My “Seoul” Hearts Korea

By Senior Master Sergeant Gwen West, U.S. Air Force

Takinga deep breath in and exhaling, I said with excitement “We are moving to Korea!” This is what I shared with my husband, David, and two boys, Josiah and Jeremiah back in September 2021. We were six months away from uprooting all of our belongings from Whiteman Air Force Base, which is located in a small town called Knob Noster, Missouri and heading across the globe to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea. My husband and I had expressed a desire to live abroad with our family, but not once did we imagine our overseas journey starting here in Korea. We don’t regret it! My boys, who were ages 1 and 3 when I shared the news, had no idea what the excitement was about other than watching their parents turn their excitement into a dance off in the living room. May 5 marked two years of living in Korea and it has been the most humbling experience for my family and I.

Our first stop after arriving at Humphreys was quarantine jail. This was the first time we stayed in close quarters with each other for 14 straight days without a fight. Once we were released from quarantine jail, we immediately hit the ground running to find the place that would be our home for the next three years.

I am happy to say that with the help of the Camp Humphreys Spouses page (when you scroll past the spouse en- tertainment), I was well aware of how to seek a realtor, what to expect with onpost/off-post housing, how to enroll my children in daycare, find family-friendly things to do over the weekend, and I was made aware of resources available on and off post to support my family and I. Facebook would have never been the place I would search for this information, but in this time and age, it works surprisingly well. Although our tour has mostly been positive, living in Korea has also come with some challenges. For starters, the language barrier has tripped us up several times especially when ordering food. We have also learned that the farther you are from the post, the more difficult it becomes to speak to a local Korean. However, I am thankful that Google Translate is at the tip of my fingers to assist with that, except when you forget to pull a ticket at the tolls and are stuck trying to explain your mishap over the intercom in English. The second and most difficult challenge living here is being away from close family and friends and having to rebuild a new network and support system.

Lastly, as an active duty mom, I find that it does not get easier serving full time when you have young children. As I have gotten older, I realize and place more emphasis on spending time with my family; however, I don’t get to enjoy all of the perks during my duty hours. My oldest son is enrolled in Taekwondo, but it’s during the week and in the middle of my workday. As much as I would love to skip work every Monday and Wednesday to see him build on his skills, I have a work obligation. I do however commit to go watch him do Taekwondo once a month and I attend every swim practice over the weekend and soccer practice after my duty hours. No matter how much I try to be present, “mom guilt” never gets easier, so I cherish every moment I get with my boys and I pray, as they get older that there’s never a time they did not feel my presence.

We came here expecting there would be some challenges, but we also had great expectations that we would leave Korea with a greater appreciation than when we came in.

Although being stationed here in Korea is not new to me because I was stationed at Osan Air Base eighteen years ago (please don’t ask my age), it has been different being assigned to an Army post as an Air Force member. I was surprised to see how big this garrison is and how it is divided by “Old Post” and “New Post.” Additionally, I was immediately sold on coming here when I saw that there was a Texas Roadhouse next to the movie theater. Who could ever say no to the Texas Roadhouse dinner rolls? Yes please! I also like the fact that there are two elementary schools, a huge PX, a great CYS program, a USO center, and several resources at One-Stop to support my family and I. The convenience and efficiency of several resources on post has been extremely valuable.

My husband on the other hand, who is not in the military, has truly been blessed by this experience. This is his first time living abroad and thankfully, he was able to keep his job from the States. His company transferred his position to a branch in Seoul so that he could continue working full time at home. Through practice, he speaks the most Hangul in our family and has also gained a new network of friends through the most popular sport played here in Korea…golf.

Overall, what we had hoped to learn from this Korea experience is exactly what we are doing now—broadening our horizons, learning a new language and culture, and strengthening our resiliency. If I had the choice to return to Korea for a third round, I would not say no.