In this series I'm writing I want to target U.S soldiers AKA Joes, or as I described them in my last post "Dirty Joes". BTW Read my last post here to understand why they are called Dirty Joes.
https://steemit.com/korea/@rjhisle1973/don-t-be-a-sucker-in-south-korea-introduction
It needs to be stated that my goal is for everyone who comes to South Korea to have a great meaningful time, however to end you need to understand the potential pitfalls that are in this country, and how to avoid them. But first let's look at the pros of coming to South Korea.
Cost of Living Allowance (along with other pay allowances) is adjusted upwards for soldiers here. So that means soldiers here earn extra cash to adjust for South Korea's higher costs. This is a nice little perk for anyone stationed here, as it not only covers the additional costs of living here, but if you are willing to spend your time and money on post then you can save the extra cash. Thus, Joe can use his time here to save some extra money.
Exotic Country. Compared to America, South Korea is an exotic country, yet it's very Westernized and technologically advanced, so it makes adjusting to South Korea relatively easy. And just to be totally honest, there are the women. Korean women are quite beautiful as many Joes including myself can testify.
But with the good comes the bad, and that is the point of this article.
So some of the CONS for Joe being here are:
Restrictions: Joe, at least the junior enlisted, is not allowed to have a car here, and has strict curfew regulations to follow, among other things.
This is a crucial point to understand. Because of these restrictions soldiers here often find themselves bored, or even frustrated. After all it pretty much sucks to be back in the good ole’ USA driving anywhere you want to go, only to come here, and get around by taxi, and bus.It’s A Foreign Culture. The “exoticness” of South Korea is also it’s Con. Most soldiers stationed here don’t speak the language, nor understand the culture this gets Joe in lots of problems.
So think about this. We have all these young soldiers coming to Korea for the first time. They don’t really know what their options are in this country, so they either go for the lowest hanging fruit for their entertainment, (such as hanging out at the local bars, or staying on post) or just often brood about complaining how much it sucks here because there is no where to go and nothing to do. Obviously, this is not true, but for many young soldiers here that is their reality of being here.You're Not The First Joe That's Been Here. You need to keep in mind that you are only one of thousands of soldiers that have been here over the last several decades. With that in mind, many Koreans, in particular around the Army towns, look at you with a big $ on your forehead. they know you're only going to be here for a couple of years max, so they have focused on getting your money, and not getting to know you. I don't mean to make this point sound negative, but understand most soldiers are not trying to invest in Korea, therefore the Koreans are not going to invest in you personally. They are looking at you as a customer.
Joe himself is the biggest problem in my opinion. This final point will be a sticking point for some people, but just think about. It’s true that Joe is at a disadvantage being over because of the above reasons, but it’s also true that he creates many of his own problems here.
Let’s be honest, the average (but not all Joes) is a horny, worldly dumb guy. Joe. The typical Joe coming over here is not looking for something noble like spiritual enlightenment, self-improvement, or anything like that.
Instead Joe is an average intelligence person who gets his affirmation of self-worth from his squad mates, and thus will “go with the crowd.”
This often means hanging out in the local “Army Town” with his buddies and going to the same dives as they do. When fueled with alcohol, peer pressure, and hormones, Joe will do some incredibly stupid stuff such as:
• Get in fights with other guys over the Village Bicycle(s).
• Consider it a genius move to sell off his TA-50 equipment to pay for his Filipino girlfriend’s engagement ring, who by the way has other boyfriends on the side.
• Consider himself lucky that he gets to ride the Village Bicycle as do all the other Joes.
• Burn down a brothel because he wasn’t happy with the illegal service he received.
• Rape some local girl.
• Get in fights with local Koreans or worse some Scum Bag English Teachers.
• Get in a shot out with the local police, and to make it extra special Joe has an air gun, while the cops have real guns. Guess who won?
• The list goes on.
So let me just say all of the above are either true events, like the gun fight with the cops, or are just things that many Joes really do here. Thus, for Joe, and hopefully you the reader to succeed here you need to know al these factors, and steer away from these pitfalls. That’s it for now. On the next post we’re going to be looking at U.S. Contractors and G.S. they both got their pitfalls to lookout for in South Korea.