Greetings from Osan AB, South Korea. We are an Army Family stationed on an Air Force Base here in South Korea and this is something that is common here. So you coming to South Korea. There is nothing to fear about here. If the Army didn’t feel Korea was safe for families to being approved to living here they wouldn’t approve Command Sponsorships. South Korea is in the process of becoming a Tour Normalization which is like Germany your soldier and family will be stationed here for a few years.
A few things I can tell you about Korea and what don’t expect and what to expect. Don’t expect that you will get the chance to be living on post because such as for Osan AB we live on base but we got lucky since the Air Force gives there housing basically to the Air Force families and with the Army the units here get only 10% of the families that are command sponsorship. At Camp Humphey’s there new housing is full, and at Yongsan if you have a pet you will not be allowed to live on post housing. But that is perfectly fine, because we are Army Families and we can survive anything.
Living off post is not bad at all. My husband, our two dogs and I did live off post at first. There are a lot of apartments that are fully furnished in Korea so leaving your good furniture in storage and on the Army’s bill just do it. I will just give you one suggestion if you don’t like a stiff hard mattress and your mattress that you have is a pillow top mattress I would suggest you bring that. The mattresses are stiff as a hard rock and take time to get used to.
Here are a few more things I suggest for you to bring with you that we where advised not to bring and we regret for not bringing them along. We left behind our microwave, toaster and toaster oven. The outlets are different then US outlets but your Realtor will give you converter boxes to use your American appliances so if you want to bring them then you know you can.
We are here on Command Sponsorship and I am an FRG leader here. So I want you all to know that there are FRG’s within the units in Korea and they are active and should be active.
If your coming to Korea, Non Command Sponsorship, a few words of advice from my knowledge and learning of being here. You do get a rations card, your allowed on base, but there are chances where you might not get into seeing a doctor with making a doctor’s appointment since you would have to try to make a same day appointment on space available. Another thing is that your soldier would need permission from his command to allow him to live off post depending on his rank and since your in Korea as Non command sponsorship. The Army will not pay for your flight to Korea, for your stuff in storage since you decided to come here without the Army’s approval for Command Sponsorship.
I am just letting you all know what I have learned since I have been in Korea since April 2009 and love to share my experiences with you.
Ronni F. Newton
Hello, it took us about a month or so to get all paperwork together. I would suggest you get all together everything you need for passport together, passport picture etc, for a no fee passport. You can only get a no fee passpport if you get command sponsorship. And turn that into your local army base. It’ll take a few weeks tp procesd but you can only pick it up once you have orders sayimg command sponsorship has been approved with your name on them. So your hisband has to get with his commander and make sure all the paperwork gets done on his end. My husband got korea rght out of ait. Also schedule an appt with base to have your overseas screening done. Where I am from there is an army base so it was convenient for me but I’m not sure if there is one locally for you.
Well you probably won’t write back considering how long ago this was posted. I was curious what camp he was stationed at? My husband just recently graduated AIT and now going to korea. I’m praying that I get to go with. Any advice on how to be able to go with? :/
If you want to be with your husband ask him about the csp. The EFMP is not difficult as long as your healthy, when I met the EFMP representative he/she told me that were good to go; however, my family got screwed by my husband unit that is why once my husband report in Camp Casey he will file another command Sponsorship so we can come over.
hi.. I just read this site… Im a Filipina, my fiance is a US Army stationed in Korea, we are getting married on June, we are wondering if I can go with him when he go back to Korea… is it possible for me to go with him when he go back to Korea on July after we marry even I dont have visa?
My son has been told he can now have his truck in South Korea off base from Camp Casey. How can I find out the nearest port and who to contact to have his truck shipped to him. He needs it asap. PLEASE HELP! We have only a month to get it to him. We live in VA near the N.C. state line.
Nearest ports should be Baltimore, MD, Norfolk, VA or Bayonne, NJ
HI!! I am trying to find out how long the non-command sponsorship paper work takes to process?????
My husband just got his orders today- he is going back into the Army after almost 20 years! Me- I hardly know anything about the Army, but here we go! His orders are for Yongsan and at the top it says ” MVMT OF DEPNS AND HHG AT GOVT EXPENSE IS AUTH” does that mean we are already approved for CS, but just need to complete the paperwork, or does everyone’s orders say that? I also noticed we are only allowed to take 1/4 our HHG weight and I though it had been 1/2, so I guess we have a lot of weeding out. Final question- for those in on post housing that is furnished, if we bring a dresser or bed as part or our HHG, can that be swapped out with the post furnishings when it arrives. I would hate to pack something and then have no where to put it- kwim?
My wife left for korea 3 months ago and we were fine then she got a job after work at a bar . Now she has cut me and our kids off of money . And is thalking about divorce is there a way for us. To get the army to send us so we can fix our marrige or have her sent home. We’ve only been marriwd 2 barliy 2 years but have 3 kids I want to be with her so we can work stuff out
my husband is currently in Camp Stanleyr in South Korea. We are starting the process of applying for command sponsorship but being that I’m 5 months pregnant I’m not sure if it will get approved in time before I’m no longer allowed to travel by plane. With that said we are considering going non command sponsored (unaccompanied) and I would like to know if you can assist me with the process on finding off base housing and getting my son enrolled in school and where I’d be giving birth ?? It’s so nerve wrecking not knowing what to expect. Any advise is greatly appreciated
Hello I’m PFC Adame I’m going to be graduating ait in a week and will have my first duty station at camp walker south korea . I just recently got married and was told I can’t take my wife with me. But I’ve been reading in other articles that some soldiers are able to take their wives to camp walker. If there’s any way you can help me with any info I’d appreciate it a lot. I really don’t want to leave her behind. Thano you so much.