Command Sponsorship Program
Command Sponsorship for Families is available in
United States Army Garrison Area I, Korea
Applying for the Command Sponsorship Program can be a daunting task. But Command Sponsorship is available and can be a simple process if you know the procedures and the right questions to ask to get the right answers. The good news is you’re not alone. There are many individuals to help you along the way and a detailed plan for you to follow.
What is CSP?
Command Sponsorship is a program that enables Soldiers to bring their Families to Korea to reside with them during their tour. Previous only available in certain areas of Korea, CSP is now available in all areas of Area I, which encompasses Camps Red Cloud, Casey, Hovey and Stanley in the cities of Dongducheon and Uijeongbu.
How is CSP authorization determined?
The first step in determining CSP eligibility is to define your priority level. All Soldiers fall into one of three CSP prioritization categories.
Priority One: This is a list of positions approved by Headquarters, Department of the Army consisting of Brigade and Battalion Commanders and Command Sergeants Major and Command Select List Division Staff, whose continued presence is absolutely essential to the mission. Priority One personnel are required to serve 24 months accompanied or unaccompanied. Government provided quarters are available and concurrent travel is authorized.
Priority Two: These are positions from which commanders would most benefit by having personnel stay for 24-, or 36-month tours. This list will be determine by the unit commander and in most cases the list includes all officers, warrant officers, and senior NCOs (Sergeants First Class and above). The list of Priority Two personnel and MOSs are reviewed quarterly and updated based on current readiness needs of the unit. Government-provided quarters are NOT available in Area I, but may be available in Areas II. Concurrent travel is not generally authorized, but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. This just means the Soldier must arrive in Korea prior to the rest of the Family to in-process and secure housing.
Priority Three: This category includes any position not included in Priority One or Two. However, no less than 10% of the unit’s total CSP allocations are required to be allocated to Priority Three. Government-provided quarters are NOT available in Area I, but may be available in Areas II. Identical to Priority Two, concurrent travel is not generally authorized, but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
How do I request CSP?
For 2ID Soldiers the very first step is to visit the 2nd Infantry Division Command Sponsorship page .
For Soldiers other than 2ID coming to Area I, visit the 8th Army Command Sponsorship Program.
Please check with your MPD for updates to this list before submitting.
1. DA Form 4787, Reassignment Processing. Soldiers request for a Command Sponsored accompanied tour and basic document that provides Family member details to start the process.
2. DA Form 5888, SEP 2002, Family Member Deployment Screening Sheet. Valid for one year from signature in block #11e. Block #8 must be authenticated by the S-1 and have the appropriate EFMP stamp. Required for all even if a family member is not enrolled or warrants enrollment in EFMP.
3. DD Form 2792, NOV 2006, Exceptional Family Member Medical Summary. Required if a family member is enrolled or warrants enrollment in EFMP.
4. DD Form 2792-1, NOV 2006, Exceptional Family Member Special Education/Early Intervention Summary. Required if a family member is enrolled or warrants enrollment in EFMP.
5. Acknowledgement of Command Sponsorship Benefits Limitations. (Area I only) Signed by the Soldier.
Example Command Sponsorship packet
Once you have familiarized yourself with the process and forms you will need to visit your losing-station Military Personnel Division, or MPD, to submit your packet. Be sure to leave them with good contact information so they can contact you if there are issues with your packet. Also, it helps to get a good contact number at the MPD so you can check on your packet’s status. Please do not assume they will let you know if there are issues. If you are in-country already, submit your packet through your unit personnel section. Let’s say you’ve already taken that first step and submitted a packet, now you might want to know:
Where is my packet in the process and why is it there?
Please understand your packet has a long journey and makes many stops along the way. Moving Families and loved ones to Korea is serious business and full of important details for their benefit. The process described below is necessary to ensure completeness and accuracy. Here we go:
1) Once you have visited the above websites, completed your packet and submitted it to your losing-station MPD it will go to the Yongsan Korea MPD, this is the headquarters for United States Forces Korea. Yongsan MPD will verify completeness of the packet, and then forward it to Eighth Army for approval. If there are problems with your packet Yongsan MPD will return it to your losing-station MPD. This is where most of the problems arise and packets can sit for weeks with issues and no action if you do not check-up on it. Please do not assume, “no news is good news.”
2) After your packet is received and processed by Yongsan-MPD it will be sent to the Eighth Army for approval. Once Eighth Army approves the packet, it is returned to Yongsan-MPD. If everything goes correctly, step two should take about seven working days.
3) As soon as Yongsan-MPD receives the approved packet back from Eighth Army it will be forwarded to the staff at the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) to make sure any medical or educational concerns are accounted for and can be addressed by services in Korea. All EFMP eligible Families have the option of staying in Seoul (Area II) with full Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA). Service members outside of Area I will be counseled on the limitation of services in Area I so they are aware of all available options to help make the best decision for their Families. All packets must contain a completed EFMP form signed by a physician, even if your family has no EFMP needs. Step three should take about three working days to complete.
4) EFMP will forward your packet to the Department of Defense Dependent Schools-Korea (DODDS-K) to ensure classroom space is available if applicable. If you do not have school age children your packet will skip this step and be forwarded to Housing. For those with children, DODDS elementary schools are available in all Areas. High school is only available in Area II (Seoul) and high school-age children will be bused to classes daily. Step four should take about two working days if there are no issues with classroom space availability.
5) DODDS will forward your packet to Housing who will determine government quarters availability. On-post government quarters are not available in Area I. All Command Sponsored
Families will receive an Overseas Housing Allowance and a utilities stipend to cover their housing costs. Government furnishings are also available for loan through Housing. Government quarters are available for Priority 1 Families and those working in Seoul only. Concurrent or deferred travel will also be determined at this time. Concurrent travel is authorized for Priority One. Deferred travel is given to Priority Two and Three Families as this allows Soldiers sufficient time to in-process and arrange for off-post housing before their Families arrive in Korea. Step five should take about two working days.
6) Once Housing has finished with your packet they will return it to Yongsan-MPD where it will be processed and your orders will be published authorizing CSP and concurrent or deferred travel. Your losing-station MPD should notify you once your packet is complete so you can pick-up your orders.
How can I check on my CSP packet?
Once your packet has been accepted by Yongsan-MPD they will assign it a tracking/control number reply to the submitting agency with that number (to be provided to Soldier) and the address to the website (https://www.us.army.mil/suite/page/671823) to track the status of the case. The tracking site is intended for losing MPDs and applying Soldiers to track and check on the status of their packets by logging on to AKO using their CAC card If you have question, your first stop should always be your losing-station MPD. Make sure you get a good contact number there so you can check up on your packet periodically. If there are no problems with your packet and everything runs smoothly the entire process should take approximately 14-20 working days if you are out of country and approximately 10-12 days if you are in-country. A good rule of thumb to use is, if you have not heard from anyone in three to four weeks, check on your packet. Once your losing-station MPD notifies you that your packet has been submitted and they have not heard back from Yongsan-MPD, you can check with your gaining unit CSP manager or coordinator by emailing 2id.g-1.csprequest@korea.army.mil for 2ID Soldiers or Mario.d.riveraayestas.mil@mail.mil Area I CSP Manager. If you ever have problems you can always get a hold of the 2ID PAO on the 2nd Infantry Division (official) Facebook page or by contacting the 8th Army CSP Facebook page.
Why might a packet get kicked back?
There are two main reasons packets are kicked back. One is the lack of a “Benefits Statement,” the second is the absence of EFMP paperwork. All packets must contain a completed EFMP form signed by a physician, even if your family has no EFMP needs. Again, all documents can be found on the 2nd ID website under the Command Sponsorship link or the 8th Army CSP website. Just click on the “in country” or “out of country” link to locate the forms. These forms must accompany your packet.
Can I bring my car?
Yes, Command Sponsored Families are authorized to ship one vehicle at military expense. Because shipping is authorized the military will not pay to store a vehicle in the United States. Be aware though, the ability to ship a vehicle that you do not own outright may be depend on your lender or lien holder on the car. Only one car per family is authorized in Korea with some exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.
Can I bring my pets?
Yes, pets are welcome in Korea. Transporting your pet(s) into and out of the country is at your own expense though. On-post boarding facilities are available at Yongsan and Osan Air Base. On or off-post housing is generally cramped with either no or limited outdoor access. Pets are not allowed in Hannam Village in Seoul.
For more information on bringing your pets to Korea, including necessary forms and vaccinations please see the USAG Red Cloud and Area I web page.
If the Army is moving to full tour normalization in Korea, then why can’t everyone bring their Family on CSP?
The United States Army Garrison Area I and the 2nd Infantry Division values each and every Soldier and Family member. It is unfortunate; however, we currently cannot fiscally sponsor every military Family who wants to come to Korea. So, for those of you who are not command sponsored but would like to be, you might be asking questions like:
What about non-command sponsored Families?
Indeed, you can bring your Family to Korea non-command sponsored. Your sponsor and gaining command can educate you on the pros and cons of both processes, but it’s up to you to make the decision on which direction to go. There are some key things you should know before you make the choice to bring your Family here without command sponsorship orders.
First off, you are not authorized Transient Lodging Assistance for your Family. That means you will have to pay the hotel bill for your Family until you secure housing on the economy. You are entitled to Overseas Housing Allowance at the “with dependants” rate but you are not authorized to use government furnishings and cannot move your Family, or the bulk of your household goods at government expense.
Differences between Command Sponsorship and Non-Command Sponsorship Benefits.
Bringing your non-command sponsored children?
If you bring your children, they do not have priority at any DODD school in Korea.
Please visit the United States Army Garrison Red Cloud and Area I website for more information and to view a chart that explain the benefits you are, and are not, entitled to if you choose to live in Korea without Command Sponsorship. Many of your questions may be answered there along with the links needed to get you started.
What’s next?
Area I is authorized more than 800 CSP slots. Let us know how we can help, and we will be sure to do all we can do make it a smooth experience for you.
Hopefully we have answered most of your questions about the CSP process. The next step is to help us educate others on the process and conquer the myth that CSP is not available in Korea. We are committed to making USAG Area I the “Assignment if Choice” not just for Soldiers, but Families as well!
We hope to see you and your and Family soon in the Land of the Morning Calm.
Click on the below links for more information for your upcoming Area I tour:
Command Sponsorship Program Frequently Asked Questions
See the latest Area Fill Rates
Newcomer’s Toolbox
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| Date created: |
4/19/2011 1:02:13 PM |
| Date last updated: |
12/13/2012 11:31:22 AM |