해외에 복무하고 있는 미군 중 상당수가 북한의 위협이 줄어들지 않는 현 상황에서 미국이 의욕적으로 추진하고 있는 해외주둔 재배치계획(GPR)에 따른 주한미군 감축에 반대하고 있다고 미 군사 전문지 성조지(www.pstripes.com ) 가 21일 보도했다.

성조지에 따르면 많은 미군들은 한국에 대한 북한의 위협이 존재하고 있다고 믿고 있으며, 주한미군 감축은 핵무기로 무장한 북한에 (도발의) 유혹을 초래할 소지가 있기 때문에 바람직하지 않다고 생각한다는 것이다.

신문은 주한미군 2사단에 3년간 근무한 예비역 하사관 레지널드 조셉의 말을 인용, "북한은 주한미군이 감축되자마자 곧장 서울로 걸어 들어올 것이며 이것은 (북한에) 식은 죽먹기(cakewalk)"라고 말했다. 역시 한국에 1년간 복무한 상병 제프 니콜스도 "(감축은) 명백히 북한이 (공격하기) 더욱 쉽게 만드는 조치"라고 말했다.

특히 "이들은 핵무장한 북한에 너무나 많은 유혹을 안겨줄 것이라는 이유로 주한미군 감축에 동의하지 않는다"고 덧붙였다. 
사람은 또, "미군을 미 본토에 가까이 두는 것은 미군에 이득이 되지 않을 것""미군은 해외에 있을수록 더 집중하게 되고, 긴급태세를 유지할 수 있으며 군대가 무엇인지 개념을 갖게 된다"며 미군 재배치 조치를 비판했다.

신문은 이어 "대부분의 미군들이 힘든 근무지로 알려져 온 한국에서의 미군 감축조치에 대해 눈살을 찌푸리고 있다"고 전하면서, 이라크와 중앙아시아 등 전투지역에 주둔하는 미군들은 (GPR에 따른 유럽 주둔 미군 감축에 따라) 선호지역이었던 유럽 복무 기회가 줄어드는 데 대해 아쉬움을 표시하고 있다고 전했다.(konas)

▲  전문지 성조지(www.pstripes.com)/

▶ 성조지에 실린 기사 전문 보기

U.S. troops say cuts in S. Korea temot North

Many servicemembers will miss military assignments in Europe
By Jason chuddy and Jon R. Anderson

Troops deployed to the gritty combat zones of Iraq and Central Asia say they'll miss tours to friendlier assignments in Europe, but they understand the reasons for cutting troops there.

It's reductions to forces from South Korea – a hardship tour for most soldiers -that's raising eyebrows among many troops.

As part of a plan announced by President Bush on Monday, the Pentagn will cut some 70,000 troops from Europe and the Pacific. The bulk of those cuts will come from Europe, officials say, largely from the Amiy's Gennany-based 1st Armored and 1st Infantry division. Those units will relocate to the United States starting in as little as two years. In the Pacific, up to one-third of the 37,000 US. troops based in South Korea –based 2nd Infantry Division have been, or currently are, deployed to Iraq. “As much as I liked being stationed 10 Germany, it's about time we pulled, out," said Set 1st Class David West-phal, now serving in Iraq with a fort Riley, Kan-based unit.
'The threat we had no longer exists"  he said. "The threat is elsewhere." That threat, many believe, is in South Korea. Many don't agree with cuts there, as it may provide to much of a temptation to nuclear-armed North Korea.

“ As soon sa you do that, they’ll walk right down into Seoul,” said retired Sgt. 1st Class Reginald Joseph, who’s in Iraq working for Datapath Campany, a military contractor, “It’s a cakewalk.”

Joseph, who retired from the Army two year age, spent three years in South Korea with the 2nd infantry Division.
."It definitely makes it easier for North Korea.” Agreed Dallas native Spc. Jeff Nichols of the 555th Engineer Company, who spent a year in South Korea. “[troops] being a hell of a lot closer to home is not good for national or world security . It won’t benefit from that.

Some soldiers believe that their soldiering, skill benefited from being stationed overseas.

“AS soon as you’re overseas, you have to concentrate more,” said Joseph. "It gives soldiers a sense of urgency and an idea of what the Army is all about."

"Training is not the same back home like it is there," said West-phal “The operational tempo of the Army will keep you overseas, anyway."

“We get to place sometimes that we don’t like or that are s hardship, like Iraq or that are s those hardships there is a tremendous opportunity to grow and learn and ex[and yourself culturally,” said Sgt. Brian Sutton of the 2nd ID’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team. “in that regard, I will miss an overseas assignment.”

“Soldiers probably at stateside assignments as a good thing because that puts us closer to home and family,” said the 33-year-old Sutton, who left his wife and children in South Korea fort this deployment. “if we are talking about moving units back to the States, I’m all for that.”Pfc. Travis Jenkins, however, couldn’t disagree more. Jekins was disappointed when he got assigned to Hawaii after graduating from military police school last year. His first pick Germany. “I was really hoping to get an assignment there,” said Jenkins, now deployed to Uzbekistan. “ I guess now I won’t get my chance.”

His supervisor, Staff Sgt. Eric Gutierrez, got his chance a few years ago and wouldn’t have traded it for the world.
“I loved Europe, I had a blast,” said Gutlerrez, who served in Germany from 1999 to 2002 and is now deployed to Uzbekistan. Still, he says he grudgingly accepts that times are changing.

“ We’ve been drawing down Europe for years and this is probably next logical step,” he said.

Others hope there will still be opportunities for duty there. “people really want to do tours in Europe,” said Air Force Capt. Scott Meakin, an HC-130 “combat King” navigator in Uzbekistan.

“A lot of people join the military to see the world,” said Meakin. With troops restricted to base in Uzbekistan, Meakin says he doesn’t feel like he’s seeing much of this part of the world. “At least in Europe you can go out and experience the culture.”

Others, however, say it’s not where you serve. “If you’re going to be a good soldier, it’s in yourself, not where you’re at, “ said Sgt. Michael Reuben of the 2nd Battalion, 58th Field Artillery, a native of Bronx, N.Y., who’s deployed to Iraq with the 95th Military police Battalion.