Soldiers leave base for illicit bar visit during lockdown. Returning was... difficult
Punishment for soldiers at a U.S. Army base in South Korea who break the rules during the coronavirus pandemic isn’t just swift — it’s public.
The Eighth Army, a field army in the Korean peninsula headquartered at Camp Humphreys, is posting soldiers’ indiscretions and their punishment on its Facebook page to ensure everyone on base “understand(s) the ramifications of not following the commander’s directives.”
“Doing the wrong thing has serious consequences,” the soldiers’ command said. “Don’t risk everyone’s safety and our ability to complete our mission because you can’t follow orders.”
That includes three soldiers caught sneaking off base to find booze.
According to the Eighth Army, the soldiers visited an “off-post bar” in violation of public health guidance and a ”no unauthorized travel” order. When it came time to return, one of the soldiers had to cut a hole in a fence for them to crawl through.
Then they lied to investigators, the Eighth Army said.
All three were charged with violating lawful orders by leaving base and re-entering through the hole in the fence. Two were were charged with “willful dereliction of duty” by not reporting the hole, and one of the two was additionally charged with making false statements to investigators.
The third faces charges for leaving camp without an authorized purpose, “soliciting others to disobey orders,” making false statements and damaging government property.
As punishment, they were demoted in rank, docked $866 in pay for the next two months and put on a 45-day restriction with extra duties, according to the Facebook post.
They aren’t the first caught breaking orders for booze.
Two privates were caught traveling to another camp without permission, possessing alcohol while underage, violating the sign-out policy and making false statements, according to a Facebook post on April 8.
At least four other soldiers were previously punished for drinking at a bar off-base, a post on April 5 states.
U.S. Forces Korea also outed a civilian working for the U.S. Army and a contractor who broke health protection measures — one visited a bar and another was reportedly exposed to a COVID-19 patient and was under quarantine orders but chose to visit the commissary.
U.S. Forces Korea have reported a less than 1% infection rate as of April 20.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Soldiers leave base for illicit bar visit during lockdown. Returning was... difficult."
