A Newcomers Guide to Daegu and Area IV
- Ashley Courts
- Jul 16, 2024
- 3 min read
(Originally published in July 2024 Issue)
Every military move comes with its challenges and a list of unknowns about your new duty station, even more so when that move takes you overseas. However, one of the best things about living overseas as a military-affiliated person is the resources available at your fingertips. Here in Area IV the Newcomer’s Spouse Orientation held by the Army Community Service Center on Camp Walker is one of those special resources. Along with an in-depth look at your new home during the Spouse Orientation, there is a guided tour of the subway system that gives you a better understanding of the ins and outs of using public transportation in Daegu.
Once a month, Mr. Joe Missildine, the Area IV Relocation Specialist, provides an informative Spouse Orientation for military and civilian spouses new to Daegu and Area IV. This incredible program brings the available resources straight to you. During the brief, you will receive presentations from Family Advocacy Program, ACS, Legal, and the Military and Family Life Counselor. Each presenter will explain their program and what services they offer the community. Different organizations such as the USO, the Commissary, Camp Walker Chapel, Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts, and more will also be in attendance to provide information on their services and opportunities available to you and your family.
The Spouse Orientation is also a convenient way to receive the SOFA stamp on your no-fee passport, which is mandatory to stay in South Korea. To receive your stamp, simply bring with you a copy of the front and back of both your military ID and your sponsor’s ID, the sponsor’s orders with DEROS date, approved command sponsorship paperwork, and your no-fee passports. You will hand all this over to the representative from Legal during the brief and they will then contact you once the stamps have been processed, usually within two to three weeks.
Another amazing opportunity to get to know your new home away from home is with the Newcomer’s Subway Tour. Twice a month, Mr. Missildine gives an immersive tour of the subway system in Daegu. He will assist you in purchasing a T-money card, instruct you on how to load it with funds in the future, and share how it will be used to pay for public transportation, including some taxis. He will thoroughly explain how to navigate the subway system and will take you to some of the most known places in Daegu, including the Seomun Market. You will stop for a delicious lunch and finish your day shopping around downtown Daegu. This unique tour is available to all spouses, civilians, and military members- single or married.
When asked what he hoped military families get out of the Spouse Orientation and Newcomer’s Subway Tour, Mr. Joe said he hoped people walked away with “a sense of normalcy within a foreign country, learn some of the cultural norms such as food, history, and interactions that go along with living in Korea, Daegu City and the U.S. Military while living abroad.” Whether you have been here for one month or six months, you will be able to learn something new with these amazing programs.
To sign up for the Spouse Orientation and/or the Newcomer’s Subway tour, stop by the Army Community Service center located in Bldg 330, Room 202 on Camp Walker or give Mr. Joe Missildine a call from your cell phone at 0503-363-4497.
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