The ban on alcohol for airmen newly arriving at bases in South Korea will drop from 30 days to 14 days on Monday.

The former 7th Air Force commander set the 30-day alcohol ban last July, as part of a new "Korean Readiness Orientation" policy. The policy sought to indoctrinate airmen who were newly assigned to South Korea "with the highest standards of readiness, safety, health, welfare, good order and discipline."

In a memo posted on the 7th Air Force website, current 7th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy said that under the new KRO policy, incoming airmen are barred from purchasing or drinking alcohol for their first 14 days in South Korea. The new rules take effect Feb. 16, the 7th said.

"Previously, the KRO period was 30 days, but commanders, supervisors, and leaders at all levels have demonstrated that more than 95 percent of airmen can complete this orientation in 14 days or less — rapidly increasing 'fight tonight' readiness among airmen in Korea," O'Shaughnessy said. "As the threat changes, so must our approach to readiness and factors that influence readiness negatively, including alcohol abuse. Our behavior as airmen must represent our Air Force values. This applies on duty and off, and is particularly true of leaders at all levels."

The original KRO policy also required airmen to go through a 7th Air Force mission brief, a U.S. Forces Korea intelligence estimate and operations plan review, anti-terrorism/force protection briefings, unit-specific mission orientations, goals development planning for young officers and enlisted airmen, sexual assault prevention and response training, and alcohol awareness training within their first 30 days. Airmen were also encouraged to tour the demilitarized zone as part of the first-month orientation.

Except for the goals development planning — which was not listed in O'Shaughnessy's memo — those activities remain in place, but now must be completed in two weeks.

"Previously, the KRO period was 30 days, but commanders, supervisors, and leaders at all levels have demonstrated that more than 95 percent of airmen can complete this orientation in 14 days or less -- rapidly increasing 'fight tonight' readiness among airmen in Korea," O'Shaughnessy said. "As the threat changes, so must our approach to readiness and factors that influence readiness negatively, including alcohol abuse. Our behavior as airmen must represent our Air Force values. This applies on duty and off, and is particularly true of leaders at all levels."

When he initially set the alcohol ban last year, former 7th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas stressed airmen's responsibility to behave respectably.

"We are guests here and not only do our actions matter, they have strategic implications," Jouas said. "This is a fresh start to change the tone in Korea and leave a culture that is better than how we found it."

The policy applies to all Air Force personnel assigned to or attached for duty to the 7th Air Force, its subordinate units, and Air Force tenant units in South Korea. It does not apply to airmen assigned to the U.S. embassy in Seoul, the Air Force element of Headquarters U.S. Forces Korea, or U.S. Special Operations Command Korea.

It also does not apply to airmen on temporary duty for less than 60 days, or who are there for training events or exercises.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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