For years Camp Humphreys was known as a very quiet and small post but with the decision to relocate all of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) south of Seoul, that image is rapidly changing. By 2012, Camp Humphreys will be the new home of United States Forces Korea.

Located in Pyeongtaek, Korea, about 55 miles south of Seoul, USAG Humphreys is home to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, Military Intelligence units and several other military organizations.

The current installation population of fewer than 10,000 - about 3,500 are Soldiers, the rest civilian employees, Family Members and contractors - will grow to more than 44,000 by the time transformation is complete in 2012.

The 2012 population increase will include 17,000 Servicemembers and 13,000 Family Members. The garrison will also see a substantial increase in the number of Department of the Army Civilians, Korean national employees and contractors.

A key aspect of the master plan is building an installation that will maximize the use of existing land and newly-acquired land to support the expected population growth.

Although Humphreys is growing in physical size - currently 1,200 acres, 3,500 by 2012 - the total land area, even with the new land transferred by the Korean government, will not support a massive sprawl of buildings like a CONUS-based post. Consequently, the philosophy here is to “build up instead of out.” Family Housing units as well as barracks will be multi-story buildings, as will many of the other new facilities on post.

This building philosophy is not new, according to Paul Cramer, IMCOM-Korea Region, Public Works Division Chief.

“By embracing local construction methods common to Korea – including high-rise structures and underground parking - we are optimizing land space in order to conserve our natural resources, an effort that is in direct support of our cooperative alliance with the Republic of Korea.”

And soon a new modern military installation will rise on land where rice has been grown for generations.

“What we are doing is creating a new city from the ground up,” said Cramer.

“It’s not everyday that you are charged with a project of this magnitude,” he said.

“So our goal is to build a model Army community that will be unlike any other the military has seen. This project is an estimated $8.25 billion deal - larger than any project that’s on the table in the states today.”

“We are building barracks and vehicle maintenance and company operations complexes. The complexes will include Soldier barracks, dining facilities and recreational centers - all within walking distance from the Soldiers’ new worksites,” said Bart Mirabal, director, Directorate of Public Works for USAG Humphreys.

“Six new state-of-the-art gyms are also being constructed throughout the installation,” Davis said.

Davis added that the schools will be within the community in which families live. This will make it safer and more convenient for students to attend these educational facilities. These schools will have a campus-like appeal. Three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school are scheduled to be built.

One facility which is already open for business is the brand new aquatics park dubbed “Splish & Splash.” The park officially opened during Memorial Day weekend, this year. It is the first, and to this day the only, of its kind open to Servicemembers, civilian employees and Family Members throughout the Korean peninsula. The park was specifically designed by IMCOM-Korea to provide all of the excitement, safety and family fun of popular water parks in the states and is one of the new facilities geared toward making life more enjoyable at Camp Humphreys.

The Master Plan also calls for construction of an 18-hole golf course that includes jogging, biking and walking trails in the design.

As the Master Plan for the future of Camp Humphreys took shape, officials here who briefed the plan often said that the post would become unrecognizable to former Soldiers who served in Korea during the times of Quonset huts and one-year tours.

Former USAG Humphreys commander, Col. Michael J. Taliento Jr., who oversaw the beginning of significant change on the installation was fond of saying “... this will not be your father’s Korea. All of the Quonset huts that we used to put our Soldiers in will be gone.”

The Quonsets - corrugated metal buildings that became an unofficial signature of the Army in Korea - have been replaced by gleaming new high-rise facilities to house Families and Servicemembers.

“Quality of life here will flourish,” said Humphreys Director of Public Works Bart Mirabal. “A new child development center is already underway. We are building more chapels for the expected population - and open fields for Families to enjoy however they please,” he said.

USAG Humphreys will build a new Commissary and PX shopping complex as well as a food, beverage and entertainment center. And, the existing downtown shopping area is getting a face lift, Mirabal explained.

“There will also be smaller shopping centers within the individual housing communities,” he said. “We are creating a very family friendly environment – it’s important.”

USAG Humphreys Commander Col. John E. Dumoulin Jr. summed up the Humphreys Transformation.

“We are taking what used to be a single-Soldier post and transforming it into a Family and pedestrian-friendly community; Soldiers will be able to walk to work instead of having to travel across post; kids will be able to walk from their homes to school,” Dumoulin said. “Humphreys will become the Assignment of Choice for Soldiers and Civilians.”

But, one thing that will not change with the Humphreys Transformation is the garrison’s guiding philosophy.

“We will continue to provide Army-standard customer service for our Soldiers, Families, Civilians and Retirees,” Dumoulin said.