MOW
Administrator 
Owner/Operator
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,822 
Location:
Joined: September 2003
Retired: USAF, Civil Service
|
Post by MOW on Apr 23, 2010 21:31:33 GMT 9
... the Installation Management Command - Korea Commanding General (IMCOM-K) decides the time had come to clean up Yongsan Garrison in Seoul by tearing down all Quonset Huts from the Korean War days.
Considering my Korea office is on Yongsan, and in a Korean War era 1950's model Q-hut, it didn't take rocket science to put 2 and 2 together and come up with = FIND ANOTHER BUILDING QUICK!
The rub? Well, being a DOD organization just 'renting' free space on Yongsan (since 1995) we don't exactly have a very high priority as most other units. Let's face it, when an Army unit like the 501st MI is told to move they are told when, were, how, given the resources to do it and of course at no cost to the unit.
But us? No such luck! We are just thankful for what we have, for what we can get from the US Army “thank you sir may I have another”? We are thankful for the Army to give us any space at all. We are thankful to have our glorious historical landmark 900 square foot half-moon tin can with no running water and no bathroom. We are thankful just to be given a heads up about it before the bulldozers show up at the front door to mow us down. So, we are thankful!!
So, I put together a requirements document to include some of the “I wish” wish list items we’ve only dreamed about having in our office such as room enough to consolidate all 4 of my dispersed offices, a server room, a computer lab area, storage area, cubical space for my staff members bigger than the breadboxes they work in now, a bathroom, a sink with hot and cold running water and maybe just maybe an actual office of my own for this poor old GS-15, not that I’m complaining about my home-made private cubical made of ceiling high cubical panels, but what the hell, doesn’t hurt to ask. So, I put it together and submit to Space Management in DPW (CE for us USAF guys) still praying the bulldozers don’t show up.
This was 4 months ago and wouldn’t you know it, the bulldozers still haven’t shown up AND DPW actually found a building to offer me, still on Yongsan, but at the opposite end of the post (base for us USAF guys). The Q was actually on Camp Coiner, which is really just the far north end of Yongsan. This building is at the other end, right near the commissary SWEET!
The description as sent to me through e-mail notification was it’s a real building, has a bathroom, running water, hot water, parking space, is 2,300 square feet with several rooms, tons of electrical both 220 and 110 (important for us), pre-existing LAN, storage area, A/C, Heat… I wasn’t sure the e-mail was actually meant for me it sounded so good.
Keep in mind now my 1950 Quonset Hut, at least that’s what I had to keep telling myself as I looked at this place. Yes, it’s a real building, previously a small warehouse converted to office space years ago. The truck loading dock is still out back, but the big doors are all walled up now. Of course the big 2 ton safe that was moved in “prior” to that is still there! Does have a head, does have hot running water, does have plenty of electrical, does have a LAN albeit it DSL on a borrowed modem that NETCOM wants back, does have window A/C’s, does have corner standup type heater units (kerosene/oil run of course), does have a floor albeit one with about 10 layers of old tile and linoleum on it, and it is big at 2,300 square feet.
NO COMPLAINTS, WE’LL TAKE IT! I’m saying this out loud at the same time I’m thinking how much we need to do to this place to make it usable. This was 1 month ago.
Well, today we began the actual move. Spent the last week upgrading the place with paint, carpet, window blinds, a DSL modem of our own, network switches, LAN drops throughout the facility (yes, it’s now officially a facility), and moved 2 folks in today my Fri. We’ll get the rest in there after these 2 guys get setup and take over operations so we can close the Q down.
So, why this story? Well I’m happy. Am I happy because the staff gets actual office space? That I have a real office? That we’re only about 100 feet away from the Commissary? That we have a large room for a computer and development lab and testing area? Ahhh come on, you know that’s not it, you know why I’m happy… WE HAVE FRIGGEN LATRINE! HOLY CRAP (no pun) we don’t have to walk across the street now and use the TSAK building!
It’s all about the simple things in life that makes life worth living. Now, if you’ll excuse me I think I’ll go christen “it” one more time.
Here's the before... my 1950 model Korea War Quonset Hut housing a staff of 8 and a server room.
|
|
|
|
Post by lugnuts55 on Apr 23, 2010 22:35:12 GMT 9
Pat, I can so relate to what you say in your story.
When I joined the Combat Arms unit in 1981, we were given an old, condemned house trailer that was put on a concrete slab right next to the flight line. We needed office space and classroom space. We knocked out a wall to make the classroom and used the other end room for an office. The room with the toilet was used for storage since we did not have water connection. We used the base fire department latrine facilities. They were gracious enough to let us use them. There was a propane tank to run the "furnace". We got heater units from the aircraft squadron to blow heat into the building in the winter.
This was before computers had come to our office so we didn't need that. Our phone system was a field phone set up between our trailer and the wing training where my boss was. We had to crank the phone and hope someone would answer it.
We had a management inspection and the inspector looked at our space and asked if we had running water. My response was "only when it's raining". A couple months later, we were moved into a newer trailer which was still too small and cold but it was better. Still no water hook-ups but we were closer to a hangar with latrine facilities and away from the flightline. And it didn't leak when it rained.
We were finally moved into a hard building where I had my own office with a door and we had one bathroom with a toilet and sink. The heating system worked AND it was air conditioned! We made it to the big time. We had to use other classrooms around the base but it was a start.
Now the base is closed and when I drive by, I can see the building where my office was from the road. I get a little tear in my eye just thinking of the good times.
|
|
Bullhunter
Global Moderator 
318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
Currently: Offline
Posts: 7,445
Location:
Joined: May 2005
|
Post by Bullhunter on Apr 24, 2010 1:02:32 GMT 9
That is just wonderful Pat. Thanks for the photo also. A picture they say is worth a thousand words.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jim on Apr 25, 2010 11:24:47 GMT 9
I lived in one of those Half Round hoooches at Suwon AB for about 4 months with a oil heater for heat. Later we moved to the former Army Corps of Engineer hdqtrs for our MAAG-K offices and quarters with steam heat............ While in the hut, we had a hail storm and it was like being inside a snare drum... At Johnson AB, Japan (next door to Yokota AB) jr NCOs had these for "with dependents" quarters........... They sure served a variety of purposes over the past 65 plus years. The Old Sarge
|
|
