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From My Service in Korea, I Learned – 

David Dorman, (SFC, USA, Ret.)
Served at Camp Hovey/Camp Casey (HHC, 2nd BCT, 2nd Infantry Division), 1995–1996

When I stepped off the bus at the Camp Casey “Turtle Farm” in the late summer of 1995, my collar carried two olive-drab chevrons permanently sewn onto the collar of my BDUs and my right shoulder carried an 82nd Airborne combat patch. Having permanent, sewn-on rank was a definitive statement; it meant I was fully committed to my role as a leader, even if it immediately vexed my new First Sergeant. Like most soldiers arriving for a twelve-month unaccompanied tour along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), my initial reaction was a heavy sense of isolation. I was thousands of miles away from my family, operating in a high-tension, high-readiness environment where the threat of conflict was a daily reality.

But during my year with the “Second to None” Division, I learned three defining lessons about leadership, partnership, and the true meaning of morale that shaped the rest of my twenty-two-year military career.

1. Real Leadership is Built on “Purpose” and “Proximity”

Serving as a heavy vehicle recovery specialist and the Brigade POL NCO, I quickly realized that you cannot lead from behind a desk. In a forward-deployed unit, credibility is earned in the trenches. Whether I was executing an emergency engine swap on the Brigade Commander’s Humvee during a high-stakes Command Post Exercise, or instructing young operators on how to properly torque differential fasteners, I learned that a leader’s job is to provide purpose. If a soldier understands the “why” behind a standard—that keeping their equipment mission-capable is what ensures they can fight and win—they will execute flawlessly in the dark and the freezing cold.

2. The Unbreakable Bond of the Alliance

My service in Korea taught me a profound respect for the draftees of the Republic of Korea Army (KATUSA) who augmented our ranks. They weren’t just partners; they were our brothers. I learned this lesson most clearly through our section’s clerk, PFC Min. When a simple database typo threatened him with severe, archaic corporal punishment from his senior ROK leadership, I bypassed my own immediate supervisor to appeal directly to our First Sergeant to protect him. I learned that the ROK-U.S. Alliance isn’t built on treaties signed in Washington or Seoul; it is built on the daily, mutual protection and respect we show to each other in the motor pools and the barracks.

3. Morale is a Combat Multiplier

When our Company Commander told us to “find a hobby” to survive the stress of the tour, a few of us took it literally. We secured a few battered, ungrounded instruments from a USO warehouse, found a drafty supply hut behind the Camp Hovey arms room, and formed the soldier rock band “Haze.”

We spent our weekend nights playing free, high-energy shows for hundreds of exhausted, homesick GIs and KATUSAs at the local enlisted clubs. Watching the crowd of soldiers, from raw Privates to Battalion Commanders, stand shoulder-to-shoulder, completely forgetting the cold and the isolation of the DMZ through the shared power of music, taught me that morale is not a luxury. It is a critical combat multiplier. In fact, when the Division Command Sergeant Major offered me a highly prestigious, comfortable assignment as the personal driver for the Division Commander, I politely declined. I stayed on the line at Hovey because I truly believed I was on a mission to keep the spirits of my brothers-in-arms alive.

Conclusion

My service on the DMZ taught me that the green machine can be grueling, but the human spirit is resilient. I walked onto the peninsula as a skeptical Corporal with permanently sewn-on stripes, and I left as a newly promoted Sergeant with a bag full of drumsticks, a customized company coin, and a lifetime of respect for the soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division. I learned that we shall have a merry time, we shall complete the mission, and we shall always look out for the soldier standing next to us.

Second to None. All the Way.

What did you learn from serving in Korea? Let us know –

Sharing your experiences from serving in Korea can be a powerful way to connect with others who have had similar experiences. By sharing your story, you may be able to help others who are currently serving in Korea or who are preparing to do so. You can share insights about the culture, the people, and the challenges you faced while serving. Your story can also help to shed light on the sacrifices that service members and their families make in order to protect our freedoms. So, if you have a story to share, we encourage you to take the time to put it down in writing and send it to KDVA.MyServiceInKorea@gmail.com along with any photos that help to tell your story.

Your contribution may be just what someone needs to hear in order to feel connected and supported.