The Eighth Army is a U.S.

field army A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, Air army, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, ...

"Enter the Dragon: Eighth Army unveils new emblem" (15 April 2013)

Task Force Smith, July 1950, Battle of Osan, memorialized
/ref> which is the commanding formation of all

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

forces in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the

Camp Humphreys Camp Humphreys ( ko, 캠프 험프리스), also known as United States Army Garrison-Humphreys (USAG-H), is a United States Army garrison located near Anjeong-ri and Pyeongtaek metropolitan areas in South Korea. Camp Humphreys is home to ...

,Yongsan garrison move pushed back to 2019
in the Anjeong-ri of Pyeongtaek, South Korea. It is the only

in the U.S. Army.

History

World War II

The unit first activated on 10 June 1944 in the United States, under the command of Lieutenant General

Robert Eichelberger Robert Lawrence Eichelberger (9 March 1886 – 26 September 1961) was a general officer in the United States Army who commanded the Eighth United States Army in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. A 1909 graduate of the United ...

. The Eighth Army took part in many of the

amphibious landing Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...

s in the

Southwest Pacific Theater The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, eventually participating in no less than sixty of them. The first mission of the Eighth Army, in September 1944, was to take over from the

U.S. Sixth Army Sixth Army is a theater army of the United States Army. The Army service component command of United States Southern Command, its area of responsibility includes 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and t ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the D ...

, the

Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-co ...

and on

Morotai Morotai Island ( id, Pulau Morotai) is an island in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands. Morotai is a rugged, forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. It ha ...

, in order to free up the Sixth Army to engage in the

Philippines Campaign (1944–45) Philippines campaign may refer to various military campaigns that have been fought in the Philippine Islands, including: Spanish colonial period (1565–1898) *Numerous revolts against Spain during the Spanish colonial period; see Philippine revo ...

. The Eighth Army again followed in the wake of the Sixth Army in December 1944, when it took over control of operations on

Leyte Island Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

on 26 December. In January, the Eighth Army entered combat on

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, landing the

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * XI ...

on 29 January near

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

and the

11th Airborne Division The 11th Airborne Division ("Arctic Angels") is a United States Army airborne formation, first activated on 25 February 1943, during World War II. Consisting of one parachute and two glider infantry regiments, with supporting troops, the div ...

on the other side of

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between t ...

two days later. Combining with

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

and

XIV Corps 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to: * XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...

of Sixth Army, the forces of Eighth Army next enveloped

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

in a great double-

pincer movement The pincer movement, or double envelopment, is a military maneuver in which forces simultaneously attack both flanks (sides) of an enemy formation. This classic maneuver holds an important foothold throughout the history of warfare. The pin ...

. Eighth Army's final operation of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vas ...

was that of clearing out the southern Philippines of the

Japanese Army The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...

, including on the major island of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

, an effort that occupied the soldiers of the Eighth Army for the rest of the war.

Occupation of Japan

Eighth Army was to have participated in

Operation Downfall Operation Downfall was the proposed Allied plan for the invasion of the Japanese home islands near the end of World War II. The planned operation was canceled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ...

, the invasion of Japan. It would have taken part in

Operation Coronet During World War II, two operations in the Pacific theater were called Operation Coronet. * An early planning name for Operation Chronicle, which was executed in June 1943 * Part of Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of Japan in March 1946, ...

, the second phase of the invasion, which would have seen the invasion of the

Kantō Plain The is the largest plain in Japan, and is located in the Kantō region of central Honshū. The total area of 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, ...

on eastern

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island sepa ...

. However, the Japanese surrender cancelled the invasion, and the Eighth Army found itself in charge of occupying it peacefully. Occupation forces landed on 30 August 1945, with its headquarters in

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, then the HQ moved to the

Dai-Ichi (第一) is a compound modifier phrase of Japanese origin, meaning '' number one'', or ''first''. In kanji, "dai" ("number") is 第Nakao, Seigo''Random House Japanese-English English-Japanese Dictionary'' via Google Books, p. 39. Retrieved 2011- ...

building in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

. At the beginning of 1946, Eighth Army assumed responsibility for occupying all of Japan. Four quiet years then followed, during which the Eighth Army gradually deteriorated from a combat-ready fighting force into a somewhat soft, minimally-trained constabulary. Lieutenant General

Walton H. Walker Walton Harris Walker (December 3, 1889 – December 23, 1950) was a United States Army four-star general who served with distinction in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, where he commanded the Eighth United States Army before dyi ...

took command in September 1948, and he tried to re-invigorate the Army's training, with mixed success.

Korean War

At the end of World War II in 1945,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

was divided into

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

and

with North Korea (assisted by the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

), becoming a

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...

government after 1946, known as the Democratic People's Republic, followed by South Korea becoming the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...

.National Archives
''US Enters the Korean Conflict''

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

became the communist People's Republic of China in 1949. In 1950, the Soviet Union backed North Korea while the United States backed South Korea, and China allied with the Soviet Union in what was to become the first military action of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

The peace of occupied Japan was shattered in June 1950 when 75,000 North Korean troops with

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

made tanks invaded South Korea, igniting the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

. U.S. naval and air forces quickly became involved in combat operations, and it was soon clear that U.S. ground forces would have to be committed. To stem the North Korean advance, the occupation forces in Japan were thus shipped off to South Korea as quickly as possible, but their lack of training and equipment was telling, as some of the initial U.S. units were destroyed by the North Koreans. However, the stage was eventually reached as enough units of Eighth Army arrived in Korea to make a firm front. The North Koreans threw themselves against that front, the

Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter ( ko, 부산 교두보 전투) was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of th ...

, and failed to break it. In the meantime, Eighth Army had reorganized, since it had too many divisions under its command for it to exercise effective control directly. The

and the

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...

were reactivated in the United States and then shipped to Korea to assume command of Eighth Army's subordinate divisions. The stalemate was broken by the Inchon landings of the

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * X ...

(tenth corps, consisting of soldiers and Marines). The North Korean forces, when confronted with this threat to their rear areas, combined with a breakout operation at Pusan, broke away and hastily retired north. General Walker and Lt

Both South and North Korea were almost entirely occupied by United Nations forces. However, once U.S. units neared the

Yalu River The Yalu River, known by Koreans as the Amrok River or Amnok River, is a river on the border between North Korea and China. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between ...

and the frontier between North Korea and

, the Chinese intervened and drastically changed the character of the war. Eighth Army was decisively defeated at the

Battle of the Chongchon River The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River (), also known as the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on, was a decisive battle in the Korean War, and it took place from November 25 to December 2, 1950, along the Ch'ongch'on River Valley in the northwestern part of ...

and forced to retreat all the way back to South Korea. The defeat of the U.S. Eighth Army resulted in the longest retreat of any U.S. military unit in history. General Walker was killed in a jeep accident on 23 December 1950, and replaced by Lieutenant General

Matthew Ridgway General Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 – July 26, 1993) was a senior officer in the United States Army, who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1952–1953) and the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1953–1955). Altho ...

. The overstretched Eighth Army suffered heavily with the Chinese offensive, who were able to benefit from shorter lines of communication and with rather casually deployed enemy forces. The Chinese broke through the U.S. defenses despite U.S.

air supremacy Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of comm ...

and the Eighth Army and U.N. forces retreated hastily to avoid encirclement. The Chinese offensive continued pressing U.S. forces, which lost

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

, the South Korean capital. Eighth Army's morale and ''esprit de corps'' hit rock bottom, to where it was widely regarded as a broken, defeated rabble. General Ridgway forcefully restored Eighth Army to combat effectiveness over several months. Eighth Army slowed and ultimately halted the Chinese advance at the battles of Chipyong-ni and

Wonju Wonju () is the most populous city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city is located approximately east of Seoul. Wonju was the site of three crucial battles during the Korean War. Geography Wonju sits at the southwestern corner of Gangw ...

. It then counter-attacked the Chinese, re-took Seoul, and drove to the 38th parallel, where the front stabilized. When General Ridgway replaced General of the Army

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...

as the overall U.N. commander, Lieutenant General

James Van Fleet General James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and gradu ...

assumed command of Eighth Army. After the war of movement during the first stages, the fighting in Korea settled down to a war of attrition. Ceasefire negotiations were begun at the village of

Panmunjom Panmunjom, also known as Panmunjeom, now located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea or Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, was a village just north of the ''de facto'' border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korean A ...

in the summer of 1951, and they dragged on for two years. During the final combat operation of the war, Lieutenant General

Maxwell D. Taylor Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer and diplomat of the mid-20th century. He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Airborne Division, n ...

(promoted to general 23 June 1953) commanded the Eighth Army. When the

Military Demarcation Line The Military Demarcation Line (MDL), sometimes referred to as the Armistice Line, is the land border or demarcation line between North Korea and South Korea. On either side of the line is the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The MDL and DMZ ...

was finally agreed to by the

Korean Armistice Agreement The Korean Armistice Agreement ( ko, 한국정전협정 / 조선정전협정; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a complete cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United S ...

, South Korea and North Korea continued on as separate states.

Guarding Korea

Eighth United States Army memorial (South Korea) 001

During the

aftermath of the Korean War The aftermath of the Korean War set the tone for Cold War tension between all the superpowers. The Korean War was important in the development of the Cold War, as it showed that the two superpowers, United States and Soviet Union, could fight a " ...

, the Eighth Army remained in South Korea. By the 1960s, I Corps, consisting of the 7th Infantry Division and the 2nd Infantry Division, remained as part of the Eighth Army. Then, in 1971, the 7th Infantry Division was withdrawn, along with the command units of I Corps, which were moved across the Pacific Ocean to Fort Lewis,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. Later, in March 1977, a memo from President Jimmy Carter said "...American forces will be withdrawn. Air cover will be continued." Bureaucratic resistance from the Executive Branch, with support in Congress, eventually saw the proposal watered down. Eventually one combat battalion and about 2,600 non-combat troops were withdrawn. This left the 2nd Infantry Division at the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone ( Korean: ; Hanbando Bimujang Jidae) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in ...

to assist the

South Korean Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...

. Besides forming a trip-wire against another North Korean invasion, the 2nd Infantry Division remained there as the only Army unit in South Korea armed with

tactical nuclear weapon A tactical nuclear weapon (TNW) or non-strategic nuclear weapon (NSNW) is a nuclear weapon that is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations, mostly with friendly forces in proximity and perhaps even on contested friendly territo ...

s. (Otherwise, there is only the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

in South Korea and on

Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...

.) All nuclear weapons were taken from the Army to be under Air Force control. Later, in 1991, all U.S. nuclear weapons were removed from South Korea.

Organization 1989

At the end of the

Eighth Army consisted of the following units: * Eighth United States Army CSIB

Eighth Army,

Yongsan Garrison Yongsan Garrison ( ko, 용산기지; Hanja: ), meaning "dragon hill garrison," is an area located in the Yongsan District of central Seoul, South Korea. The site served as the headquarters for U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea, known ...

** Headquarters & Headquarters Company ** 2nd Infantry Division SSI (full color)

2nd Infantry Division, Camp Casey ** 17AvnBdeSSI

17th Aviation Brigade, Camp Coiner *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 4th Battalion, 58th Aviation (Air Traffic Control), Camp Coiner *** 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation (Assault), Camp Coiner ( UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters) *** 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation (Medium Lift), Camp Coiner ( CH-47D Chinook helicopters) *** 4th Battalion, 501st Aviation (Attack),

Camp Page Camp Page also known as K-47 Air Base was a former US Army base located near Chuncheon, South Korea which was closed on 1 April 2005. It enclosed 157.2 acres in North Central South Korea, near Chuncheon City, 48 miles north of Seoul, in the Kangw ...

( AH-1F Cobra & OH-58C Kiowa helicopters) *** 5th Battalion, 501st Aviation (Attack), Camp Coiner (AH-1F Cobra & OH-58C Kiowa helicopters) ** Emblem of 1st Signal Brigade (United States)

Emblem of 1st Signal Brigade (United States)

1st Signal Brigade, Camp Humphreys *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 36th Signal Battalion *** 41st Signal Battalion *** 304th Signal Battalion,

Camp Colbern Camp Colbern, in Hanam-shi near Seoul, Republic of Korea, was a U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Arm ...

*** 307th Signal Battalion *** 257th Signal Company, Camp Humphreys ** 8MPBdeSSI

8th Military Police Brigade (Provisional), Camp Coiner *** Headquarters & Headquarters Company *** 94th Military Police Battalion ***

728th Military Police Battalion The 728th Military Police Battalion performs Military Police operations to allow for United States forces to move freely through an assigned area. The Battalion also provides law and order to all installations within United States Army Garrison ...

501st Military Intelligence Brigade (Provisional), Yongsan Garrison *** Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment *** 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), Camp Humphreys *** 524th Military Intelligence Battalion (Human Intelligence) *** 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion (Intelligence & Electronic Warfare) *** 751st Military Intelligence Battalion (Counterintelligence), Camp Humphreys ** 18MedicalCmdSSI

18th Medical Command, Seoul (the following peacetime listing is incomplete) *** Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment *** 52nd Medical Battalion *** 121st Combat Support Hospital, Camp Humphreys ** 19thESCshoulder

19th Support Command,

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

(the following peacetime listing is incomplete) *** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** Special Troops Battalion *** 20th Area Support Group, Camp Henry **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** 23rd Area Support Group, Camp Humphreys **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company **** 194th Maintenance Battalion **** 227th Maintenance Battalion **** Company A, 3rd Battalion 501st Aviation (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance), Camp Humphreys **** Company A, 3rd Battalion, 501st Aviation (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance), Camp Humphreys *** 25th Transportation Center (Movement Control), Yongsan Garrison **** 21st Transportation Company (Command Transport), Yongsan Garrison **** 46th Transportation Company, Camp Carroll *** 34th Area Support Group, Seoul **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** 501st Corps Support Group,

Camp Red Cloud Camp Red Cloud (CRC, ko, 캠프 레드 클라우드) was a United States Army camp located in the city of Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). CRC is being returned to the South Korean government. The installation w ...

**** Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** 8th Personnel Command *** 516th Personnel Service Company ** 175th Finance Center *** 176th Finance Support Unit *** 177th Finance Support Unit ** 23rd Chemical Battalion ** 44th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), Camp Mercer ** 8th Army Band

Recent times

In 2003, plans were announced to move the 2nd Infantry Division southward. As of 2015, it appears that one brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division will remain at Camp Casey, near

Dongducheon Dongducheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The city, to the north of Seoul, is strategically important for the defense of the Korean capital. The main camps of the United States Second Infantry Division are in the city, and the d ...

. The headquarters of the Eighth Army was

, but moved southward to

by 2019. In April 2017 the Eighth Army headquarters began its move from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys and held a ceremony to relocate a statue of General Walton Walker.

Current organization

Eighth Army, USAG Humphreys ** Eighth Army Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion ** 2d Infantry Division (Joint

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

) *** 2d Infantry Division Combined Division Staff (Joint

and

) *** Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion *** Rotational Stryker Brigade Combat Team ***

210th Field Artillery Brigade The 210th Field Artillery Brigade, also known as "the Thunder," is a U.S. Army field artillery brigade forward deployed in the Republic of Korea. Its mission is "On order, 210th Field Artillery Brigade provides fires in support of ACC Operations ...

**** Headquarters and Headquarters Battery **** 210th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Battery **** 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment **** 6th Battalion,

37th Field Artillery Regiment The 37th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, and parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System. The regiment was first constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army. The regiment served with ...

**** Rotational

M270 MLRS The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS) is an American-developed armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher. The U.S. Army variant of the MLRS vehicle is based on the chassis of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The first M270s ...

Field Artillery Battalion **** 70th Brigade Support Battalion *** Combat Aviation Brigade, 2d Infantry Division **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company **** 2d Battalion (Assault), 2d Aviation Regiment **** 3d Battalion (General Support), 2d Aviation Regiment **** 4th Battalion (Attack), 2d Aviation Regiment **** 5th Squadron (Attack/Reconnaissance),

17th Cavalry Regiment The 17th Cavalry Regiment is a historical organization within the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry after the Pancho Villa Expedition. The unit was constituted on 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army as the 17th Cavalry at ...

**** Company E, 2d Aviation Regiment (

MQ-1C Gray Eagle The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle (previously the Warrior; also called Sky Warrior and ERMP or Extended-Range Multi-Purpose) is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). It was developed by General Atomics Ae ...

) **** 602d Aviation Support Battalion *** 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade **** Headquarters and Headquarters Company **** Special Troops Battalion **** 194th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion ** 1st Signal Brigade, subordinate to 311th Signal Command / US Army Pacific *** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** United States Army Communications Information Systems Activity, Pacific *** 41st Signal Battalion *** 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion ** 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command *** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** 94th Military Police Battalion *** Materiel Support Command Korea **** 6th Ordnance Battalion **** 25th Transportation Battalion **** 498th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion **** Korean Service Corps **

35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade The 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADAB) is an Air Defense Artillery unit of the United States Army subordinate to the Eighth United States Army, located at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea. 35th ADAB has integrated the Terminal High ...

*** Headquarters and Headquarters Battery *** 2d Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

) *** 6th Battalion, 52d Air Defense Artillery Regiment (Patriot) *** Battery D, 2d Air Defense Artillery Regiment (

THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their termina ...

) ** 65th Medical Brigade *** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** 549th Hospital Center *** 168th Medical Battalion (Multifunctional) *** 618th Dental Company *** 106th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Specialist Services) *** U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center – Korea **

501st Military Intelligence Brigade The 501st Military Intelligence Brigade is a United States Army unit, assigned to the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) under the operational control of United States Forces Korea (USFK) located in South Korea. The 501 ...

*** Headquarters and Headquarters Company *** 3d Military Intelligence Battalion *** 368th Military Intelligence Battalion (

US Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 202 ...

), at

Parks Reserve Forces Training Area Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (PRFTA), commonly known as Camp Parks, is a United States Army base located in Dublin, California, that is currently an active military and training center for U.S. Army Reserve personnel to be used in case of ...

, California *** 524th Military Intelligence Battalion *** 532d Military Intelligence Battalion *** 719th Military Intelligence Battalion ** United Nations C Security Battalion, Joint Security Area ** Korean Field Office ** Army Special Operations Forces Liaison Element, Korea ** Joint United States Military Affairs Group, Korea ** Eighth Army

Non-Commissioned Officers A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

Academy ** Training Support Activity, Korea ** 11th Engineer Battalion, subordinate to

130th Engineer Brigade The 130th Engineer Brigade is an engineer brigade of the United States Army headquartered in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii that provides engineering support to the United States Army Pacific. The brigade specializes in combat engineering, construct ...

/ US Army Pacific **

23rd Chemical Battalion The 23d CBRN Battalion is a United States Army Chemical Corps, Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives defense battalion of the United States Army, part of the 2ID Sustainment Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division (U ...

** 4th Airfield Operations Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment ** 2501st Digital Liaison Detachment ** 2502d Digital Liaison Detachment ** 3d Battlefield Coordination Detachment ** United States Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District ** Eighth Army Band Other army units based in South Korea: *

403rd Army Field Support Brigade 403d Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB), headquartered at Camp Henry, Daegu, Republic of Korea, delivers U.S. Army Materiel Enterprise to supported forces throughout the Korean and Japanese Theaters of Operations. The 403d AFSB and its subordinat ...

, Camp Henry, part of Army Sustainment Command ** Army Field Support Battalion - Korea ** Army Field Support Battalion - Northeast Asia * 837th Transportation Battalion, part of 599th Transportation Brigade /

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) is the Army Service Component Command of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) and is a major subordinate command to Army Materiel Command (AMC). This relationship links USTRANSC ...

Specific units

8th Army Band

The 8th Army Band is the official musical unit of the HQ 8th Army and supports

United States Forces Korea United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-ready fighting forces and components under the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) – a ...

and the

United Nations Command United Nations Command (UNC or UN Command) is the multinational military force established to support the Republic of Korea (South Korea) during and after the Korean War. It was the first international unified command in history, and the first ...

. The 62 member band was founded in 1916 as the Band of the 35th Infantry Regiment. During World War II, the band, then known as the 25th Infantry Division Band based out of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, served in the Pacific Theater, being a participant in Central Pacific and Guadalcanal campaigns. It was reorganized in November 1950 and reassigned to the newly formed ROK, the same year the Korean War began. Awards and honors the band has received include the

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...

and two

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

s. Nicknamed ''Freedom's Ambassadors'' due to its

area of responsibility Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and co ...

, it has performed at events such as the

Tattoo, the Gangwon International Tattoo as well as Korean War memorial ceremonies in the country. The Alliance Brass, an ensemble in the 8th Army Band, celebrated its 99th anniversary in

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...

in June 2015 with a concert on

Sükhbaatar Square Sükhbaatar Square ( mn, Сүхбаатарын талбай, pronounced ''Sükhbaatariin Talbai'') is the central square of Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar. The square was named for Mongolian's revolutionary hero Damdin Sükhbaatar after his death ...

Korean Service Corps

The Korean Service Corps was a reserve force composed of South Korean volunteers who were augmented to the 8th Army. They provided labourers who were used to carry ammunition and supplies, and support the overall logistic elements of the army. It is today, a

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

civilian formation that is

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

-sized. Continuing is role as a

combat service support The term combat service support (or CSS) is utilized by numerous military organizations throughout the world to describe entities that provide direct and indirect sustainment services to the groups that engage (or are potentially to be engaged) ...

unit, it is capable of being expanded and mobilized during a wartime situation.

List of commanders

References

* *

External links

Eighth Army – Official Homepage

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eighth Army (United States) 008 Army Military units of the United States Army in South Korea Military units and formations established in 1944 USFldArmy0008