Announcement

KDVA’s ROK Memorial Day Message

On this 6th day of June, the people of the Republic of Korea remember their Service Members who died during the Korean War and other conflicts. KDVA would like to ask you to join the Korean people in reflecting on and remembering all that they did for this important and great country.

KDVA honors their brave and heroic sacrifices by supporting the ROK-U.S. Alliance and the people who built the Alliance and continue to serve it.  They include the 28,500 U.S. Service Members serving in South Korea today and the millions of Korean and American troops who have served together in “The Land of the Morning Calm” since the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950 and around the world in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

KDVA truly believes in working “Together for the ROK-U.S. Alliance.”

 

Sincerely,

General (Ret.) Walter Sharp

President and Chairman, KDVA

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Webinar Recording Now Available! CFC Leadership During Crisis

ROK-U.S. Leadership During Crisis Webinar Series, “CFC Leadership During Crisis”

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Korea Defense Veterans Association’s first webinar on “ROK-U.S. Leadership During Crisis”

This webinar is a series and for the first session, the topic is “Combined Forces Command Leadership During Crisis” with the former Commander of CFC, General Walter Sharp, and former Deputy Commander, General Jung, Seung Jo.

Our intent is to discuss their shared experiences with combined ROK and U.S. military leadership during crisis.  Their thoughts should provide foundational insight that can be useful for other topics like:  instability in North Korea, exchange of fires along the DMZ, and North Korean strategic provocations to include nuclear tests and missile launches.

This webinar does not intend to get into the decision-making space of the current leaders of CFC … we only want to help people better understand how CFC works during crisis.

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KDVA’s U.S. Memorial Day Message

Monday, May 25, 2020 is U.S. Memorial Day during which Americans remember all those who have fallen in defense of the nation.

KDVA remembers and honors over 36,000 U.S. Service Members who gave their last full measure of devotion during the Korean War.

As we remember all that our veterans have done for the ROK-U.S. Alliance, I would like to suggest that you set aside some time this holiday weekend visiting websites (kdva.vet), viewing documentaries (kdva.vet/i-know-a-korean-war-veteran-campaign/), visiting veterans memorials (www.abmc.gov/about-us/history/korean-war-memorial) and cemeteries (following your local coronavirus guidelines), and/or starting a conversation in their honor.

Thank you very much, and please stay healthy and safe.

General (Ret.) Walter Sharp

President and Chairman, KDVA

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Happy U.S. Armed Forces Day!

On U.S. Armed Forces Day on Saturday, 16 May 2020, the KDVA Board of Directors join me in extending great appreciation to every member of America’s front line and multi-domain defense team who protect, serve, and preserve the American way of life at home and around the world.

The Korea Defense Veterans Association is proud to advocate for and support the men and women who fought for and continue to defend the irreplaceable ROK-U.S. Alliance. KDVA sincerely thanks our troops for their service to the ROK-U.S. Alliance and thanks our veterans who helped build our strong armed forces. Especially during this year’s 70th commemoration of the start of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, the people of South Korea are thankful and have supported your vital mission to help defend them and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula.

It is your excellence and sacrifices that will continue to keep the ROK-U.S. Alliance a true “Alliance for the Ages.”

General (Ret.) Walter Sharp

President and Chairman, KDVA

Background:

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.

The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

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Expanded Regular Membership Criteria!

KDVA has expanded its regular membership to include “Retired ROK military personnel who served in MND, JCS, and/or Service HQs for at least three continuous months.”

Membership is free, to learn more and to apply, visit our membership page.

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Word from KDVA — Coronavirus: Be Armed with Reliable Information

Dear KDVA Members,

With the 11 March 2020 announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the coronavirus COVID-19 is a global pandemic, I thought I would share with you some thoughts about COVID-19’s impact on KDVA.

KDVA has been following official guidelines from our respective ROK and U.S. governments about health and safety measures. In both Seoul and the Washington, DC where the current majority of KDVA’s involvement in area activities have been, we have seen a reduction in events by many organizations. Some activities have been postponed, a few others have been cancelled, and others have moved to virtual forums.

We echo what GEN Abrams, Commander of UNC/CFC/USFK, said on 11 March pointing to the “positive” development in which the number of fresh infections in South Korea has been on a decrease over the past several days, but he still reiterated a cautious approach. GEN Abrams stated, “We are going to be very deliberate and act out of an abundance of caution … We are not going to be premature, and that requires sacrifice and burden by everyone, but in the interest of the health of the force, we are gonna be very cautious … We always have our mission to perform here. That mission has not gone away just because we have COVID-19. Our mission here is to be ready to fight tonight in the defense of the Republic of Korea.” He noted that everyone is “living this lifestyle change” and asked his people to fully comply with related guidelines and exert patience. He also praised the South Korean health authorities’ handling of the issue and vowed continued close cooperation. “We have an amazing partnership with the KCDC. They’ve been incredibly transparent, cooperative, and collaborative,” GEN Abrams said.

I would encourage our members to follow this lead in getting reliable information from official sources like the CDC and KCDC, and to act not out of fear, but armed with sound knowledge that informs your actions to mitigate and/or prevent the further spread of this disease. For example, this chart from the CDC provides the difference between cold or allergies, the flu, and the coronavirus.

We will keep you updated on KDVA activities as we continue to support the ROK-U.S. Alliance – normal KDVA activities on all our social media platforms will continue.

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Crash Landing into Freedom: The Stories of Former North Korean Soldiers

 

On Wednesday, March 4th the Korea Defense Veterans Association took part in the “Crash Landing into Freedom: The Stories of Former North Korean Soldiers” panel discussion. Hudson Institute hosted this panel discussion with two former North Korean soldiers as they discussed their escapes from the hermit kingdom. 

OH Cheong Seong defected from North Korea on November 13, 2017 via the DMZ by driving a military truck right up to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and running on foot towards the South Korean side, while getting shot at by his fellow North Korean soldiers. Surveillance footage of Oh’s daring escape for freedom, and news of his injuries and the state of his health, caught the attention of the world. Though gravely wounded with five bullets in his body, Oh survived the ordeal and later made a full recovery.

LEE Unggil, a former solider in North Korea’s 11th Corps Special Forces who escaped while completing university studies, will explain the plight of North Korean soldiers and the motivations for those seeking freedom.

Panelists gave insight into what life is like inside the country and describe why so many North Koreans, if given the choice, would choose freedom.

Panelists:

  • Dr. Patrick M. Cronin, Asia-Pacific Security Chair, Hudson Institute
  • Colonel Steve Lee, U.S. Army (Ret.), Senior Vice President of Operations, Korea Defense Veterans Association
  • OH Cheong Seong, Former Driver in the North Korean Panmunjom Military Police Unit of the Operations Bureau
  • LEE Unggil, Former Member of the North Korean People’s Army 11th Corps Special Forces and Member of the North Korean People’s Liberation Front

To hear LEE Unggil’s and OH Cheong Seong’s story and the panel discussion, watch the video below or click here.

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KDVA Welcomes Two Recent Commanders of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command to its Board of Directors

ImageGeneral (Ret.) Curtis “Mike” Scaparrotti

ImageGeneral (Ret.) Vincent Brooks

The Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) is very proud to announce two new members to its Board of Directors:  General (Ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti and General (Ret.) Vincent Brooks.  Both Generals are well recognized and respected former commanders of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Command:  General Scaparrotti in 2013 to 2016 and General Brooks in 2016 to 2018.

“This is momentous news for the members of KDVA who are dedicated to supporting the ROK-U.S. Alliance,” said General (Ret.) Walter Sharp, the Chairman and President of KDVA.  “Both Mike and Vince are recognized internationally for building partnerships, and they have been vital in shaping the ROK-U.S. Alliance into one of the most important alliances in the world.  I am particularly thankful that they will volunteer their time and effort to personally help the ROK-U.S. Alliance.  This is a cause that each of our Board members have volunteered to do, and Mike and Vince will add even more to KDVA’s efforts with their deep love and respect for the Korean and American peoples.”

General Curtis “Mike” Scaparrotti, in 2019, completed a distinguished 41-year career in the U.S. Army as the Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. From 2013 to 2016, General Scaparrotti served as the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea / United Nations Command / Combined Forces Command in South Korea. General Scaparrotti has extensive experience leading joint, multi-national organizations and collaborating with U.S. interagency and foreign diplomats. He served in key leadership positions at the tactical-operational and strategic levels of the U.S. Military to include as the Director of Operations at U.S. Central Command and as the 69th Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He has commanded forces during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Support Hope (Zaire/Rwanda), Joint Endeavor (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Assured Response (Liberia). He is a Senior Counselor at The Cohen Group, a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council, a member of the Advisory Board of the Patriot Foundation, and a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University.

General Vincent K. Brooks is a career Army officer who retired from active duty in January 2019 as the four-star general in command of over 650,000 Koreans and Americans under arms from April 2016 to November 2018 during a critical time on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia.  He is widely respected as a speaker and leader of cohesive, innovative organizations. He is a combat veteran and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. General Brooks is on the Board of Directors of the Gary Sinise Foundation; a visiting Senior Fellow at the Harvard University Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Texas, with both the Clements Center for National Security and also the Strauss Center for International Security and Law; an Executive Fellow with the Institute for Defense and Business; and the President of VKB Solutions LLC.

General Scaparrotti and General Brooks noted that they are very thankful for this opportunity to serve on the KDVA Board given their many friends who share a passion for strengthening the ROK-U.S. Alliance.  Both look forward to helping KDVA with its outstanding programs, including, the remembrances of those who served during the Korean War, 70 years ago.  They are very optimistic about the future of KDVA in supporting the ROK-U.S. Alliance’s place in regional and international security and prosperity.

KDVA continues to be the premier association that supports and advocates for the people who built the Alliance and continue to serve it in U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command.  KDVA is a 501C(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Virginia.  Please contact KDVA at contact@kdva.vet, visit www.kdva.vet, and follow us on Facebook ( @kdva.us) and Twitter ( @KDVAvets).

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KDVA Launches New Website & Member Portal

NEW MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES & APPLICATIONS!

REGULAR MEMBERS:

  • Former and current U.S. military & DOD personnel of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) or Combined Forces Command (CFC).
  • Retired ROK military personnel who served in CFC for at least three continuous months.
  • Korean Augmentation To United States Army (KATUSA) Veterans.
  • U.S. military & DOD personnel who meet the requirements for the Korea Defense Service Medal (KDSM). 
    • 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days serving in Korea
    • KDSM requirements are in the updated (as of 5 March 2019) AR 600-2-88, Military Awards in paragraph 2-22 (see excerpt).
  • Former and current ROK government civilians of CFC and USFK, if ROK law or regulations do not prohibit.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:

  • Adult supporters of the ROK-U.S. Alliance.
  • College students who are interested in the U.S.-ROK Alliance.

NEW MEMBER PORTAL & SEARCHABLE MEMBER DIRECTORY!

THROUGH THIS PORTAL, REGULAR AND HONORARY MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO:

Manage your personal membership profile and information
Search the Member Directory and connect with other members as well as Servicemembers you served with in Korea.
Engage with committees and view resources and journals
Register for events

On December 3rd, KDVA members received a separate email with information on how to access the new KDVA member portal, login and update your profile. If you didn’t receive this email or have questions, please email, contact@kdva.vet.

 

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