Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice – By COL (Ret.) Kevin G. Scherrer

1994-1995: Brigade XO, 2ID Avn Bde, Camp Stanley

1995-1997: Commander, 2-2 Avn Bn, Camp Stanley

1999-2000: Commander, CSCT#3, Camp Yong-in

2000-2002: Commander, 6th Cavalry Bde, Camp Humphreys

What was your initial reaction upon learning that you were going to Korea? 

“Oh hell no.” I had 17 years of service and a by-name-request to return to Germany. But my assignment officer laid it out plainly:

“You can go to Camp Stanley, Korea; you can go to Yongsan, Korea; or

you can separate from the Army.”  Hmmm.

Why did you have that reaction?

Because I wanted nothing to do with Korea – it was way “too foreign” for me.

Interestingly, years later I would recommend a Korea assignment to junior officers, because it was so foreign – and the only way to grow as a person is to get out of your comfort zone – and for Anglo-Americans like me, Korea is definitely out of your comfort zone (at least at the outset).

What did you know about Korea?

Not a thing, other than it was in Asia. When my sponsor picked me up at Kimpo Airport (before Inchon was built) and when I stepped outside, it was “Scherrer, you’re not in Kansas any more.” Everything was different. The sounds, the smells, the people, the language… everything. Little did I know at the time, that I would spend 6 out of the next 8 years in Korea!

Was there an “aha!” moment that made you think that being in Korea was good?

Not really – it grew on me.

• 1. It was a fantastic environment to be in the Army – we trained hard and got to practice our craft with few distractions. And as it was pre-911, it was truly the forward frontier of the Army – our mission mattered.
  2. I recognized that the Korean culture and people weren’t better or worse, they were just different. And I accepted the differences and understood how this was making me a better human being.

How did serving and living in Korea shape your career, life, or worldview?  And your family’s?

After my first year in Korea, I stayed an additional two years for battalion command. While at the National War College, my regional studies area was Japan-Korea, so I got to learn more about Korea than just the DMZ and military. And when I returned to Korea for another 3 years and Brigade Command, I was a relative expert in the Theater. Those six years gave me balance professionally, and vastly expanded my cultural acceptance personally.

What experiences left a lasting impression, good or bad?

It’s been almost 25 years since I left Korea, yet I am still in close contact with both the Americans and Koreans I served with. If someone asked me what my “Army Home” was, it would clearly be Korea. The adventure, the foreign-ness, the people, all combined to make it one of the most impactful  experiences of my life. Whenever I counsel junior soldiers on their futures, I always lead with “go to Korea.”

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Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice – By Mr. Dave Harris

What was your initial reaction upon learning that you were going to Korea?

I cried. I had my heart set on Germany, mainly because of my German roots and the two years of German I had taken in high school. Korea was not something I had ever imagined for myself.

Why did you have that reaction?

In 1978, the United States was only five years removed from its involvement in Vietnam and less than three years from the fall of South Vietnam. I knew absolutely nothing about South Korea. Growing up, no one ever talked about the Korean War. It felt forgotten. I had never even watched MASH*, partly because I didn’t understand Army rank structure and partly because Korea was not part of my mental world.

What did you know about Korea?

Almost nothing—only that it was somewhere near Japan and China.

Was there an “aha!” moment that made you think being in Korea was good?

Yes. The moment I passed through the gate at Camp Walker in Daegu, I saw Apsan Mountain to the south of the base. For reasons I still can’t fully explain, that view brought me an immediate sense of calm, anchoring my feelings in a way I couldn’t ignore. The base layout was unlike anything I had ever seen, and both the installation and the surrounding area struck me as unexpectedly beautiful. That was the first moment I felt I might be okay there.

How did serving and living in Korea shape your career, life, or worldview—and your

family’s?

Living in South Korea changed my life, shaping my worldview and sparking a curiosity about Korea’s history that continues to influence me today. I wanted to understand the country beyond the base—to explore its past, its people, and its place in the world. I tried to meet every day Koreans my own age—I was about 20 at the time—but the language barrier made that problematic. Even so, the desire to understand never left me. Decades later, I am still trying to learn the Korean language and stay informed about current events there. While stationed in Korea, I took college courses through the University of Maryland and Los Angeles Community College, earning 27 semester hours over two years. Education became part of my daily life even then. During that time, I also met two Peace Corps volunteers who worked at a leper colony operated by a Catholic Sister on the outskirts of Daegu. I visited the site once—a visit that left a lasting and sobering impression. Korea was also where I first experienced history unfolding in real time. President Park Chung-hee’s assassination and the subsequent military coup made me realize how history is lived and felt, shaping my understanding of the human side of political change. This experience encouraged me to reflect on the importance of understanding the human impact of history, which continues to shape my perspective today.

All of these experiences shaped how I viewed the world and, later, how I raised my family—emphasizing curiosity, humility, and an awareness that history and politics are lived realities, not distant abstractions.

What experiences left a lasting impression, good or bad?

Korea gave me what I can only describe as a “big world” perspective. I witnessed what I later came to recognize as the “Ugly American” syndrome. I saw Americans who viewed themselves as superior to Koreans, particularly as South Korea was emerging from what many outsiders still labeled as Third World status around 1980. Over time, as I learned more about Korean life and culture, such as its 3,000-year-old history and resilience, I came to understand how deeply misguided that attitude was. That realization was profoundly humbling and enriched my appreciation for Korea’s rich cultural heritage.

After leaving the Army in 1980, I watched Korea from a distance while building my own life—going to college, raising a family, and working. Then, during COVID in 2020, I discovered Korean dramas (K-dramas) on Netflix. I have been hooked ever since. Recently, events unfolding in Minneapolis–St. Paul reminded me of the Gwangju Massacre of May 18–27, 1980. Back then, I heard very little about what was happening in Gwangju. Most Americans were focused on the Iran hostage crisis, the failed rescue attempt in April 1980, and the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18.

In recent weeks, I have read books and watched documentaries about Gwangju. I even contacted a former Peace Corps volunteer, Paul Courtright, who had worked at a leper colony near Gwangju and witnessed the atrocities firsthand. Learning about this horrifying chapter of history—one that left a deep mark on me, even decades later-has deepened my understanding of Korea’s struggles and resilience, fostering empathy and awareness among readers.

Right now, I am in the final year of a doctorate program (Ed.D. in Career and Technical Education Leadership) at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, hoping to graduate in May 2026. Once I’m done with school, I plan to teach myself Korean (Hangul) to reinforce my ongoing connection and deepen my understanding of Korea.

What began with tears in 1978 ended with lifelong reflection and gratitude. I plan to return to Korea for the first time in over 50 years in 2027—not as a frightened young soldier, but as someone shaped in lasting ways by the country I never expected to matter so much to me.

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Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice – By Mr. Sam R. Luckey

In August 1976, after the DMZ tree-trimming incident, I enlisted with delayed entry so I could finish high school and join the Military Police with 8th Army. I graduated high school in spring 1977, completed Basic Training that summer, MP school in the fall, and arrived in Korea in December. I was assigned to the 110th MP Company at Camp Ames Korea, guarding nuclear components near Chong Dong Ni. It was far from the DMZ, and most of my duty was tower guard—half my shift in the towers, half training to retake hot igloos and similar drills.

In 1981, after two years as a Desk Sergeant at Fort Bliss, I returned to Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division as a Traffic Accident Specialist out of the Provost Marshal’s Office at Camp Casey. I loved that job—investigating accidents, running radar, escorting VIPs, and even flying by helicopter to apprehend AWOL soldiers when that slot was unfilled. My first tour had been tough; my second, I worked constantly and took pride in the mission.

After Korea, I was assigned to 7th Army Europe, where I worked Railway Military Police across Europe—my favorite job in uniform. I was later accepted into CID school and became Team Chief of the Drug Suppression Team at the Frankfurt CID office. After more than 11 years of active duty and hundreds of drug-related arrests in Europe, I left the Army, finding stateside duty too quiet.

One case that still puzzles me involved a strange accident near Camp Casey, when a North Korean tank ended up in a U.S. motor pool and struck a 2½-ton truck. I even posed with the AK-47 removed from it. I’ve always wondered whether it was part of a Military Intelligence or Counterintelligence operation, and I still hope someone from the 501st MI can explain what really happened.

I chose Korea partly because the Vietnam War had ended and I wanted to serve overseas. Growing up in Gary Indiana during a violent period, Korea seemed safer than home. In the end, two tours in Korea and two in Europe shaped me into a better MP, Desk Sergeant, Investigator, and CID Special Agent. I only served 11 years, but those assignments defined my life, and I still hope to return to Korea one day.

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Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice – By Ms. Rachel Kim

One of my goals as a young officer was to command in Camp Casey—the same post where my grandfather served during the Korean War (see his story below and attached photos). When I finally received that opportunity, my grandfather had already passed away from cancer. I never had the chance to share that moment with him, but serving in Korea allowed me to understand, in a much deeper way, what his generation fought for and what the U.S.–ROK alliance truly means.

Professionally, serving in Korea taught me just how essential this alliance is, especially in today’s geopolitical environment. That understanding has stayed with me—from teaching macroeconomics at West Point to now working in defense acquisition within the international defense industry. I saw firsthand how the alliance is not just a military commitment; it is a living system shaped by economics, domestic politics, diplomacy, and the will of our people.

Personally, as a Korean American in the active-duty Army, my time in Korea gave me a sense of responsibility and pride. I realized the value of bringing a nuanced perspective to the U.S.–ROK relationship—one that understands both the history and the cultural dynamics that continue to shape it. It also opened my eyes to how much our world has evolved. Soft power, public sentiment, and civil–military understanding now play enormous roles in sustaining alliances. These elements matter just as much as strategy or force posture.

But I also learned that we cannot rely solely on history or past sacrifices to carry the alliance forward. Its strength depends on how we continue to evolve together—how we honor the principles that underlie the relationship and how those principles manifest culturally, politically, diplomatically, and economically. Alliances have to be practiced, reinforced, and lived out across all facets of society.

Serving in Korea helped me see that the U.S.–ROK alliance is not just a strategic partnership; it is a shared story still being written. And each generation—Soldiers, families, communities—has a role in ensuring that story continues.

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Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice – By Charles P Borchini, Col, USA Retired

How Korea Shaped & Impacted My Life

Korea has had a POSITIVE LIFELONG impact on my life and that of my family.

My Aunt served in Korea with the Eighth Army Ordinance Office from 1962-1963. I remember

her talking about Korea and its people, and telling us about the churches she attended, to

which she continued to donate long after she returned to the states.

After I graduated from college in 1972 (with a low lottery number and a draft notice), I

enlisted in the Army and went to basic training at Ft Jackson, OCS and Airborne school at Ft

Benning and the MP Officer Orientation Course at Ft Gordon. My first assignment was as an

MP lieutenant with the 759th MP Bn at Ft Dix. I still remember many of the NCOs in my

company and battalion telling me about their tours in Korea. In 1975 while our battalion was

deployed to Ft Indiantown Gap to support Joint Task Force New Arrivals, the Vietnamese

Resettlement operation, I received my orders to Korea and I was ecstatic.

I arrived in Korea in April 1976 and was assigned as XO of Company C, 728th MP Bn located

on Hialeah Compound in Pusan. Our company was responsible for MP combat support and

law enforcement in the Pusan area. Our MPs guarded US military equipment that was

transported all across Korea from Pusan to the DMZ on the Korean National Railway, often

sleeping on open flat cars underneath large vehicles. When US Navy ships came to the

Pusan port, our MPs patrolled the bar districts where things usually got pretty exciting. We

trained in route reconnaissance, convoy security, land navigation and POW operations. In

August 1976 after the Ax Murder incident in Panmunjom, we tightened up security on all of

the facilities in the Pusan area and significantly increased our training and readiness. Our

company ran the Mess Hall for all of the units assigned to Hialeah Compound. We had a

fabulous Mess Sergeant and under his leadership our Mess Hall won every Mess Hall award

in Korea and the Pacific region, ultimately winning the Connelly Award for best small mess in

the Army in 1977. Gen Vessey, the CINC, came to our company to present us with the award.

Like many units in Korea, our company sponsored a local orphanage where our MPs

volunteered and donated funds. We also raised funds from across the entire Pusan military

community by sponsoring an annual AFKN radio marathon.

In January 1977 my replacement, Susan Anderson, arrived in Pusan and I was reassigned as

the Operations Officer at the Pusan Provost Marshal Office. Susan and I fell and we married

in August 1977. We both LOVED Korea and the Korean people and were terribly sad when

our assignments in Korea ended and we returned to the states.

In June 1986 we returned to Korea with three children. I was assigned to the 728th MP Bn on

Camp George in Taegu where I served as the Battalion Operations Officer and Executive

Officer. We had a wonderful two years in Korea. As S3 and XO I traveled throughout the

country, conducting night land navigation training, mobile weapons firing and quarterly squad

competitions. I often visited our companies located on Camp Humphries, Camp Carroll,

Camp Walker and Hialeah Compound. One of our units on Camp Humphries ran the 8thArmy Confinement Facility; we spent quite time there inspecting and auditing the prisoners’

accounts and responding to frequent Congressional Inquiries the prisoners submitted. My

family and I traveled to Seoraksan and flew on US Air Force hops from Osan to Japan and

the Philippines, visiting Tokyo Disneyland and Grande Island.

After we returned to the states, I was assigned to the 4th PSYOP Group at Ft Bragg and

visited Korea many, many times for exercises and planning. I met with the CINC, coordinated

with the Combined Forces Command staff and the ROK Army PSYOP Group and visited their

loudspeaker installations along the DMZ.

The last assignment I had in the Army before I retired was as Deputy Director of the 50th

Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee. Our committee coordinated and

ran many events and ceremonies to honor Korean War Veterans. We met several times in

the US and Korea with Gen Paik Sun Yup and the Korean Government’s Commemoration

Committee. We met many Korean War Veterans, including Senator John Warner from

Virginia and Congressman Charlie Rangel from NY. On June 25th 2000, we had a huge

ceremony in Washington, DC at the Korean War Veterans Memorial where President Clinton,

Sen John Glenn, who was a Korean War Veteran, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

and Korean War Veterans spoke. This assignment was extremely rewarding and moving

because of the many Korean War Veterans we met.

In September 2025 my wife Susan and I were blessed to return to Korea as part of the Korea

Revisit program sponsored by the Korean War Veterans Association and the Ministry of

Patriots & Veterans Affairs. It was a SPECTACULAR visit, beyond anything we could have

imagined. Almost everything has changed in Korea since the 1970s and 80s, high rise

buildings, new train stations, high speed bullet trains and state of the art industries building

ships, military hardware, automobiles and appliances. The modernization is a tribute to the

determination of the Korean people and the umbrella of protection provided by those who

served in Korea over the past 75 years.

My first sights of Korea remain with me today, of farmers up to their waists in rice paddies

with oxen and plows, with women balancing baskets on their heads, motorcyclists carrying

drunk pigs and stacks of baskets on the back of their motorcycles, and every shop we walked

into had a framed picture of Gen MacArthur hanging over the doorway. The Korean people

are the most hard working people I’ve ever met. During this last visit, the one thing that

impacted me the most was the deep gratitude the Korean people have for those who fought

and served in Korea. In the past, every time I left Korea, I had tears in my eyes wondering if I

would ever return. Now when I think about Korea, I have a big smile on my face and feel that

my wife and I did our jobs. We played a small part in helping Korea to become a strong,

vibrant, free, democratic society with state of the art housing, roads and industries and high

quality of life for its people. Thank you Korea!

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