DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA -- Leading Korean Augmentees to the U.S. Army for headquarters and headquarters company, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, is no easy task.
The Senior KATUSA must single-handedly take care of 60 KATUSA Soldiers with various responsibilities and multiple locations. Luckily, Team 19 has just the right Soldier for the job, Sgt. Se Joon Choe.
Sgt. Se Joon Choe previously worked as an admin specialist for the 19th ESC G9. He took over as the company Senior KATUSA in September 2015. Choe had been known for his soldierly character and exemplary behavior ever since he joined Team 19. It was no surprise when he was selected as the leader of KATUSAs.
Choe describes the senior KATUSA position as "busy, but full of exciting challenges," as he oversees each and every KATUSA in the company. He starts his day with a daily Republic of Korea Army Staff Office meeting discussing ROK Army affairs with Maj. Sang Jun Park, the RSO commander. He regularly attends training meetings with the commander and first sergeant to make sure that KATUSAs are fulfilling their duties.
Out of fifteen candidates, Choe was selected as the Area IV Senior KATUSA of the Quarter by the Area IV ROKA Support Group.
"It was a surprise. I don't know if I deserve the award, but it's definitely a motivation." said Choe.
While Choe enjoys his current job, he says he often misses his previous job in G9. He was in charge of organizing and facilitating community relation events that laid a cultural bridge between the U.S. Soldiers and local nationals. He picked the Daegu city tours that G9 offers to Soldiers who visit Korea during major exercises as his fondest experience in the Army.
When off duty, Choe likes to spend his free time playing soccer. Last October, he led the Team 19 soccer team to first place in the Daegu Area Company-level Soccer Tournament as the team captain.
"It felt good to beat other companies and win the trophy for Team 19," said Choe.
When he leaves Team 19 in April, Choe plans to return to school and finish his pursuit of Statistics degree. Choe expressed his ambition in a humble manner.
"Based on my experience here in the 19th ESC, I want to grow as a global leader that works for the relationship between Korea and other countries, including the United States," Choe said.
Although Choe's successor has not been decided, there is no doubt that he has some big shoes to fill.
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