Camp Humphreys

Infobox Military Structure
name=US Army Garrison Humphreys (Camp Humphreys)
location=Near Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea


caption=Shoulder sleeve insignia of units stationed at Camp Humphreys
type=Military Garrison
built=1919
materials=
used=1919-1945 (Imperial Japanese Army) 1950-Present (United States Army)
controlledby=United States Army with authority from the Republic of Korea
garrison=2nd Combat Aviation Brigade
194th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
3rd Military Intelligence Battalion
25th Transportation Battalion(PMCT)
22nd Korea Service Corps Company
7th ROK Air Force
304th Signal Battalion
168th Medical Battalion
4-58th Airfield Operations Battalion
commanders=Colonel John E. Dumoulin Jr. (May 2007 - Present)
battles=

Camp Humphreys is a major United States Army base located near Anjung-Ri, adjacent to the Pyeongtaek metropolitan area (Gyeonggi-do province) South Korea, at coord|36|58|N|127|02|E|. Many Koreans still refer to Camp Humphreys by its Korean War era name, K-6. Camp Humphreys is located 55 miles (89 km) South of Seoul and is one of the U.S. Army's fastest growing installations. "The Hump" as it is affectionately known, is home to Desiderio Army Airfield (one of the busiest overseas airfields with over 60,000 movements annually). In addition to an Army airfield, there are US Army and USAF direct support, transportation, plus tactical units located here with about 9,500 military personnel and nearly 1000 family members.

The installation covers an area about one mile (1.6 km) wide and two miles (3 km) long. Camp Humphreys is located next to the town of Anjung-ri and about 5 miles (8 km) away from the major city of Pyeongtaek. The base covers an area of 1,500,000 pyeong (1 pyeong = 3.3 m) and it contains a commissary, Post Exchange (AAFES), theater, a variety of fast-food restaurants, multiple gyms, the Humphreys lodge, a family restaurant, one indoor swimming pool and a children's water park with Olympic size outdoor swimming pool, 3 AAFES shopettes, and a bowling alley.

Camp Humphreys houses the Eighth United States Army military jail facility in South Korea which detains soldiers for no more than a year before they are shipped off to a prison in the United States. There is no one major unit that commands the base, although the United States Eighth Army is the parent unit. The 194th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion, 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 527th Military Intelligence Battalion, 501st Signal Company, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade (Second Infantry Division) and the 52nd Ordnance Company are just a few of the many units on the base.

History

In 1919 the Pyongtaek Airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Army. The bases were built with Korean labor.citation During the Korean War, Pyeongtaek Airfield was called K-6 after being repaired and enhanced by the U.S. Air Force to accommodate a Marine Air Group and the 614th Tactical Control Group. In 1962 it was renamed Camp Humphreys in honor of CW2 Benjamin K. Humphreys, 4th Transportation Company, who died in a helicopter accident. During and after the Korean War, the base was expanded with land from the settlements of Daechuri, Anjungri, Doojungri, Hamjungri, Naeri, and Dongcahngri.

Future

[
sit-in at Camp Humphreys gate] As part of global repositioning efforts, the US military plans to move the USFK HQ, Eighth Army and the 2nd Infantry Division from the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to the province of Pyeongtaek by 2008. In December 2004, the Korean government agreed to U.S. plans to expand the base, currently 3,734 acres (15 km²), by an additional 2,851 acres (12 km²). The surrounding land, including the towns of Doduri and Daechuri, is home to some 1,372 people who would lose their land. In February 2005, pro-communist activists led residents to begin a peace camp at the village of Daechuri, which declared autonomy from Korea on February 7th, 2006, vowing to resist with violence any efforts to expel them from the expanded base area. On March 6th, 2006, South Korean National Police's riot police began to attempt a forcible eviction of Daechuri. There have been several other attempts by the South Korean National Police to evict the villagers. On May 4th, 2006, contractors hired by the Korean Ministry of National Defense demolished the Daechuri primary school, which had been an organizing center for the resisting farmers. The Korean National Police provided security for the contractors.

In October 2006, Residents of Daechuri and other small villages near Pyeongtaek agreed to a government settlement to leave their homes and allow for the base expansion. According to a Korea Herald article, "The government has agreed to provide the residents with an additional compensation package under which they will receive a 200,000 won ($230) grant every month for 10 years along with 8 pyeong (26.4 square m) of land in an area being set aside for their relocation. Residents have also been given lump sum compensation [averaging $2,000,000 USD each] which the government claims is between three to four times the current market value of their properties."

External links

* [http://area3.korea.army.mil/ Official Camp Humphreys Website]
* [http://www.usfk.mil/ United States Forces - Korea Website]
* [http://www.usfk.mil/usfk/index.html?/usfk/contents/relocation.html USFK Relocation Video]
* [http://antigizi.or.kr/english/ Pan-S.Korea solution committee against US base extension in Pyeongtaek]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/camp-humphreys.htm Camp Humphreys] , GlobalSecurity.org
* [http://www.savePTfarmers.org savePTfarmers.org]
* Cindy Sheehan: [http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112706B.shtml Siege and Seizure in Korea] (truthout, 27 November 2006)