DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE: Lack of Job Opportunities for Spouses - Memorandum of Agreement

TOPIC: Support of Families

DISCUSSION: A we look to the future and to our transition away from a Cold War era assignment policy of 1 year unaccompanied tours in Korea and move towards a Normalcy Policy that embraces 3 year stabilized, family accompanied tours, we must also change the debilitating policy that disadvantages our family members from obtaining employment here in Korea. Ultimately we must provide more job opportunities for our military and civilian spouses. Currently, formal agreements made outside of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) provide job preferences to Korean Nationals and not to American Servicemembers' spouses for large numbers of "grandfathered" employment positions. While there are some job opportunities that are filled by our spouses they are nonetheless limited in numbers and sometimes difficult to fill due to qualification requirements and timing. Spouses of Servicemembers that are not American citizens also face significant challenges in obtaining employment on our installations. If we are to fully normalize our assignments in Korea we need to fundamentally change our current agreements and expand job opportunities for all of our spouses. Leading this change will require tenacity and patience, and a cooperative approach with our host nation, but I nonetheless remain confident that an enabling agreement and employment policy and can be achieved and implemented over time.

TASK: Develop an appropriate ministerial engagement strategy that will set the conditions to modify the current hiring preference agreement with the Republic of Korea. Again, this is not a SOFA issue but a memorandum of agreement negotiated and signed by our Embassy with the ROKG. Harmonize this effort with the move of USFK to KORCOM facilities at Garrison Humphreys.

RESPONSIBLE OFFICE: USFK Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans (J5)

SUPPORTING OFFICE: SOFA Secretariat, Civilian Personnel Operations Center (CPOC), Installation Management Command - Korea, USFK Deputy Chief of Staff, USFK Staff Judge Advocate

RESPONSE DUE DATE: 4/1/2008