Mission, aesthetics balancing out as
improvements abound at Humphreys
By Jim Lea, Osan bureau chief
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — This sprawling helicopter base used to be a
backwater spot offering dusty roads and temporary Quonset huts — and very few
creature comforts.
Camp Humphreys and its neighboring town of Anjong-ni didn’t share a good
relationship back then, either.
Now, U.S. and local officials say Humphreys and Anjong-ni enjoy one of the best
community relationships in the country. Last year, the town built the camp a new walk-in
gate in return for a narrow strip of land along the camp fence.
That land will be used for street widening, so the narrow street that runs through the
business section of Anjong-ni can be turned into a multi-million dollar, vehicle-free
shopping and entertainment mall.
While Anjong-ni is changing, the changes at Humphreys are even more dramatic.
Construction projects totaling $138.1 million are under way, or will be started soon.
They include:
- Three high-rises with 180 family apartments. The camp now has only six family quarters,
those built only a couple of years ago.
- An Army and Air Force Exchange Service shopping mall including a main exchange, a Four
Seasons store, vendor shops and U.S. franchise fast-food restaurants.
- A 30,000-square-foot commissary, three times the size of the current one.
- An 80-room transient lodging facility that includes a restaurant.
- Five new enlisted barracks that includes two-person suites and "Lazyboy
recliners."
- Two new bachelor officers quarters.
- A Child Development Center and teen center with a music room that offers musical
instruments for rent.
- Improvements to the camp’s airfield that is said to be the busiest U.S. Army
airfield outside the United States.
- A Department of Defense Dependents School for kindergarten through sixth grade.
Some quality of life improvements already have been made.
A $9.7 million Community Activities Center opened two years ago. It includes an
auditorium, a cybercafe, a travel office, pool room, indoor swimming pool, meeting rooms,
a trophy shop and a McGregor’s restaurant.
Humphreys also is home to Daytona West, the Army’s only go-cart track in Korea.
Area III commander, Col. Glenn DeSoto, said there are more projects that are no less
important.
"Over the years, we’ve been so mission-oriented we’ve kind of let the
aesthetics go," he said during a recent tour of the camp. "Now, we’re
trying to balance both mission and aesthetics."
DeSoto said a new $900,000 tree-lined sidewalk will give people assigned to Humphreys a
place to walk or run safely, he said.
"We’re also totally repainting the installation," he said. "A lot
of our buildings go back 30, 40, 50 years and they haven’t been painted since they
were built. We won’t stop until every building here has been rehabilitated and
painted."
One of his favorite expressions these days is, "Don’t stand still very long
or we’ll paint you."
During the rehabilitation, workers are also removing asbestos, DeSoto said.
Humphreys has a large lower-rank community who are not permitted to have cars, DeSota
said. Because of this, they’re locating barracks and support facilities as close to
operation’s areas as possible.
The family housing, school, child development and teen centers all are being built
adjacent to each other.
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