A 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade soldier and his family members pose in traditional Korean clothing during an event at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 18, 2023. (Monica Guthrie/U.S. Army)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The Pentagon has tacked a year on the length of a tour of duty for service members who bring their families with them to South Korea.
Troops on accompanied tours — those who bring their spouses or dependents with them to South Korea — are now expected to serve 36 months in the country, according to a Feb. 11 memo from Tim Dill, assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs.
Service members on accompanied tours were previously expected to stay two years and may still be eligible for the shorter term with a waiver from their service branch, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s office.
Not all service members are eligible for accompanied tours. U.S. Forces Korea, which oversees approximately 28,500 troops on the peninsula, approves accompanied tours based on its needs and resources. If approved, families are housed in apartment complexes in or close to U.S. military bases.
Unaccompanied troops serve a year in South Korea and typically live in barracks.
The change will not affect families already in South Korea and USFK will be working with units to waive the extension for new arrivals until October, according to a news release from the command Monday.
“This policy adjustment aims to provide greater continuity within USFK while fostering stronger ties between service members, their families and the local community,” the release said. “The extended tour length is expected to enhance operational efficiency by reducing turnover and increasing mission effectiveness.”
The Army in August doubled that tour for unaccompanied troops in seven career fields: air traffic control operators, UH-60 Black Hawk repairers, military dog handlers, counterintelligence agents, signal intelligence analysts and Criminal Investigation Division enlisted and warrant officer special agents.
Camp Humphreys, about 40 miles south of Seoul in Pyeongtaek city, has built new housing in anticipation of more residents.
In June, the base, the largest overseas U.S. military installation, opened two new barracks with room for more than 600 single soldiers. The pair of eight-story, $67 million towers are next to Humphreys’ River Bend Golf Course and include 151 suites that each accommodate two tenants.
The base also opened three, $141 million housing towers for families in September. Combined, they contain 144 three-bedroom, 54 four-bedroom and 18 five-bedroom units and an underground parking garage for 250 vehicles.
Families arriving at Humphreys next year can look forward to a new, 99,000-square-foot school. Humphreys East Elementary is designed to accommodate roughly 440 students and staff once construction finishes around March 2026.
