Anyone out there know about Command Sponsorship to Korea?

Question

My husband is a SGT in the US Army and recently had to deploy to Korea. He is trying to get Command Sponsorship for me so I can go live with him. He was told that I can go live with him even without the command sponsorship and get an apartment off post. Anyone out there living in Korea this way? Do you think its a good idea? Can I take my 1 yr old Boxer dog with me? I am in Puerto Rico right now with my family... how do I get my passport? What documents do I need to get a passport? I know there's a lot of questions but I really need answers. I will apreciate any kind of help and valuable info. Thanks.

Answer 1

going NCS is something you really really REALLY need to think about. it will all come out of pocket, and you will be placed at the bottom of the roster when it comes to access to medical care.

If you are a US citizen, it is taken 8-12 weeks for passports to be processed right now. you can go to any USPS office that has a passport office and start the paperwork there.

If you are not a US citizen, it will be tougher to be allowed to stay in Korea without SOFA status.

Answer 2

I live in Japan and know a little about this process. If you decide to go to Korea without command sponsorship, that means you will not be covered by the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Korea and the US. It may not seem like much, but it means the government has no obligation to act on your behalf in sertain situations.

Also, your husband will not be paid any additional money for you being there. The cost of you getting there and paying rent will have to come out of your pocket. You may also run into problems being able to make medical appointments at the hospital on base (they have to commit their limited resources to providing care to the dependants that are supposed to be there) or something as simple as getting a driver's license.

I am not saying you can't try it, but there is a reason his tour is an unaccompanied one.

Answer 3

usually you should be able to go with your husband to Korea. Get yopur passport started ASAP!!! The dog needs his papers too and needs to go into Quarantine for a while. But also all those questions he can ask the 1 SGT on his command and go from there.
You can live on post or off post .

Answer 4

There have been several posting on this board about your questions so I would certainly suggest going back and reading them. That being said there are a few major reasons that make living in Korea without command sponsership an iffy proposition and one that most military spouses would say is not a good idea (myself included).

First, if you are not comman sponsered, you will not fall under SOFA protection. SOFA gives Americans stationed overseas and thier families protection and assitance in the event they break the laws of the host nation or become involved in the court system of that country on civil matters (car accidents for example). Without that coverage, if something occured that brought in the host nations law enforcement people and court system, you would be handled like a visiting tourist..and that means in the way and manner appropriate to that country. Military legal would not be able to help, you would be able to be held in Korea jails under Korean law and trial rules...and they are VERY different from the US. You run a big risk without that privelage.

Next is the cost. As you would not be command sponsered, you would have to pay for the cost of getting yourself and your things to Korea. For most wives, this would mean whatever you could bring in your suitcases on the plane. And since you would have no command sponsership, there is no garuntee your husband will be allowed to live off base, which means no BAH to pay your rent. They will most likely not transport a car over there for him, so you would need to purchase a vehicle there. You would also have limited access to any military facilites such as medical care. You would not be eligable to work on base, and it is very tough to work off base. The work schedule in Korea tends to be intense...lots of long shifts, weekends and readiness exercises so you would be on your own quite a bit. You would be responsible for paying for your dog to get to Korea on commerical airlines...probably about $1000..and that is tough as they now offer very limited option and times.

Most spouses understand there is a reason why the military generally does not allow families to accompany members to Korea. Services are extremely limited. There are health and safety concerns. Spouses deployed there are on super intense work schedules. Living conditions are very different and cultural issues make living off base alone tough. This is something that happens to almost all military families. I would strongly urge you to stay with your family for the 18 months or so he will be gone. He will get leave to come back. You can consider arranging to go for a visit as well. But going with sponsership has very big, very real risks and issues...do not make the choice lightly.

Answer 5

DONT do it. I was overseas in Japan for 3 years and was command sponsored, I ended up having to go to legal twice and take advantage of my SOFA rights due to car accidents off base. You wont have that protection, also if you are overseas the only way to get a license to drive is on base at the personnel office you wont be eligible for that so prepare to walk. You will be treated as a leisure traveler for medical care so will get last priority. As for your dog thats iffy even if you have command sponsorship as transporting animals always comes out of pocket. In most cases if you have CS you can do the quarantine at the kennel on base but you wont be able to do that so the dog will more than likely either be held at the airport for the quarantine or sent to an offbase kennel. Also alot of apartments off base may not allow him because of his size orientals are generally small dog people. If you are a US citizen you need to go to a post office and apply for your passport, if you arent you need to get one from whatever country you have citizenship in. You will need alot of documentation (birth cert, SS card, photo ID) and your looking at 2-3 months probably to get it. You will be considered a tourist so if you plan on staying more than 90 days you will need a visa also. you will be paying out of pocket for your plane tickets, to ship anything that you want to take with you, and your housing. Since hes obviously on an unaccompanied tour he most likely has barracks housing on base which means no BAH and he will get paid the same once you are there. You are not eligible to work on base so you will have to try to find a job off base otherwise you will have to try to live off your savings or your husbands pay both of which are unlikely. Since hes most likely only there for a year anyway and you wont see him much or be living with him its totally not worth the thousands of dollars in out of pocket expense.

Answer 6

There may well be 2 forms of sponsorship finished command sponsorship and partial. they don't communicate with regard to the partial lots. My husband became into to spend a year in Korea, i became into going to circulate after he became into settled in. After he have been given there I went and have been given an apt. on the financial equipment. i for my area enjoyed it yet many spouse's hated it. It became into not straight forward for many to alter. I did get a ration card yet no command sponsorship in any respect. the 2nd time I went it became into the comparable, he left and have been given settled then I got here visiting. This time he filed for sponsorship and we've been given partial command sponsorship. our little ones have been qualified to circulate to college on submit, we've been given extra effective pay for being there and we've been given our ration enjoying cards. It did not pay for my flight there or decrease back, in spite of the incontrovertible fact that it did pay to head our property decrease back to the rustic. There are no delivers approximately sponsorship yet once you desire to circulate stay in Korea you could. Allot of it may matter in the adventure that your eighth military or 2nd id in spite of everything good success. i'm hoping you have a brilliant time and study allot. do not think of approximately how lots you permit out domicile, think of approximately what a as quickly as in a life-time journey this is, so soak it up and spot what you could. that's super studying approximately yet another way of life. domicile will constantly be there. I went two times the two situations for a year.

Answer 7

It's only a 12 month unaccompanied tour, unless it has changed which I don't think it has. By the time you get everything ready and move you will get to Korea in time to start getting ready to go to your husband's next duty station.

Answer 8

When I was stationed in Korea, it was a thirteen month hardship tour, except for officers in some areas. You probably will have to chill at home for a bit.