Mavic’s Journey on the Morning Calm:

My journey into Korea all started back in 1989 as a young airman. Right after graduating technical school at Lackland AFB, I got the news I was going to Korea. Over my time in Tech School, all you heard was horror stories about chem. Gear, hot humid summer, cold winter, and basically comparing Korea to Hell. Well this wasn’t the case, and I’m about to share my experience I’ve had here in Korea.
My first base was Kunsan AB, back in the summer of 1989. I had just graduated from the Security Police training center, and basically my qualification were just being a security guard for planes and nuclear weapons. I won’ go into detail what we had here at Kunsan back then, but my jobs was very boring. It entailed long hours and just standing around waiting for something to happen. Even after work, I found myself bored, not able to do anything, or have fun with everyone else due to my age, of 18. The drinking age was 20, and must of the E-4 and above would hang out together, and have fun, while the cherry boys, like myself, would stick in their rooms and play video games. I never ventured off base, during my first 2 years at Kunsan, and never knew what the barhopping scene was like. Well I was about to find out in the future years to come.
My job in Korea while wearing chem. Gear can be a pain in the ass…and I wasn’t the only one that felt this way. No matter what you did for the military…wearing chem. Gear sucks. While the summer heat was 85 outside, with 70% humidity…..with the chem. Gear on…you can add another 30% to that listed temperature. Also take in account with the humid temperature, comes the friggin mosquitos. These pests aren’t your everyday American mosquitos, no…these dudes are trained to bite your ass through clothing. No matter how much clothes you wear….these bugs will know how to get to you. So now I know why folks compare Korea to hell.
I have spent a total of 10 years so far in Korea, and I have another 2 more years to go before I retire in Dague AB. In 1990 I went to school at Lackland AFB, TX for Base Installation Security System, also know as BISS. Well while I was at this school, I ran into some recruiters from Andrews AFB, Presidential Flying Team. Well I put in for this awesome detail as Air Force One Security, and about 3 months later while back in Korea, I received orders for Andrews AFB. I was about to leave Korea and vowed never to return….what little did I know. I had some good memories of my first 2 years here at Kunsan…and wouldn’t trade the times I had here, good and bad for anything, but I was off to a new world, and a better job. I ended up spending 8 years at Andrews AFB, and 4 of those years I flew for President Clinton aboard Air Force One. It was a very busy time for me…the last year of Presidential Security….I ended up shadowing the first lady, Hilliary….during her bid for New York Senate. Well I ended up getting burned out on this job, and the only way to get out of it, was go back to Korea. I put in for Korea, and received orders Aug 1998. I went back to Korea…this time with a little rank on my sleeves.
My tour in 1998 was an ultimate blast…It all started on my first day back to the Wolfpack. I mention before, during my first year at the Wolfpack, I never ventured off base, and had no clue what was waiting for me. Myself and a couple of dudes decided to check out what this A-town was all about. So we made the trip out there….and at first, I said this is nothing but a dump, so we decided to walk around and check out a little bit more. We ended up at this club called Young 11…and I said, lets go into one club and see what it’s like inside. Well I went in and was attacked the mamasan, and my friends were dragged in as well. We sat down and order some beers. Off in the corner I saw these girls all sitting together. The girls notice the deer in the headlight look I had, and came over to me. Low and behold...these girls turned out to be filipina, and for those that don’t know me, I’m Filipino. Well this was the start of the Mavic Dynasty in A-town. That first night I drop down $150 in that first hour…and all I had was 1 beer. Well we all ended up being broke, and were back on base by 2100hrs. I was in awe that first night…all I could do is think about how much fun I was going to have back in Kunsan. Over the next 3 years, I drop 30k into A-town, and ****ed about 40-50 girls. My tour here at Kunsan was coming to a close, and I put in for Osan AFB, and low and behold, I got my wish to stay in country, and went to Osan AB for 3 years in 2001.
My tour at Osan was about the same as Kunsan, but with more drama with the girls there. I ended up feeling burned out with the whole club scene, and decided to get away from the Songtan scene. I heard about the Philippine barhopping scene, located in Angeles City, and decided to take a trip there. My first visit there was unbelievable, and from that point on…my slayer status went to the next level…now I was a monger!!! I’ve been going back and forth to AC every month for the last 5 years now. This is the real reason I stay in Korea…only a hop, skip, and a jump to paradise. In 2003 I received orders back to Andrews AFB….hell no, I wasn’t going back there…I turn down these orders and place orders for Kunsan AB. With my connection at Hickman AFB, HI…I was able to once again to get my wish. I came to Kunsan in Aug 2004, and im still here, with projected orders to Dague AB in 2007. I’ve done everything you can possibly do here in Korea…I’ve traveled all over from the farthest south Jeju do island to the DMZ and across the country to Pusan. There is more to Korea than the bars and clubs. Korea is very beautiful and has a lot of history….about 200 years worth….so get out and explore. We work hard and play hard, and drink hard, but the most memorable events were not in the clubs, but at work with my friends and co-workers. From the time as a young pup, with 1 strip on my sleeve, and playing video games for my first 2 years, to the present time, where I’m a Flight Chief of 40 folks and have conquered the bars hopping scene in Korea and the Philippines and made tons of friends with my host national counterparts. I have share my stories and experience to many and have started a simple yahoo group (Sojo 2000, Kunsanatown, Rokmongers) and world wide web pages (PIA) that’s both have exceeded over 4,000 members. Enjoy your time here in the land they call the morning calm!

Korea is not hell….it’s what you want to make it!!!!!

Everyone has a story. Yours is an interesting one, and may have a common thread with many others!
I like Korea a lot, also mainly because of the things that are different, therefore, interesting to a person from the Eastern U.S. I was Air Force, also, and was sent to Osan after being pushed out of Missile school by NCO's retraining to get into a proficiency pay career field. But I made the best of my 3 years, one month and eight days at Osan. I was 19. I spent the first year taking pictures in my off duty time, and learning to read and write Korean, as in those days it was impossible to ride the bus or train and find your way back without knowing some Korean language. You could drink then, but I didn't, and didn't like the bar scene much. I did learn to enjoy the single life, and took a hop to Hong Kong! What a place! Anyway, I really liked Seoul, and saw how the Military lived there. It was miles ahead of Osan then!
I left Korea vowing to return later to Seoul. Ten years and a College Degree later, I was a Captain, and landed a special 2 year asssignment to the Korean Air Force Headquarters in southern Seoul. It was my best career job, and I loved it! I was to return again in four years to Camp Red Cloud for a year.
Now, after retirement, I'm back again in Yongsan as a civilian. There are a lot of things to do and see in Korea, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who realizes that!