<b>YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea</b> - For Civilian Employees and Family Members, the most important thing you may need in Korea, besides a great pair of walking shoes, is a Ration Control Card.
Your ration card is just as important as your identification card. In short, it is a card that most on-post businesses, like Army and Air Force Exchange, commissary and the Chosun Gift Shop, need to see before you can make purchases.
Officials want to make sure you are not purchasing huge quantities of any item in order to resell. Your sponsor should be able to help provide you with a temporary card when you arrive.
To get a ration card, applicants must attend a training session at the Yongsan Readiness Center. Upon completion of the course, applicants will receive a memorandum to take to the Directorate of Emergency Services, Ration Control Issue Point. DES is located on South Post at U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan, Bldg. 4305, Room 105. For information, call 738-4612.
Following are some important points about this important card:
Aca,!Ac You will need a ration card for each authorized Family Member (children 10 and up).
Aca,!Ac DonAca,!a,,ct leave home without it.
Aca,!Ac During their first two weeks in Korea, Civilian Employees and Family Members can shop in the commissary and exchange with a military identification card and a copy of their PCS orders.
Aca,!Ac Family Members with sponsors assigned to 2nd Infantry Division need to contact the Division Liaison Office at the Yongsan Readiness Center across the parking lot of the Dragon Hill Lodge for a ration card.
Aca,!Ac Every purchase in the commissary is recorded in a real-time system based on a shopperAca,!a,,cs identification number. The commissary system sends information to a database which automatically generates a violation notice if you exceed your purchase limit.
Aca,!Ac At the PX, ration limits restrict purchasing a maximum of three of the same high-value item. Cosmetics, select health and beauty aids and select wines are some of the high-value, high-demand items.
Ration card process and procedures will be covered in-depth during the inprocessing program at the Yongsan Readiness Center.
<i>(Editor's note: The American Forces' Spouses' Club contributed to this article)</i>
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