A sad commentary- The Chaplain at today's service asked the congregation to take home a printed prayer and tape it to the refrigerator, to remind us to pray daily for a decrease of sexual assault, which has increased recently in Korea.
I feel badly about the increase. I think prayer is good. I also think the U.S.military should accept a great portion of the blame. Yes, the moral values of both sexes have deteriorated in our society in general. Yes, the families and community are part of the problem. Yes the individuals bear the most responsibility.
I believe the time has come to start helping the soldiers to avoid the occasion of sin. You can allow the sexes to mix on post in chaperoned conditions. But the places where they can meet without a chaperon need to be eliminated. If you expect to reduce the action, you need to eliminate the conditions that foster the action. No opposite sex visiting in your room.
Now, I know the dillema. Then they will go off post. We certainly don't want our problems spread to the cities. Oh, my. Well, my friends, the under the oak tree promises are a nice touch. Mass education and warning posters may help some. The requiring of the NCO's to be responsible for their charges is an interesting idea, but can't work in this situation. Adult troops will experiment despite your best efforts to prevent it.
So if sweetness doesn't work should we go for punishment? Maybe so. I think the lowering of the standards for recruiting are a major factor. Think it was the only way to meet quotas for enlistment? I am going to word this carefully, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken manure!
Gol-Lee,Sergeant!Even Gomer Pyle was smarter than that!

Well, we have been over this before....

If you take away the Soldiers freedom, (and i'm not advocating this) but what else is there to do? i.e. no car.

The $ is down, COLA is going down but yet they want you to get out and do more......

Remember Korea is the ONLY place in the world that is like this.

__________________
CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

Where do I begin on this one. I'll start with a translated quote from a guy who was pretty smart in his day. He states, "what is with the youth of these days, no discipline, wildness in all of them, and no respect like the youth in my day". That was Plato. Every generation says this, even me, lol. Well, in every generation, when you take away privilages, have more restrictions, sh*t happens. While I was stationed in korea my first time in the 90's, we were 10 times more wild, partied, drinking was promoted on base and off. Town patrol handed out condoms, and they really did try to take care of you. It was a rarity for us to hear about a sexual assualt, or pretty much any incident on or off base. I guess when you let adults be adults and not handcuff them with standards, they dont cross that line and keep everyone in check. Come to think about it, the only incident i did hear about was a fight on base with one of the off-duty SP's at the club. When i left Kunsan last December, and this is from managers of the club, there is a fight every weekend at the club. It was so bad that they put a restriction on wearing any headgear in the club, rec center, and surrounding areas. This was enforced because the security cameras couldn't get a good shot of the people fighting. Never had security cameras at the club my first time there. Never needed them, but we acted like adults, and were treated like adults.

QUOTE=chucksnee;53937]Well, we have been over this before....

If you take away the Soldiers freedom, (and i'm not advocating this) but what else is there to do? i.e. no car.
The $ is down, COLA is going down but yet they want you to get out and do more......
Remember Korea is the ONLY place in the world that is like this.[/quote]

I never thought of it that way- that this is the only placed in the world like this! I assume you're talking about the curfew, the ready to fight tonight theme, the restrictions imposed by ration cards, the treating adults like children by refusing to let them have cars and imposing restrictions which no longer make sense as we progress toward the three year accompanied tour; it seems that all is pretty much unique to Korea.
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Some of those unique restrictions like the curfew were actually put upon us many years ago, when the communist and anti-American activity was greater. Time to rethink the curfew. Didn’t the Koreans stop enforcing it, except for public transportation?

I do understand that USFK is concerned that the fighting persons need to be protected so that they will be ready to fight tonight. But overprotection and over-restriction can backfire. Maybe it has. Sorry that Army is recruiting less than desirable folks of all ages.
Hopefully a way to deal with them without using mass punishment, which directly affects the core career soldiers as well, will be found. Certainly the idea that the Career NCO’s should make themselves available to help the undesirables adjust and to become desirables is initially a good thought, but if they prove to be incorrigible as well as undesirable, then individual punishment seems warranted immediately! Put them back on the street or incarcerate them, and don’t give them $20,000.

But which of these things actually contribute to sexual assault within the U.S. Forces? I would be interested in knowing the problem Army wide. I still think the Army, not USFK owns the problem. And I'm sure the education now required, is a help. The very different way of looking at what constitutes "Assault" in the eyes of men and women needs to be addressed, and written down for all to see, so that there is no room for error when accusations fly. Remember when Boxer Mike Tyson was convicted of rape on the word of a female who was voluntarily in his hotel room at 2 AM? Did she go up there for Bible Study? Get real! Codify the law, print it out, and then go from there. If I voluntarily put myself in a situation where I might get sexually assaulted, I don’t deserve any pity or compensation, and neither do you. I’m not talking about assault and battery-that is another story! Don’t drink so much! Lock your doors if you don’t want to invite trouble, and don’t go in anyone else’s room alone! That buddy system is not a bad idea!