Courtesy Photo | Korean Service Corps men marching with supplies with A-frame carriers during the...... read more read more
By. Lt. Col. Jung Soh and Maj. William Jung
It is quite normal to see host nation civilians working alongside U.S. service members when stationed abroad. They perform essential tasks that serve as a bridge between generations of soldiers rotating through that country. What is not normal, however, is that in the Republic of Korea they report to work wearing a combat uniform just like any other service members.
One of the largest battalions in the Republic of Korea is almost entirely comprised of Korean citizens. With the exception of its battalion leadership, this all-Korean force provides services to the U.S. forces from the demilitarized zone to Busan port. However, what sets them apart from local nationals in other countries is that they also have a task and purpose edged in the planning process to fight during a war.
The Korean Service Corps Battalion traces its roots to a mere few weeks after the onset of the Korean War. Facing significant shortage of combat credible forces, General Walton Walker, the commanding general of Eighth Army, made an urgent manpower request to the South Korean government to form the Civilian Transportation Corps, which was later re-designated as the Korean Service Corps. The KSC was comprised of conscripted civilians who integrated themselves into every aspect of the war short of firing a weapon.
The KSC performed multiple tasks such as building roads to kitchen duties, but they were most famously known for their logistical feats. In terrain where no vehicle can traverse, the KSC corpsmen carried ammunition, rations, and timber on their backs to keep the troops supplied. The corpsmen shouldered approximately 100 pounds of supplies on a wooden frame shaped like an ‘A’ and carried this burden for 10 miles, repeating numerous times each day.
Today, the KSC Battalion provides a myriad of other services to U.S. forces. The KSC Battalion is the only unit to execute heavy equipment transporter operations, they run the only water survival training center, and they provide various medical services. They also serve as translators and advisors to commanders and general officers, providing essential services to make U.S. forces successful in the theater.
The KSC Battalion’s role becomes even more prominent during crisis, which is important because the war on the Korean peninsula has not officially ended. Just like their predecessors have done, the KSC Battalion will become a great enabler that can sustain the force through conflict.
Unlike their predecessors, the KSC Battalion has had years to develop relationship and operability that exponentially increase their potential contribution during conflict. During the critical beginning hours of crisis, the KSC Battalion will serve as a forward postured pre-positioned sustainment capability that provide essential manpower to the U.S. forces, who can then direct its resources to other priorities.
The KSC’s role in defending the peninsula and the U.S. homeland epitomizes the ironclad commitment between the two nations for mutual security. KSC’s division-sized formation during crisis relieves the U.S. from deploying that many more service members during a conflict. The diversity of skillsets the KSC provides also allows the U.S. forces to fulfill critical capability gaps without searching deep into its own formation. The KSC’s contribution is extremely important to the United States, making the KSC one of the few, if not the only, battalion with its own dedicated Status of Forces Agreement.
The KSC Battalion acts and looks like any other Army unit in the United States. The battalion regularly makes its pilgrimage to the gas chamber and maintains its readiness through basic rifle marksmanship training. Despite being entirely comprised of Korean nationals, the battalion falls under the same Uniform Code of Military Justice as any other service member. The main difference is that the United States does not pay for their services.
The commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea is unlike any other, it is forged in blood and cemented in sweat. The men and women of the KSC Battalion report to duty in uniform as if to remind the U.S. forces that they stand ready to march shoulder to shoulder in defense of our mutual interests. It is the efforts of the operational and tactical units that send a clear strategic message to prevent another tragedy in the theater.
In recent years, the KSC Battalion received a special designation as the “A-Frame Battalion”, further interlocking the bond between the two nations that will carry generations into the future.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2025 00:42 |
| Story ID: | 490121 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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