Twenty members of the Pangseong-eub Merchants Association participated in a windshield tour of United States Army Garrison Humphreys Nov. 23
After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event marked a return of the Strategic Alliance Tour, a U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys initiative aimed at helping community stakeholders better understand the U.S. military mission in the region while also further strengthening the Republic of Korea and U.S. Alliance.
Pak Gyeong-chan, president of Korea’s Foreigner Tourist Facility Association, said he noticed that some of the monuments were newly installed, and it was refreshing for him to see. He said he believed all business owners in Anjeong-ri and Paengseong should take the security alliance tour, at least once. The tour would hopefully change the merchant’s perception of United States Forces Korea.
“I would like to see more emphasis on Humphreys’ influential role in Korea in the SAT program,” said Pak.
Throughout the four-hour tour, installation leadership provided guests an overview of the history of the U.S.’s involvement in the Korean War, the founding of USFK, and the strategic value of Camp Humphreys. The tour culminated with a tour of the 2nd Infantry Division and 8th Army History Museum, which included exhibits detailing both commands history as well as roles in securing the Korean peninsula.
The participants from the greater Anjeong-ri area, visited the installations varies memorials and monuments, including Eighth Army Memorial Tower, the U.S. Forces Korea Korean War Memorial Monument, Former 8th Army Lt. Gen. Walton Harris Walker statue, and Beacon Hill Memorial Park.
Kim Chang-bae, president of Paengseong Merchants Association, said he thought the garrison representatives did a good job in putting together the tour and he had a great experience. He appreciated the detail information he received about the various sites he saw. Kim also said he would like to a partnership between the base and the youth of Paengseong, so they can see why there are Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and the Navy stationed at Camp Humphreys. He said the tour is a much-needed experience for the next generation and their friends.
In the end Kim thanked the garrison commander for his hospitality and the staff who guided the tour from beginning to end.
Social Sharing