USAG HUMPHREYS

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Proudly Serving Camp Humphreys and the Pyeongtaek Communities

Volume 1 Issue 14

A staff sergeant greets a specialist. The Army is now requiring that Soldiers be assigned a sponsor before any move. (U.S. Army Photo by Devon L. Suits,

Army News Service)

By Devon Suits

Army News Service

The Army has implemented changes

to its Total Army Sponsorship Program to

ensure Soldiers and families have appro-

priate sponsors upon transfer to new

assignments.

Under a revision to Army Regulation

600-8-8, Soldiers, noncommissioned

officers and officers within the ranks of

private to staff sergeant and second lieu-

tenant to captain must be assigned spon-

sors at unit levels before leaving their

current installations.

Further, warrant officers up to chief

warrant officer 2 also are required to

have sponsors before permanent chang-

es of station, said Robert Bush, Assistant

Chief of Staff for Installation Manage-

ment program analyst.

While eligible Soldiers can still choose

to decline sponsorship, first-term Sol-

diers are required to have sponsors be-

fore, or upon arrival to their next assign-

ments, Bush said.

"We do not want to leave that Soldier

at high risk of not having the necessary

sponsorship, which prevents them from

developing some risky behaviors, or end-

ing up in harm's way," Bush said. "The

sponsorship program is not just about

establishing contact. It's about welcom-

Sponsorship, continues on page 3

What’s Inside

Page 2

USAG Daegu hosts a

Make a Wish event

Page 4

Army’s vice chief of staff

sworn in

Page 5

Chuseok holiday

Page 6

Water sports

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Col. Michael F. Tremblay Garrison Commander

Command Sgt. Maj. Antonio Lopez

Garrison Command Sergeant Major

Steve Hoover Chief, Public Affairs

Maria Gallegos

Editor Chief, Command Information

Submit stories, nominations, photos to USAG Humphreys CONNECTIONS to: usarmy.humphreys.imcom-korea.mbx.usaghumphreyspao@mail.mil The Connection is an unofficial publication published under the provisions of AR 360-1 for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Connections are not necessary the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of the Army or the USAG Humphreys. The Connections is a free bi-weekly publication distributed via email every other Friday, except when that day is an American holiday, then the Connections will be published on Thursday. All items are subject to editing for content and to insure they conform with DoD guidelines.

USAG Daegu, 19th ESC host 'Make a Wish' event at Camp Carroll

By Sgt. Austin Fox

DMA AFN Pacific Bureau-Korea

The U.S. Army Garrison Daegu and

the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment

Command hosted a Make-A-Wish

Foundation event at Camp Carroll,

South Korea, Aug. 11.

Jacob Silva, Portsmouth, Virginia

native, requested to visit South Korea

with his family to see where his father,

a former chaplain assistant, was sta-

tioned while he served in the Army.

Silva was accompanied by his fa-

ther, Cort B. Silva, mother, Amber Sil-

va, and brother, Cort Silva.

The day included a church service,

lunch with Soldiers stationed in the

area and a get together at the Camp

Carroll Community Activity Center.

The event culminated with gifts

from senior Army leaders and Soldiers

who attended the event.

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Simerly, the

19th ESC commander, said that he was

honored to be a part of the experi-

ence.

"I think it's a great reminder for every

service member and every family member

here in Korea that is serving on behalf of

the United States and the United States

Army of the importance and the meaning of

what we do," Simerly said.

In addition to spending time with the Sil-

va and his family, Simerly presented Silva

with a certificate and coin on behalf of the

19th ESC. Simerly also presented Silva with

a certificate from Army Gen. Robert B.

Abrams, the commander of U.S. Forces-

Korea, United Nations Command and Com-

bined Forces Command.

Simerly added that Silva's wish to see the

place where his father served is a testament

to the family's devotion to service.

Silva was diagnosed with neuro-Behcets

in 2016. The rare auto-inflammatory syn-

drome causes severe inflammation in vari-

ous parts of the body. In 2017, Silva had a

stroke after complications from the disease.

"I had to relearn how to do everything

except to talk," he said.

The effort to get Silva from the U.S. to

South Korea involved various organizations

and was nearly two years in the making.

Though Silva is now 19, his wish was

made he was 17.

Over two dozen soldiers attended the

event with the Silva family. Four different

units from three separate bases in the area

were represented at both the lunch and

the party.

Army Sgt. Morgan Britton, a human re-

sources specialist with Headquarters and

Headquarters Company, USAG Daegu, was

excited to help where she could.

"I'm really glad that we've made Jacob

[Silva] feel like he's one of us, and that Ko-

rea is a little piece of his home because he

got to see where his family was at," she

said.

Silva was grateful following the event.

He said his father did not often talk about

his time in the Army, but he always had

great things to say about his time in South

Korea.

Silva said his favorite part of the event

was interacting with the Soldiers.

"I really liked how when we came here,

the Soldiers were really welcoming," Silva

said. "They're really nice and it was really

fun being able to play video games with

them."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-

profit organization with the mission of cre-

ating life-changing wishes for children with

critical illnesses.

Members from Camp Carroll Community Chapel, pray for the Silva family at the chapel, Aug. 11, at Camp Carroll Korea. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Austin Fox)

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HELPFUL LINKS

USAG Humphreys

USAG Humphreys Facebook

USAG Humphreys Flickr

USAG Humphreys

Family and MWR

USAG Humphreys YouTube

Eight Army Newcomers Page

https://ice.disa.mil

ing that new Soldier [and leading

them] through the process."

Above all, commanders will main-

tain full responsibility over the spon-

sorship program, and are required to

set local standard operating proce-

dures to meet sponsorship require-

ments, Bush said.

Previously, commanders could as-

sign responsibility for the program to

other individuals.

While commanders can still dele-

gate responsibilities down for support,

they are ultimately responsible for the

sponsorship program, Bush said.

"This is a commander's program.

[The sponsorship program] is one of

those issues that has a big impact on

readiness," he said. "They are ultimate-

ly responsible for the health and wel-

fare of the Soldiers."

Sponsorship, continued from page 1

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Seasoned combat leader sworn in as Army's vice chief of staff By Joe Lacdan

Army News Service

WASHINGTON -- Experience on the

battlefield helped earn Gen. Joseph Mar-

tin the nomination to the Army's second

highest military rank.

Martin was sworn in as the Army's

37th vice chief of staff in a Pentagon

ceremony Friday, following a steady pro-

gression of the service's senior leader-

ship into higher positions within the De-

partment of Defense.

Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Army's chief

of staff, said Martin's extensive time in

combat during several deployments am-

ply qualified him for the job.

"This is probably one of the top two,

maybe three, general officers with com-

bat experience," said Milley, who presid-

ed over the ceremony. "He has been in

combat at every level of command. This

guy's got five combat tours. He's got

over 40 months in combat. It's an amaz-

ing combat record."

A 1986 graduate of West Point, Mar-

tin deployed to Iraq five times including

stints as a company commander during

Operation Desert Storm, as a battalion

and brigade commander during Iraqi

Freedom and he commanded the famed

1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Martin also served as the commander

of the Combined Joint Forces Land Com-

ponent Command during the pivotal

Battle of Mosul, a major multi-national

offensive that helped the Iraqi govern-

ment retake control of the Iraqi city from

ISIS forces.

Martin has said that he will continue

to emphasize the Army's priorities of

readiness, modernization and people,

and to recruit the "best and brightest"

into the force.

Martin, the Army's former director of

Army Staff, succeeds Gen. James C.

McConville, who will take over for Milley

as the service's chief of staff. Milley and

former Army Secretary Mark Esper both

received nominations for higher leader-

ship positions within the DOD. The Senate

confirmed Milley on July 25 to succeed

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as chairman

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President

Donald Trump swore in Esper as secretary

of defense.

A graduate of the U.S. Army War Col-

lege who holds a master's degree in edu-

cation, Martin earned such military

awards and decorations as the Distin-

guished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal

with "V" device, the Defense Superior

Service Medal, and the Army Commenda-

tion Medal with "V" device.

The Michigan native credited his for-

mer military mentors and his wife Leann

in helping him reach this career mile-

stone, which included a promotion to

four-star general. Martin was joined on

stage by several fellow members of the

West Point class of 1986, including Esper.

"Today is an opportunity … to see what

can happen when a family of families, a

band of brothers, a lifetime of friends can

do when they combine the incredible

power of tough love, friendship and care

while raising a leader and supporting his

family over the course of a lifetime,"

Martin said.

Serving as the deputy to the Army's

chief of staff, the vice chief is charged

with the management of the Army staff

and the many programs that fulfill the

Title 10 responsibilities of the depart-

ment. The vice chief often will take the

duties of the chief of staff when the chief

must engage in interservice responsibili-

ties, such as those of the Joint Chiefs of

Staff.

Milley, who said he has known Martin

for nearly 10 years, said Martin's humili-

ty and experience were deciding factors

in his nomination.

"He's a person of phenomenal charac-

ter," Milley said. "This is a guy who has a

backbone of titanium steel. He's never

afraid to speak truth-to-power, but he

also does it with class. He does it with

dignity, he does it with respect. A beauti-

ful thing about General Martin is that

he's a team player and he's incredibly

humble.”

Gen. Joseph M. Martin, left, is sworn in as the Army's vice chief of staff at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.,

July 26, 2019. He succeeds Gen. James C. McConville who served in the position since June 2017.

McConville was confirmed by the Senate to succeed Gen. Mark A. Milley, pictured right, as the ser-

vice's chief of staff. (U.S. Photo by Spc. Keisha Brown)

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Chuseok (Autumn eve), also known as Korean Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest holidays in Korea.

Originally called Hangawi, the celebration dates back to ancient times and takes place on the

15th day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is full and bright. People pray to the full

moon to thank their ancestors for their successful cultivation, and for the success cultivation

the following year. People usually travel to their hometown and spend the three day holiday

with their families. They share stories, dance, play games and enjoy Chuseok foods.

Dance

Korean traditional dance on Chuseok is called ‘ganggangsullae’. Ganggangsullae is a

dance where you hold hands and make circles under the full moon. People wear

hanbok, Korean traditional clothes and sometimes, ‘Talchum’ a Korean mask fol-

lowing the music.

Food

One of the most popular food during Chuseok is ‘songpyeon’. Songpyeon is a rice cake filled with sesame seeds, beans, or other

traditional ingredients. Families gather and make songpyeon during this time of celebration. There is a old saying, the one who

makes the most beautiful songpyeon, will either give a birth to a beautiful baby or have a good

spouse.

Another tradition is to make ‘Hangwa’, a cake-like cookie made of rice flour, honey, fruit and

roots. It is typically decorated with natural colors and patterns. It is sweet and chewy, so it is

popular among young people.

People also enjoy homemade rice wines that their grandmothers make. Nothing can beat

grandmother’s rice wines. Korean pancakes are also popular during Chuseok holiday.

Memorial Service

Many families will also have a memorial service for their ancestors, which is called

“charye” during the holiday. In the past, almost every family will have this service,

but as the culture and the generation changes, it is optional depending on the fami-

ly. After charye, families will gather to eat the foods presented for the ancestors.

Another traditional custom is ‘seongmyo’. Seongmyo is when families visit their

ancestors' graves to thank and respect them.

Travel Tips:

-Avoid intercity travel during Chuseok

-Book train tickets ahead of time

-Head to the Beach or islands

-Skip the Folk Villages

-Ride a bike

For more information, please visit: Chuseok Travel

For more information about Chuseok, please visit: Chuseok

Credit: Jamie Han, USAG-H Public Affairs Intern

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Lake Cheonpyeong Located about 58 miles from Camp Humphreys, Lake Cheonpyeong in Gapyeong is a popular destination

to enjoy clean air and scenery, and water sport activities.

Two most popular places in Gapyeong: Camptong Island and Camptong Forest.

Camptong Island

Camptong Island, a water park famous for its boats and tube rides. The Island offers a cafe, restaurant,

lodge, convenient store, and public showers.

For more information, please visit: Camptong Island

Camptong Forest

Camptong Forest has one of the largest water sports including a 1-acre extra large barge and 2-acre of

water park that offers the largest leisure facility in Korea. There are more than 60 rides and attractions

including the latest speedboat, Avengers boat, a super-sized barge, cable boards, party boats and speed

boat tours. The Forest also offers cafes, bakery, restaurants, lodge, outdoor hot water swimming pool,

tanning zone, outdoor stage, broadcast studio, shower, riverside barbecue, and camping site. They even

have a Pet café!

For more information, please visit: Camptong Forest

Credit: Brad Jeong,

USAG-H Public Affairs Intern

**Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only. The Department of Defense and USAG Humphreys in no way endorse, favor, or sponsor the activities/places mentioned.