U.S. Army Capt. Joseph Chong, an intelligence officer with United States Army Japan, poses for a photo during Yama Sakura 85 at Camp Higashi-Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan, Dec. 5, 2023. Chong is a first-generation Korean American and is the first member of his family to serve in the U.S. military. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Austin Robertson) ()
When Capt. Joseph Chong joined the U.S. military, he was the first person in his family to do so. Unlike many other Americans who join to follow in a family member's footsteps, Chong chose to blaze his own path of military service.
Chong joined the U.S. Army nearly nine years ago and serves as an intelligence officer with the United States Army Japan. He currently works at Camp Higashi-Chitose in Hokkaido, Japan, supporting Yama Sakura 85 alongside his Japanese and Australian counterparts in the Opposing Forces (OPFOR) cell. He chose to join the Army to travel the world and serve the nation that he felt treated his immigrant family so well.
Chong's family immigrated from Korea to the United States before his birth. Chong said his father was a businessman and pursued the opportunity to move to America.
Chong grew up with a brother, and he said his parents raised them in a mixture of Korean and American culture.
"Growing up in the U.S. and understanding the cultural differences in being raised in a Korean household mixed with American culture made it a very interesting upbringing," said Chong.
Chong's family endorsed his decision to join the military and has supported him every step of the way during his career.
"My family is very supportive of my Army career," he said. "It is an opportunity to give back to the country that allowed my family to be successful."
While serving in the Army, Chong has served at multiple bases worldwide, including Korea, his parents' home country.
"Being able to go to Korea and really immerse myself in the Korean culture, which I rebelled against as a first immigrant child in America, really put me in touch with my heritage, and it would have never been a possibility without the Army," he said.
Although his military career has taken him to the far corners of the world, his life started in North Carolina, where he went until elementary school. His family then decided on a change and moved to Florida, where he went to middle school.
As Chong prepared to graduate high school, his mind was set on enlisting in the Army, but his uncle and a few other family members convinced him to go to college first.
"They wanted me to go to college," he said. "They just wanted me to weigh the options before I made up my mind out of high school."
He attended the University of South Florida on a full-ride Army ROTC scholarship and graduated after three years. He then commissioned into the Army as a military intelligence officer.
Chong's first unit was the 3rd Armored Brigade, Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado, where he went on a nine-month rotation to Poland for Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Now serving with USAR-J, Chong has had the opportunity to support multiple joint exercises around Japan, including a few iterations of Yama Sakura. As a part of the U.S. Army Pacific's Operation Pathways, the 43rd iteration of Yama Sakura, YS-85, is the first U.S. Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and Australian Army command post exercise based in Japan. Participants from the JGSDF and the Australian Army train together with Soldiers of the U.S. Army I Corps, 7th Infantry Division, 11th Airborne Division, U.S. Army Japan, U.S. Army Reserve, and U.S. Army National Guard in a Joint environment to strengthen multi-domain and cross-domain interoperability and readiness to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Chong's service, especially during these joint exercises, has made an impression on those around him..
"Captain Chong is the center of gravity of the OPFOR cell for this exercise," said U.S. Army Col. Alan Throop, the U.S. OPFOR director. "From day one, he has leveraged his knowledge and lessons learned from last year's Yama Sakura exercise to assist the cell to integrate with the JGSDF OPFOR members and set the model for exercise control to enhance bilateral cooperation and cohesion."
Chong attributes his strong work ethic and desire for excellence to his family and upbringing. Although he loves his work with the U.S. Army, he is starting to look forward to what the future might hold for him.
"I am at a crossroads in my career," he explained. "My board is opening up for major in a few months, so I am trying to figure out if I want to continue serving or do I want to transition into the reserves."
No matter his choice, Chong will continue to serve his country in one capacity or another.
"This is something I can do to give back," he said. "I don't see myself doing anything else."
Chong attributes this desire to continue service to his parents and the struggles he watched them overcome.
"My parents immigrated from Korea to the United States," he said. "Seeing my parents pack up and move overseas is very difficult."
Chong said he never forgets what his life could have been like if his parents never came to the States and is thankful for the opportunities that they provided him.
"I was blessed and fortunate to be born in the U.S. and a U.S. citizen," he said.
