry way and bathrooms are stone or ceramic. We live in a 3 bedroom. The most annoying thing about our home is during the summer the heat/humidity is awful. Since most Korean homes do not have central heat and air we have their version of the window unit. This is an appliance that is very understated and fairly quiet but can be costly if used too much.

6. Rate the PX and Commissary. The PX and Commissary are very small and carry only a limited inventory however there are multiple other posts with better facilities within an hour to an hour and a half trip.

7. Are there activities on post? Is there lodging on post? There are regular activities on post and within Area 1. The MWR distributes a free monthly magazine with the highlights of the trips and other activities to participate in. There is a small lodging available on post. I have never been there so I have no experience with it personally. I do believe that they are in the process of adding a children’s play area close by.

8. What is there to do in the area? There is so much to do in this country. We spend at least two weekends a month down in Seoul (only about an hour and a half away) sightseeing. Closer to home in Uijeongbu there is shopping at the myriad of shops along the streets, you can visit any number of authentic Korean restaurants or western restaurants like Outback. There is also a movie theater near the subway that has many American movies. The movies are not dubbed; they have subtitles in Hangul. After a couple you probably won’t even notice them anymore.

9. Rate the school system. I do not have kids but a school has recently been built for at Camp Casey and is planned to open in the Fall of 2010.

10. Are there colleges in the area? Please list. There are Korean colleges but if you are looking for an American education then you can attend school via the Army Education Center on post which offers degrees from 3 or 4 different schools. Or you can attend an online school.

11. How is the job situation? What types of jobs are in the area for spouses? It is difficult to find a job in Korea. If you are qualified you can get a new/different visa and teach English off-post. Otherwise you would need to find a job on post using the CPOL resources found at http://acpol.army.mil/employment.

12. Favorite aspect of the post and surrounding area? I love that CRC is small. I can walk from one end to the other easily. They are always trying to come up with and bring in new ideas for activities for families whether that is on-post Org days, off-post trips to festivals around the country, or just new classes at the gym on post.

13. Least favorite aspect? It’s small so if you can’t find what you need you will need to travel to another post or off-post to a store like HomePlus or Lotte to find what you need. The language barrier makes off-post trips a bit more difficult but it is totally doable if you have a bit of patience.

14. List any local websites.
http://www.mwrkorea.com
http://www.korea.amedd.army.mil/default.asp
http://affiliates.uso.org/korea/default.cfm?contentid=103
http://8tharmy.korea.army.mil
http://www.2id.korea.army.mil
http://redcloud.korea.army.mil

15. Any other tips or information? Yes it can be scary to move to a foreign country but the experience is totally worth it. You will get to experience something that is new, different, and fun all at the same time.