Call For Action

The Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) is excited to launch a new series:  “Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice.”

This initiative invites current and former Service Members, civilians, diplomats, and families to share their stories and reflections on why serving in Korea — whether with United States Forces Korea (USFK) or at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul — was one of the most meaningful and rewarding chapters of their lives.

Whether your experience involved joint operations, discovering the beauty of Korean culture, forging lifelong friendships, or contributing to one of the world’s strongest alliances, we want to hear from you!

Share Your Story by Telling Us:

• What was your initial reaction upon learning that you were going to Korea?
• Why did you have that reaction?
• What did you know about Korea?
• Was there an “aha!” moment that made you think that being in Korea was good?
• How did serving and living in Korea shape your career, life, or worldview?  And your family’s?
• What experiences left a lasting impression, good or bad?

Submissions can be written, video-recorded, or even a simple quote with a photo. Selected stories will be featured on all KDVA social media platforms, our website, and Journals.

How to Submit:

Email your story to KDVAKoreaChoice@gmail.com and tag us on social media using #KDVAKoreaAssignmentOfChoice.

There is no deadline.  We will keep this going because we will not run out of stories from the millions of people who have served in Korea over the past 75 years!

Help us show the world why Korea isn’t just an assignment — it can be life changing!

The Revisit Korea Program for Korea Defense Veterans refers to a weeklong program provided by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) for Korea Defense Veterans and their families.

KDVA is very thankful to the ROK Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) for sponsoring this important and exciting program. KDVA will manage the application and selection of Korea Defense Veterans who served in Korea since the signing of the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953.

IMPORTANT 2026 DATES & DEADLINES: 

• No 2026 application deadline or trip dates have been announced yet. Apply now to be considered for future trips.

Participants will be selected from among KDVA members. For U.S. Defense Veterans who are not yet KDVA members and would like to be eligible for participation in the Revisit Program, please join KDVA as a Regular Member – it is free. If you plan to bring a spouse or companion, they must be a KDVA member. Associate memberships are available if they don’t meet Regular Membership criteria. If you plan to fill out their membership application, you must use theirs or a different email address and not the email address you used for your membership. JOIN KDVA >

MPVA will also provide additional slots for the other Sending States and a travel companion. The Sending States that supported/are supporting the United Nations Command in Korea are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, the Republic of South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Over 3.3 million U.S. Service Members and thousands from the other Sending States have served in Korea since the signing of the Armistice Agreement.

APPLY TODAY!

KDVA’s ROK-U.S. Alliance Journal articles are due by March 6, 2026.

The digital journal features stories and articles by KDVA members and supporters of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. It allows our members and supporters a way to voice their expertise and opinions that add to discussions about the Alliance.

The journal will go to our members, our partner organizations, potential sponsors, Alliance experts in the ROK and U.S. governments, and U.S. and ROK think tanks.

Submission Guidelines: 

• Articles can be submitted in English and Korean.
• Topic areas are: 
  • Korean War and Korea Defense Veterans
  • Security and Strategy
  • Korean and American Culture
  • Serving in Korea
  • ROK – U.S. Alliance
• Articles should be less than 1,500 words, 1,000 words if submitting photos for your article.
• If your article is longer, please indicate what parts you would like us to publish and provide a link or contact info where our readers can get the full article or story.
• If providing photos, please provide photo captions and photo credits. Photos should be sent in separate attachments and be in jpg. or png. format. 

Please send any questions or articles to kdva.journal@gmail.com by March 6. If your articles are selected for publication, we will contact you for further steps.

Check out KDVA’s latest ROK – U.S. Alliance Journals – Click here.

KDVA INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (KIP), 2026 – ​APPLY TODAY!

KDVA’s Mission:

The Korea Defense Veterans Association’s mission is to enhance the ROK-U.S. Alliance by advocating for the Alliance and supporting the people who built and serve the Alliance.

Why Become a KDVA Intern?

The KDVA Internship Program provides volunteer opportunities to learn about the ROK-U.S. Alliance and its diverse topics, gain invaluable professional experience, develop skills, make professional contacts, and make contributions to the ROK-U.S. Alliance.

Research Assistant Internship:

• Researching topics about the ROK-U.S. Alliance.
• Writing articles for the KDVA Quarterly Journal, KDVA Monthly Newsletter, and KDVA social media platforms.
• Helping with social media.
• Very flexible hours – telework when you have the time.

Event Management and Support Internship:

• On-site support for very senior-level events.

• Event planning, support, and participation.
• Note taking and drafting executive summaries.
• Short duration efforts with a lasting impact.
• Locations: Events will take place in Washington, D.C. or Seoul.

Eligibility:

• KDVA Members.
• KDVA Associate Members.
• Family Members of KDVA Members and Associate Members.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Experiences and Skills:

• Enthusiasm for the ROK-U.S. Alliance and the KDVA mission.
• Good organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Good grasp of or enthusiasm for learning social media technology, strategy, and innovation.
• For Research Assistant Internship:  Strong writing and researching skills.
• For Event Internship:  Poise and interpersonal skills necessary to interact with staff, honorees, volunteers, vendors, and members.

Internship Length:

• One Year, January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.

Academic Credit?

Academic credit will depend on your school’s requirements.
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Questions? Email: kdva.internships@gmail.com.

Please submit your application and resume by November 15, 2024. We plan to announce the 2025 KDVA Internship Class by late November 2024.

KDVA’s 2025 ROK-U.S. Alliance Journal articles are due
by October 24.

This issue will be dedicated to the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) as part of their founding on November 7, 1978.

Please submit articles on this topic.

The digital journal features stories and articles by KDVA members and supporters of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. It allows our members and supporters a way to voice their expertise and opinions that add to discussions about the Alliance.

The journal will go to our members, our partner organizations, potential sponsors, Alliance experts in the ROK and U.S. governments, and U.S. and ROK think tanks.

Submission Guidelines: 

• Articles can be submitted in English and Korean.
• Topic areas are: 
  • Korean War and Korea Defense Veterans
  • Security and Strategy
  • Korean and American Culture
  • Serving in Korea
  • ROK – U.S. Alliance
• Articles should be less than 1,500 words, 1,000 words if submitting photos for your article.
• If your article is longer, please indicate what parts you would like us to publish and provide a link or contact info where our readers can get the full article or story.
• If providing photos, please provide photo captions and photo credits. Photos should be sent in separate attachments and be in jpg. or png. format. 

Please send any questions or articles to kdva.journal@gmail.com by October 24. If your articles are selected for publication, we will contact you for further steps.

Check out KDVA’s latest ROK – U.S. Alliance Journals – Click here.

Announcing the KDVA Impact Scholarship Program for 2025

The Korea Defense Veterans Association whose mission is to support the ROK-U.S. Alliance and our Veterans is very proud to announce the KDVA Impact Scholarship Program for 2025.

KDVA recognizes the importance of education and the role it plays in personal, professional, and economic fulfillment.

The KDVA Impact Scholarship Program provides scholarships to KDVA members and their spouses, children, and grandchildren (including stepchildren) to help them attain their educational goals so they can continue contributing to the ROK-U.S. Alliance and supporting our Veterans. Scholarships are awarded only for coursework from accredited, tertiary institutions (colleges and trade schools).

Five scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,000 each.

Eligibility

1. Applicant must be a member of KDVA or the spouse, child, or grandchild (including step child) of a KDVA member.  Applicant can also be an Associate Member.
2. Applicant must be accepted into an accredited college, university, or trade school.
3. Applicant must be a high school graduate with a minimum of a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) (3.0 on 4.0 scale) to apply.

Scholarship Application – due August 1, 2025

Application materials include the application form (includes written statement of need and essay), official transcript(s), proof of matriculation at designated accredited academic institution, and list of extracurricular activities (includes leadership and community service).

The essay question is “How would you start and run a KDVA Campus Club at your school?”

Application package must be submitted through our website no later than August 1, 2025.  If you have questions, please contact us at scholarship.kdva@gmail.com.

SELECTION

KDVA will inform scholarship recipients by the end of August 2025.

The funds will be sent to the academic institution for documented expenses and must be used between August 2025 and July 2026. These funds may not be used for prior academic expenses.

If selected, KDVA Scholarship recipients will provide: a) a photograph and a statement for use in KDVA publications, newsletter, website, social media, and marketing materials, etc. and b) follow-up information and feedback as to how the KDVA scholarship assisted in their education for use in KDVA research and marketing.