Marine camp in S. Korea stands ready
for next round of training exercises
By Franklin Fisher, Taegu
bureau chief
Franklin Fisher / Stars and
Stripes
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Keith Boychak, 20, of 9th Engineer Support Battalion's Combat
Service Detachment, Camp Mu Juk, outside Pohang, South Korea, inventories bridge parts for
use in Marine exercises at the camp. |
CAMP MU JUK, South Korea — When U.S. Marine units come to Korea
for training exercises, Camp Mu Juk leaves the light on for them.
Mu Juk is a rough-hewn 84-acre compound set among the green hills and
rice paddies of Ochon, outside Pohang, on Korea’s east coast.
It was mostly still on a recent afternoon, but several times each
year the camp is anything but. Thousands of Marines from outside Korea deploy here for
about six exercises a year.
The job of keeping the camp ready year-round for those visiting units
falls to the 9th Engineer Support Battalion’s Camp Support Detachment. The detachment
consists of 26 Marines and one Navy corpsman.
Mu Juk is equipped with rows of barracks, each of which can shelter
about 100 visiting Marines. Concrete “tent pads” are also in place around the
camp. During exercises, a general-purpose tent can be pitched over the pads, serving as a
floor for up to 40 people in each tent.
All year, the Marines of the detachment are busy not only guarding
the camp, but keeping it in proper order. This means servicing its buildings, plumbing,
electricity, computers, food supplies and more.
Tucker |
Sgt. Carisa Tucker works with bulk fuels and says things get really
busy during an exercise.
“I can order 1,500 gallons, and I can guarantee you within three
days it will be gone, with all the heavy equipment they bring over here.”
She says they work hard at Mu Juk but like the challenge, and the
more relaxed atmosphere of a remote installation.
“This is one of the best working environments I’ve been
in,” said Tucker, echoing comments of other Mu Juk Marines. “You have good
Marines out here, and we end up getting it done. Usually you don’t mind busting your
butt.”
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