The final word straight from the skipper, LCDR Scott L. Rome:

Nothing symbolizes the current military drawdown more than Naval Security Group Activity Pyongtaek over the last year and a half. Now with word of our accelerated closure, set for December 1993, it is not only a good time to reflect on the history of NSGA Pyongtaek, but to assess our future.

Naval Security Group Detachment, Pyongtaek was established at U.S. Army Security Agency Field Station Korea, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, in 1972, to perform collection and HFDF operations for its parent command, NSGA Misawa. The unit was manned by two officers and 49 enlisted personnel. The early years of the unit’s history reflected steady growth in the number of personnel and in the scope of its mission; during this period we saw KORLINGs deploy to NSGD Athens to support VQ-2 missions, Navy CHILINGs permanently assigned with the 6903rd USAFSS Squadron at Osan AB, Korea, Navy KORLINGs began participating in the Army GUARDRAIL IV effort and KORLING aircrewmen began supporting VQ-1 missions.

By 1976, the unit was manned by one officer and 60 enlisted personnel who continued to build on the solid foundation already established. The one unknown area was the unit’s ability to support fleet operations in contiguous Korean waters. That changed in 1976 when the detachment rapidly and successfully provided personnel and time sensitive support to Seventh Fleet combatants ordered into the Sea of Japan as a result of the North Korean’s ax murder of two U.S. Army officers at the U.N. truce village of Panmunjom. NSGD Pyongtaek’s ability to respond and support a myriad of requirements was substantiated time and again, not only during normal Fleet operations, but during political upheavals, such as the assassination of South Korean President Park Chung Hee in 1979.

In 1980, the detachment was upgraded to a Naval Security Group Activity and was manned by two officers and 75 enlisted personnel. The missions remained the same with only small adjustments in billet structure until the implementation of Project Plateau in 1982. Plateau integrated 25 Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense military personnel and civilians into the activity’s Operations Department. The Navy watch sections had a very different look: American sailors sitting positions next to ROK sailors, soldiers, airmen, and civilians; all working for a U.S. Navy petty officer or a Republic of Korea NCO.

Three years later, the Operations Department underwent another growth spurt when Subunit 1, Company E, Marine Support Battalion was established as a tenant of NSGA Pyongtaek. By the time of the Seoul Olympics in 1988, the Command, including Subunit 1, had grown to four officers and nearly 120 enlisted personnel. The growth was welcome; NSGA Pyongtaek had become extremely involved, deploying up to 30% of the Command in support of annual Team Spirit and ULCHI FOCUS LENS joint US-ROK training exercises. Although Subunit 1 was redesignated as Company G, Marine Support Battalion in 1990, and grew in manpower, the halcyon days of NSGA Pyongtaek were over.

By the spring of 1992, Company G had been withdrawn, the collection/analysis missions and Project Plateau had been terminated and the Command had shrunk to three officers and 45 enlisted. With the projected closure of NSGA Pyongtaek in December of this year [1993], over 20 years of Naval Security Group presence on “Freedom’s Frontier” will end. As we all know these are dynamic times. While it is sometimes hard for those involved in today’s sweeping changes to grasp the big picture, we must recognize the great opportunity for us to improve what we do and how we do it. Remember these changes are not only affecting the sailors at NSGA Pyongtaek, but the Naval Security Group and the entire U.S. Navy as well.

As we look past manning drawdowns, station closures, mission realignments and the challenges that jointness brings, we can see on the horizon a new architecture emerging, new operational concepts and mission areas developing. Don’t make the mistake of fighting the change, but figure out how you can lead the change. Whether it’s for an entire field site or your work center; whether you are an 0-4 or an E-4, we all can make a difference!

In closing I would be remiss if I did not add that the officers and sailors who have been stationed at NSGA Pyongtaek over the years should be proud of the reputation NSGA Pyongtaek enjoys. Your sacrifices helped deter war on the Korean Peninsula. Hopefully, you will look back at your time in Korea and remember it fondly. And lastly, I would like to thank everyone past and present who have helped make my tour not only successful, but very rewarding. There are too many names to mention in this short article to properly recognize all the standouts I have been associated with during this tour. Hopefully, this last edition of the Pyongtaek Times can capture your spirit. Thanks for the memories!

Officers In Charge

LT Bizorek (72)
CWO Boggs (73)
CWO Smith (73-74)
CWO Donohue (74-75)
CWO White (75-76)
CWO Deseve (76-78)
CWO Boggs (78-79)

Commanding Officers

LCDR Lopez (79-80)
LCDR Lopez (80)
LCDR Nick (80-82)
LCDR Barnett (82-84)
LCDR Delorey (84)
LCDR Hardaway (84-85)
LCDR Rucker (85-88)
LCDR Shimp (88-90)
LCDR McDougall (90-92)
LCDR Rome (92-93)

Senior Enlisted Advisors

CTRC Leifur (72-73)
CTRCS Starr (78-79)
CTRCS Milwicz (74-75)
CTRCS Oliver (75-76)
CTRCS Atha (76-77)
CTICS Landon (77-78)
CTRCS Shelton (73-74)
CTRCS Gendron (79-80)
CTICS Culbertson (80-81)
CTRCS Boykin (81-82)
CTRCS Griffin (82-84)
CTICS Glass (92-93)
CTRCS Erbes (85-86)
CTRCS Cason (86-87)
CTRCS Monat (87-88)
CTICS Glass (88)
CTICS McKenna (88-89)
CTRCS Tune (89)
CTICM Lundborg (89-92)
CTRCS Young (84-85)

NSGA Pyongtaek
Sailors of the Year

1979 CTI1 Richard Kumro
1980 CTI2 Robert Bishir
1981 CTI2 Kent Marker
1982 CTR2 Willie McCadney
1983 SK1 Joseph Chapel
1984 CTI1 Richard Berger
1985 CTR1 Kenneth Callahan
1986 CTR1 Sondra ONeal
1987 CTR1 Douglas Bloom
1988 CTR1 David Cunningham
1989 CTR1 Darlene Arsenault
1990 CTI1 Kimberlee Aldana
1991 CTR1 Tracy Ervin
1992 CTR1 Tracy Ervin

NSGA Pyongtaek
Junior Sailors of the Year

CTR3 Jaunita Colson
CTR3 Thomas Dorsey
CTA3 Thomas Costigan

The Final Crew of NSGA Pyongtaek

LCDR SCOTT L. ROME
LT PAUL H. SOLIS
LTJG DEBORAH R. SENN
CTICS(NAC) CRAIG H. GLASS
CTIC RICHARD C. BERGER
CTIC(NAC) JAMES R. DONOVAN
CTAC GLENN D. TEXTER
CTA1 MICHAEL F. ALTERI
CTR1 CARL T. EGGERSON
CTR1 TRACY I. ERVIN
CTA1 JOHN R. GREENE
CTI1 CHARLES R. HOLDEN
SK1 REY Q. M. MARTIN
CTI1 JOHN L. PUCKETT
CTI1 ROBERT E. WANNER
CTI1 JOHN L. WARRIX
CTI2 BRENDON A. CARR
CTR2 PATRICIA D. CHILDERS
CTR2 ALICE M. E. JAMES
CTR2 CLIFFORD L. STRAWDER
CTR2 DANNY L. WILLIAMS
CTA2 TONIO L. WILLIAMS
CTA3 WILLIAM A. BENTON
CTA3 THOMAS R. COSTIGAN
CTR3 VIRGINIA E. COSTIGAN
CTR3 MICHAEL A. HERNDON
CTI3 MALLORY E. C. MARGUERON
CTI3 GINA C. RIVERA
CTI3 DAMON L. SIRON
CTI3 STEPHANIE B. STANTON
CTRSN JAMES W. DAVIS JR.
CTISN DUANE T. DUNWOODY
CTRSN JOHN P. FRANKLIN

Source: Pyongtaek Times (Unofficial Command Newspaper)