From: LT John T. Kadz, USN

13 June 2014

From: LT John T. Kadz, USN

To: Director, International Programs Office

Subj: After-Action Report Travel to REPUBLIC OF KOREA on 27 MAY – 09 JUN, 2014 (bLOCK I)

1. Executive Summary.

This year’s LREC Program to Korea included three phases: 5 days in Seoul in coordination with USN Commander Naval Forces Korea (CNFK), 5 days in Chinhae in coordination with the ROK Naval Academy (ROKNA), and 3 days in Jeju Island.

1. Phase one in Seoul consisted of meetings with CAPT Philip Yu, USN Naval Attaché, RDML Lisa Franchetti, USN Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, and USN CNO ADM Greenert during his all hands call with CNFK personnel. In addition to office calls, the midshipmen also visited the following sights:

Political/Military—

1)  ROK Navy ship CheonNan, sunk in 2010 by a North Korean torpedo and subsequently recovered and placed on display at ROK Navy Base PyeongTaek. The ROK Navy officers were eager to talk about recent provocations along the Northern Limit Line and conveyed the tensions that continue to exist between the governments and militaries of North and South Korea.

2)  DMZ Tour was the highlight for all of us during phase one in Seoul. After CNFK exhausted all their efforts to line up a DMZ tour, I contacted a friend in the U.S. Army who happens to be stationed right at the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom. He facilitated a personal tour of the DMZ and left a strong impression on the midshipmen. We were also able to climb down into a tunnel dug by the North Koreans discovered by U.N. personnel.

Cultural/Historical—

1)  Suwon HwaSeong Military Fortress and Yi Dynasty vacation home dates back to the mid-18th to 19th centuries and is a UNESCO cultural heritage site. The midshipmen watched demonstrations of traditional military guards training and learned about Korea’s Yi Dynasty that ruled the nation from 1392 until 1897.

2)  Seoul Tower provided a panoramic view of the entire city and educated midshipmen about the rapid economic and urban development that occurred just since the Korean War.

3)  Korean War Memorial Museum and Admiral Yi Sun Shin Museum provided a hands-on, 4D learning experience about Korea’s biggest historic military events.

4)  KyeongBokGung Palace served as the capitol of the Choseon Dynasty and home of subsequent rulers for over 500 years.

Social--

1)  The midshipmen also attended some exciting social events. These included a breakfast buffet with junior officers from CNFK (who represented every warfare community and enlightened us with their fleet experiences and career paths that led them to Korea), beach volleyball and BBQ social with CNFK personnel and their families, and attendance to a Korean baseball game and lively performance about Korean culture and cuisine.

1. Phase two consisted of a week’s stay at the ROK Naval Academy and office calls with the ROKNA Commandant of Midshipmen, Superintendent, former USNA exchange officer CDR Cho-Duk-Hyun (taught for the USNA History Dept. 2007-2009), and CDR Michael Weatherford (USNA ’94), Commanding Officer, Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC). During our five days in Chinhae, the midshipmen spent time with their ROKNA running mates. They attended class together, spent sports periods together, and enjoyed social time together in the evenings. In addition, our group visited the following sights:

Political/Military—

1)  Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC): The midshipmen spent an afternoon on the only U.S. Navy base in Korea and met with the CO. We also received a personal tour with the XO of the entire base. I visited CFAC in 2005 and was impressed with the number of improvements that have been made since that time. The XO was very proud to show us the brand new exchange and commissary, health clinic, gym, pool, renovated housing, and blue ribbon school. He also showed us how ready CFAC is to convert into a logistics hub capable of staging equipment necessary to conduct combat operations. The mids left with the realization that CNFK’s motto “Ready to Fight Tonight” is more than just a catch phrase.

2)  ROK Submarine Base Chinhae: The midshipmen learned all about ROK Navy’s submarine history and even climbed into a North Korean midget sub captured in 1998.

3)  ROKNA Museum: Similar to the USNA museum, but here the mids learned more about the significance of Admiral Yi Sun Shin. Afterwards, we received a tour of Korea’s famous “Turtle Boat.”

Cultural/Historical—

1)  Geojedo Island P.O.W. Camp is a national park and museum dedicated to teaching about the Korean War and how at one time this camp housed over 100,000 P.O.W.’s.

2)  ROK President Sig-Man Rhee National Retreat is located in Chinhae and is the site where ASEAN was established. The mids especially liked the secret tunnel and trail that wound down the mountain to the pier along a beautiful beach.

3)  Gyeongju UNESCO cultural heritage site that has a thousand-year-long history temple of Silla, Bulguksa. Thousands of Koreans visit this site to learn about Korea’s rich Buddhist heritage.

Social—

1)  Our visit to the Kojedo Aikwangwon facility for the mental and physically handicapped provided the most memorable experience during phase two. We learned about how the consequences of the Korean War left hundreds of children orphaned. Mrs. Kim established the Aikwangwon to care for dozens of these kids, and their legacy lives on as the facility has grown over the years to become one of the largest service centers for handicapped Koreans. After a tour of the facility, we spent time visiting with some severely handicapped children and then fed them lunch. Among all the LREC activities, this one served a special purpose as it provided a means for the midshipmen to not only learn about Korean culture and society, but also serve the people as well.

1. Phase three consisted of a brief visit to Jeju Island. During the last two days of our trip, we did not have any official meetings, but the midshipmen were able to try foreign foods such as sea snails and live octopus. We also hiked to the top of Korea’s tallest mountain and visited subtropical waterfalls. This portion of the trip may have been the most physically demanding, as we walked and hiked many miles.

2. Trip Objectives and Evaluation.

The objectives of this trip were to promote USN to ROKN military relations, provide participants with a unique academic experience no classroom in Annapolis can simulate, and enhance cultural-linguistic exposure to an increasingly important part of the world. Midshipmen were evaluated on how well they met these objectives in addition to how well they developed the following: cross-cultural confidence, adaptability to foreign cultures, and interoperability with maritime partner nations. I am pleased to report all participants exceeded my expectations in every objective and firmly believe they also successfully executed the mission of the U.S. Naval Academy more during this program than most midshipmen do in an entire summer!

3. Trip planning and logistics.

As program manager, the most challenging part manifested itself during the planning phase. It was very challenging to obtain a gift in kind document and proposed schedule of events. We could not proceed with confirming logistics until the ROKNA provided an email or letter to verify their invitation. This was not entirely due to the ROKNA administration. The USN exchange officer was difficult to communicate with at times, so I recommend going through the Naval Attaché’s office and CNFK staff in the future. Avoid trying to directly contact the USN exchange officer assigned to ROKNA. Aside from that, the only other recommendation is to consider obtaining an international driver’s license or hire a contract driver for portions of the trip not hosted by CNFK or ROKNA. We were still fine using public transportation and taxis in Jeju Island, but having a van would have been much more convenient.

4. Midshipmen Selection and Numbers of Participants.

Six midshipmen were originally selected for this program, but one dropped a month before departure due to personal conduct issues. I recommend only selected four or five in the future, because six would have been one too many for transportation issues alone.

5. Useful points of contact.

USN Naval Attaché

Captain Philip Yu

Work: (02) 397-4541

DSN: 721-4541

Cell: 010-9013-7316

Commander, Naval Forces Korea

LCDR Chad Gagnon

DSN:315.723.4903
COMM: 02.7913.4903
CELL: 010.2800.1245

Republic of Korea Naval Academy

Military History Professor CDR Duk H. Cho, ROKN

Work: (55) 549-1180

Cell: (10) 5081-432

6. Impact.

This program had a tremendous impact on my development as a naval officer in many ways. First, I realized once again and continuously reminded the midshipmen that relationships matter. There were several instances where logistics and events came together simply because I was able to connect with the right people who could make them happen. I have not been to Korea in ten years, but returning this summer provided an opportunity to re-new old friendships that not only benefited my personal development, but also enabled the midshipmen I was with to learn much more about the language, region, history, and culture. Second, this trip provided me an opportunity to perform as a mini officer in charge and exercise leadership in a foreign country thousands of miles away from my parent command. There were several occasions when our group faced new situations that required instinctive decision-making. After allowing the midshipmen to consider their options, I either approved their ideas or made recommendations of my own. When one of the midshipmen complained of a severe ear ache, I first tasked the midshipman safety officer to consider a course of action (all the while knowing that we should probably get the sick mid to the Navy health clinic on base). We figured out the means to get him where he needed to go and decided how to change the schedule in order to accommodate this unforeseen situation. In another example, a driver was scheduled to arrive at 0730 and take the entire group to the train station just in time for our departure to the ROK Naval Academy. When the van failed to show up, I tasked the transportation officer to figure out what to do (knowing that we ought to split the group and get two taxis right away before we missed our train). He arrived at the same decision, but instead of me telling him, it was good to see him figure it out on his own. These are just two small examples, but there are many more like them. The third impact this trip had on my officer development was in reiterating the importance of confirmation! During the planning phase, there were several times when flights were booked by CTO for the wrong date and/or wrong location. Our orders were incorrect when we picked them up the first time. Fortunately we had scheduled to pick them up early enough to provide time to make corrections prior to departure. Our transportation officer booked transportation to the wrong airport. I am glad none of these missteps proved disastrous, mainly since either I or one of the midshipmen double checked to be sure. I learned many things from this trip, and put simply, I would say, 1) relationships matter, 2) leadership involves allowing others to figure out solutions, and 3) wise leaders verify the work of others.

7. Recommendations.

Instead of flying to Jeju Island, consider spending time in Pusan or traveling up along the east coast and visiting Pohang and then Sorak Mountain. This could cut down on costs if needed. Also consider planning a long layover in Beijing next time in order to fit in a quick trip to see the Great Wall. There are many companies such as www.tourbeijing.com that will pick you up from the airport, drive directly to the Great Wall, and return you to the airport, all in six hours!

The midshipmen said this would have been really neat, especially traveling home via China provided a nice contrast from the dynamic democratic country of South Korea.

Sincerely,

John T. Kadz

LT, USN