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NEWS | Dec. 22, 2021

658th Regional Support Group Provides Army Reserve Capabilities on the Korean Peninsula

By 1st Lt. Yazmin Chavez 9th Mission Support Command

South Korea remains a location of vital strategic importance in the Pacific. Currently, over 20 thousand active duty Soldiers are permanently stationed on the peninsula, ensuring the security and stability of the region. The U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) and the 9th Mission Support Command (MSC) helps support this ongoing mission by providing vital capabilities to help supplement overall operations in South Korea.

The 658th Regional Support Group (RSG) is the 9th MSC’s presence in South Korea. It is located at Camp Humphreys and is the largest Army Reserve Unit on the peninsula. It has command and control of several assigned units, with a mission to manage the reception, staging, onward movement, and integration (RSOI) of supporting forces.

“The Army Reserve affords the unique opportunity to live in South Korea and still be able to serve my country,” said Capt. Rebecca Martineau, Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander, 658th RSG. “My husband is currently serving on active duty here and originally I was in the Individual Readiness Reserve (IRR). When I learned about this unit, I was able to transition into the active reserves and drill here in South Korea.”

The current leadership of the 658th RSG is Col. Sam Hunter, the brigade commander and Sgt. Maj. Ira H. Ford, the command sergeant major. Army Reserve Soldiers assigned to the 658th RSG have ties to the private sector, government, military and business community in South Korea.

“When I’m not attending a battle assembly with my unit, I work as liaison officer for the U.S. Embassy here in Seoul,” said Spc. Woo Kun Cho, 658th RSG supply specialist. “I came back to the Army Reserves after a long break in service. I had no intention of returning, but when I learned that I can drill with a unit here in South Korea, I decided to return.

There’s a legacy of service in my family,” added Cho. “My father served as a Soldier and I followed in his footsteps. I am a second generation Korean-American serving in the U.S. Army and I’m very proud of that.”

The 658th RSG is strategically postured to provide responsive logistics support throughout the Pacific, with its headquarters strategically postured ‘forward’ on the Korean peninsula. 

“In a place like South Korea, forces need to be prepared for any event that may arise. Readiness is not a matter of being prepared for war and battle alone. We also respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. We saw this with the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Sgt. 1st Class Roy Tongue, HHC 658th RSG.

To ensure the 658th RSG is prepared for any scenario, the leadership of the 658th continues to prioritize Soldier readiness.

"Readiness is the 658th RSG's top priority. My priorities are to prepare the soldiers under my command in the only forward-deployed RSG to rapidly mobilize, deploy, fight, and win in a large-scale combat operation," said Hunter.

The 658th Regional Support Group is comprised of the following units:

658th Regional Support Group Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Camp Humphreys South Korea

302nd Terminal Transportation Battalion (TTB), Fort Shafter Flats, Hawaii: Coordinates Transportation Support, Terminal Service, and Port Activities.

29 Transportation Detachment (Harbormaster DET), Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii: Provide command and control of Army watercraft and harbormaster mission command center.

962 Quartermaster Company (Mortuary Affairs), Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Saipan, Fort Shafter Flats, Hawaii.

302 Quartermaster Company (Shower, Laundry, and Clothing Repair, or SLCR), Barrigada, Guam

124 Chaplain Detachment (Field Ministry) Fort Shafter Flats, Hawaii: Perform field ministry services for 2nd Infantry Division during their Korean Rotational Forces (KRF) missions.