Up until today, the Korea is still undergoing a very tumultuous division that has severely affected its relationship to various countries, specifically the United States of America. Ever since the Korean War in 1950 (which was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War), military bases in Korea (particularly the United States ally South Korea) have seen its forces integrated with U.S. military, and the most successful integration is Camp Casey South Korea, which is currently being commanded by the United States Military 2nd Infantry Division. The U.S. 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) also known as the Warrior Division, posses a unique military and combat strategy that is unique from the other United States Military armed forces as well as any other Korean forces that was established to specifically support the South Korean allies from the North Korean aggression.
Currently, the United States Army Garrison – Red Cloud (USAG – Red Cloud) is the acting commanding force that is responsible for all aspects of base operations the Casey Garrison. Located at Tongduchon, which is approximately 40 miles North of Seoul in Korea, the camp sits in an approximate 3,500 acre land within a valley. The military post is currently home to a population of approximately 8,800 individuals, 6,300 of which are military personnel. As of 2001, 42 military bases in South Korea North of Seoul qualified for the Hardship Duty pay, and Camp Casey was one of the posts to be authorized of such pays for its military troops.
Historical highlights
From its original inception during the start of the Korean War in the early 1950’s, Camp Casey was later renamed during the year 1952 in honor of Major Hugh Boyd Casey who died of a plane crash after his arrival in 1951. Following a display of complete heroism and selflessness that resulted in his plane crash, the camp was later dedicated to him and the crash site is marked by a white concrete cross (which replaced a white wooden cross) as a reminder of the brave man.
Several battalions and divisions used Camp Casey as a home during the Korean War. Some notable battalions include: the United States 45th Division; the United States 5th and 7th Marines; the 19th Battalion Combat Team from the Philippines; and the Royal Thai Battalion. It was also the home of the 1st Royal Australian Regiment up until the 1953 (later to be relieved by the 2nd Royal Australian Regiment on the said year). Camp Casey was also the site for the training and rehabilitation of the 35th Infantry Division (35 ID), where they remained in the camp and later returned to Hawaii as part of the 25th Infantry Division (25 ID) where they were to remain as reservists during the remained of 1953. The United States 7th Infantry Division also used the camp as main garrison to defend the DMX during the years 1953 to 1971. In 1994, saw the transfer of Camp Casey’s division headquarters to Camp Red Cloud.
Since 2006, Camp Casey Korea has become the headquarters of the United States Army Garrison Casey Enclave as assigned by the IMCOM (or the Installation Management Command). Subsequent reorganizations would pair up the remaining camps into one single unit, which included Camp Casey, Camp Hovey and Camp Castle, all of which are located within South Korea.
The United States 2nd Infantry Division
The 2nd Infantry Division, also known as “Indianhead”, is primary in charge of the mission defense in Camp Casey South Korea. It has an army of approximately 30,000 strong, which is unlike any other United States Military army in terms of personnel, training and military tactics. Because of the agreement made during 1950 with South Korean President Syngman Rhee, the 2nd Infantry Division is made up partially of KATUSA which is short for Korean Augmentation to US Army. To date, there are still approximately 1,100 KATUSA soldiers serving the 2nd Infantry Division.
The division is highly known for its number of accomplishments and participation during the different wars, specifically during World War I where it was first constituted in the army and was highly instrumental to the occupation of Germany; during World War II as key players in the capture of several German enemies and establishing outposts in several locations before training for deployment in Japan; in the Korean War where they were used as a strong counter-offensive to Chinese military; and they were used in 2009 in the War in Afghanistan.
Housing and Lodging
The current state of housing and lodging in Camp Casey are quite limited to say the least. For those military personnel used to bringing their families, it is important to note that there are absolutely no Family Quarters available, but any Command Sponsored families are entitled to OHA (which is short for Overseas Housing Allowance) so that they can secure for themselves civilian community living quarters off-post. All soldiers, on the other hand, are required to live on-post, and all but 76 of the division soldiers serve in limited one-year unaccompanied tours.
The Dragon Hill Lodge serves as the landing point of personnel who are arriving at Camp Casey, where they spend one night before they are transferred to WRC so that they can be assigned their permanent living quarters. Personnel arriving with families, on the other hand, are immediately required to begin house-hunting depending on which Area you are assigned at (Area I for unit sponsored house hunting and Area II or III for government sponsored quarters or off-post housing)
Educational Facilities
For personnel arriving with families and children, there is no need to worry because Camp Casey is home of the first DoDDs School in Area I. Current on-going renovations are slated to add state-of-the-art school facilities to better accommodate children. Non-DoDDs schools are also available for those children who are 9-12 years of age. The Army Continuing Education System (ACES) was launched in 2010 for those soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division who want to pursue additional learning also known as the “Warrior University” initiative.