Deploying the Children Too

Here's an interesting development by the Department of Defense, in recognition of the stress of deployment on military families. At Camp Casey in South Korea, a new school has opened on the base to enable deployed soldiers with children between kindergarten and eighth grade to bring their families with them.  

“Once the domain of single soldiers or married ones here on one-year, unaccompanied tours, it’s now reverberating with domestic activity, and -- for the first time since the U.S. military arrived here six decades ago -- the sound of school bells, says Donna Miles, of the American Forces Press Services in her article “New School Signals Commitment to Families, Alliance.

The school, a former barracks large enough to accommodate 363 children, is located less than 20 miles south of the demilitarized zone. Already there are plans to add a second building to accommodate 250 more.  The new school represents another step in the army’s plan to normalize tours across the Korean peninsula and improve the quality of life for servicemembers and their families. From what I infer, “normal” is a longer, two- or three-year deployment in which families live on base with the deployed servicemember. 

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approved the normalization plan in December 2008, setting in motion plans for longer, accompanied tours for the 28,500 U.S. servicemembers now stationed in South Korea.  “Area 1,” north of Seoul, had been restricted to single or unaccompanied servicemembers, generally serving one-year tours. That meant these posts had, in addition to no schools, no family support and activity centers or housing suitable for families. “Even when we started normalizing tours, we basically had to say, ‘You can bring your families, but only if you have no school-age kids,” Army General Skip Sharp said. He's the one in the picture, signing the ceremonial ribbon, held by a Camp Casey student, that he will cut at the opening ceremony.

The new school has proven to be a hit with the military families, and most importantly, military kids. “I actually love it here,” says eighth-grader Hailey Blake, daughter of Army Cpl. Robert Harmon and one of the first children to arrive at Camp Casey about two years ago. She, and the other children who came in the first stage of normalization, have been enduring a long bus ride to school or attending a private boarding school. “It feels great, especially being the first ones here at our new school,” said Christine Meehan, daughter of Army Sgt. Thomas Meehan, and president of the eighth-grade class.

The excitement on the base about the new school, and the chance for families to be together in Korea is palpable, especially for the inaugural eighth-grade class.  After all, how often do you get a change to choose a school mascot and colors. Let’s hope there’s still peace along the demilitarized zone while that is going on!