Camp Humphreys

Camp Humphreys is one of the small bases located in South Korea. It is about 90 km from Seoul and close to Anjeong-ri. Although it is small and its importance is not very relevant, the camp is among the military bases with the fastest growth over the years. It also hosts the Desiderio airport, one of the most active airfields in the area, with more than 50000 flights every year. Although the base is run by the US Army, it also hosts units from the Air Force. Besides, it is controlled with the authority and regulations from South Korea. It hosts almost 10000 military employees, more than 500 families and plenty of other employed civilians and contractors.

During the Korean War, most troops had a hard time referring to various bases due to the names they were unused with. For this reason, the Americans gave symbolic numbers to each of the bases, assigned with the letter K. This one was referred to as K 6. The interesting fact is that many street signs in the area still refer to it by that name. The base is over 3 km long and about 1.5 km wide.

History

The history of Camp Humphreys, South Korea starts in 1919 as the Pyongtaek airport. The place was built by the Empire of Japan armies, under the instructions and indications of the Koreans. When the Korean War started, the place was expanded and benefited from some extra facilities and upgrades. At that time, it was still named K 6. An old damaged runway was also renovated and upgraded for the Americans to bring their Air Group 12 and a small control group. The current name was given in 1962, in the memory of Benjamin K. Humphreys, who was killed in a helicopter crash close to the base. The end of the Korean War coincided with new expansions for the base. The authorities “took” some land from six surrounding provinces.

In the new millennium, the base went through a few other expansions. In 2006, many villages were practically erased from the map. The citizens were relocated to other parts of the province. A school and a high school are also under construction since 2011. According to the plans, they should be over by 2013 and should be able to host over 1600 students.

Facilities

Camp Humphreys includes an exchange office, a post office and a movie theater. The cinema was awarded as the best such facility in a US base. When it comes to food, the inhabitants can choose from about 10 different brands, including Subway, Taco Bell, Burger King or Starbucks. People can also take advantage of beauty saloons, barber, shops, a huge Korean bazaar and a few banks.

Housing

Some troops, such as the barracks ones, are immediately given a housing opportunity. Others will have to fill in some applications. They must do it early, so things are already set up when they arrive. The Housing Office is available in any business day for registration or information.