Osan AB in South Korea was not even on my radar when my husband had orders drop. We had just passed our two-year mark at Nellis AFB, a known black hole of a base, when he got the notification that he had an assignment. I was newly pregnant (we had found out the day before) and stunned.
Hang around any military spouse group on Facebook long enough and you’ll see it. The fear and loathing towards those deemed unfortunate for obtaining orders to the ROK. When I first told people, I was met with apologies and sympathy. For the first two days after hearing the news, I did what any hormonal pregnant spouse would do. I ate a lot of chocolate and cried.
Of course, it could be worse (Why not Minot?). But orders to Korea unaccompanied meant I would be spending the next year raising my daughter on my own. It meant my husband would be missing out on the precious milestones of our firstborn. It meant moving back home across the country by myself. At the time, it all seemed devastating.
Then, I picked myself back up and did what I always do any time we have orders; I ate more chocolate and researched.
Going to Korea on a command sponsored tour was not unfamiliar to me. However, my husband was an A1C at the time, and the chances of obtaining that sponsorship seemed on par with our chances of winning the lottery.
However, researching about it also led me to discover another, and dare I say better option: Going to Osan AB Non-command sponsored.