This is a ...

very big base. I think I have touched on this before, but i can't say it with any more emphasis than this, this is a very big and modernized base! Below is a picture of the high school football field located right outside my dorm room. The high school team here plays other teams on the peninsula(I would never have thought that there was a team on base here in South Korea)and even the other teams in the region including Okinawa. It is strange. I was told prior to coming here that Osan is located in a war zone(naturally being in South Korea). So, how on earth is there a school here. I mean, who's kids are here? I think it is a reasonable question to ask, after all we are located in a war zone, right? The last time I checked, North Korea and South Korea have never signed a peace treaty since 1953. So why do I see women and children all over this base everyday, all day?
Outside the base is a very busy place. It is very built up and the locals LOVE us. Granted, we do spend a lot of money on their products, but we can get them so much cheaper than the states. It took only two shopping trips for me to realize that somebody is getting ripped off tremendously in the whole scheme of things. I say that because you can buy something here for 25 dollars but pay for the same product in the US for 175-200 dollars. WOW!!!! So, who is at fault here? I tend to believe the businesses in America are at fault. As Americans, we always try to pretend that we are looking out for our own interests, but will take money out of our own pockets quicker than anything. You can have a suit Tailor made for you here at 200-225 that you would pay 600-1000 dollars for in the states. That is ridiculous. I have enjoyed my time here so far and would come back here again if given the choice to bring Leslie(in a second).
There have been rumours here that they may open this up to bring families(for the enlisted, most officers already have their families here). That would be good for all involved. Lets get the facts straight here, South Korea is booming and people are making money and prospering. Meanwhile, people in the North are starving living under a brutal dictatorship. I encourage people to make a vacation to Seoul to see it for themselves(even though I know people won't). If you have been tuned into the media lately, you have noticed that there has been plenty of news going on between the North and the South. I can't go into the issue too deep, but it nearly isn't as bad here as the media reports it. That's the propaganda the news reports.