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Aguilar90
06-12-11, 10:37 PM
Anybody stationed there? Im getting stationed there and I keep getting mixed opinions about it, that is the worst place to get stationed at, others say its actually good, whats your opinion? Also.what should I do with my phone before going to Oki? I appreciate everybody's comments Semper Fi devils!

BGW
06-13-11, 02:47 AM
Hard to say, its on a beach so thats nice. But you will be furthest away from everything as possible. I guess for you guys the only thing you can go to is Kin town thats right outside of Hanson. Trying to go down south any futher you wouldnt have time to be able to get back to Schwab before midnight curfew. As far as going north, not so sure. I only have an outside perspect so there might be additional things there that I do not know about.

Riven37
06-13-11, 02:53 AM
I feel sorry for you this is why they call it THE ROCK a real boring place to have duty station. I was there after my tour in Nam late 1970 and now that the japaness have it back check out the new military laws we had more free roam back in the day specially in the small towns but those towns are no longer small today. Again, sorry kid take your duty station on the chin and apply for another place if you can.

thewookie
06-13-11, 07:20 AM
Great diving right off base. Range has tar/cement firing lines, so you can get into a good tight shooting position (shot my best qual day score on Schwab - 242) I was their last in 94 - I am sure it's gotten nicer as far as creature comforts go.

Have fun. Look for the 92 year old mama san with no teeth -- gum job. :banana:

jp2usmc
06-13-11, 08:04 AM
It's what you make of it.

Is this your first duty station? If so, you'll do just fine. You just get 100% into being a Marine with no distractions.

If you have a ****ty outlook on it, you'll have a ****ty time.

Do yourself a long-term favor: Instead of drinking like most the other Marines will be doing (like I did), get a paddy certified with diving and you'll have a blast and a skill you can enjoy the rest of your life.

EDIT: Looks like the board filters out the "sheat" word.

03Mike
06-13-11, 01:02 PM
Anybody stationed there? Im getting stationed there and I keep getting mixed opinions about it, that is the worst place to get stationed at, others say its actually good, whats your opinion? Also.what should I do with my phone before going to Oki? I appreciate everybody's comments Semper Fi devils!


Are you going as part of a UDP or are you assigned there as permanent personnel?

If UDP, enjoy your brief stay, because you'll be off base (and off island) as much as you are on base.

If you are permanent personnel, well, go into it with the idea of enjoying your time as well.

As mentioned, great scuba diving off Schwab (and almost all of Oki). If you are not certified to dive, plan on getting your certification there.

Don't ignore the opportunity to learn some of the history. Schwab is right in the AO of where the 6th MarDiv did some heavy fighting - especially right across the island on the Motobu peninsula and the city of Nago. Likewise, plan to head south to visit some other Marine battlefields (including Shuri).

Bottom line - much of Oki is what you make it.

txrona
06-13-11, 01:29 PM
I was stationed there for a month just before we went to Nam so I didn't get to see much of it also there for a week after rotating out of Nam. :yes: :beer:

radio relay
06-13-11, 04:17 PM
Spent about six months at Schwab, with 7th Comm, also after Vietnam. Loved it! Great part of the island. Right on the ocean, if you like to swim, fish, go boating in the ocean, or dive, and great hiking in the hills close by, too.

The little fishing village of Henoko, is within walking distance of the base, and Nago, the biggest city in the north island, is a 15 minute bus ride. Kinn, Kadena AFB, and Naha (the capitol) isn't all that far away, in the southern end. Maybe a 30 minute taxi ride.

I'm sure there are a bunch of things that have changed, but probably a lot of things ares still the same.

msmith7388
06-13-11, 04:40 PM
iTS allright. Like thay all said it does have a great beach. Henoko the little vill just outside the gate is the typical militay ville. Bars and you know what. Leave your Phone at home as well as any class ring or anything of value becuse you will be tempted to pawn them whe the money runs short. They have a MARS station or at least they used to and its free. Remember 1 thing Treat the People in the ville like humans and they will treat you fine. Semper Fi and good luck Marine. SSgt M Smith

MOS4429
06-13-11, 04:53 PM
I spent a year on Oki from 83-84. Your experience will totally depend on what you want out of it. Oki is known as the rock. It is anything but a rock. There are great beaches, tropical gardens, jungles, cities, town, villages and there is a lot to do. If you are a grunt, you will be busy and won't have to worry much about it and will most likely go on float. If you are going to be assigned as permanent personnel, take advantage of the opportunity. I knew Marines who said it was boring and nothing to do. They sat around the barracks smoking and the only thing they ever did for excitement was go out and get drunk. If that's your thing, it's there. I was a Sgt and after arriving bought a used bike to get around. I signed up for college classes. In short order I bought an old clunker Toyota and explored the island, from beaches to cliffs to botanical gardens. I played baseball with Oki school children on weekends. Powerlifting was popular then and I worked out several hours a day and competed up and down the Island. Schwab was my first competition. I was at Hansen-Butler but I worked at Foster, Schwab, Kinser, MCAS Futenma, and ever 3 months flew up to Iwakuni. There are beach houses, surfing, diving. I waterskied in the ocean. There is great fishing. Three Marines who worked for me when I arrived, they were on their 3rd year, having extended twice because they liked it so much. Once you get over the initial humidity shock, get settled in, there is a lot to do if you get out and find it. I did a lot of shopping, bought gifts for family back home, went into open air markets, sampled weird food, some that almost made me barf. :sick: Take advantage of all the Marine Corps can provide, whether education, training, job skill, or travel. The year I spent there on an unaccompanied tour went by very fast. I loved it and would have volunteered to go back if I had stayed in. Good luck!

Vandrel
06-13-11, 05:49 PM
I was at Schwab 04-07, wasn't that bad at all. It would have been great to have family housing a little closer then Courtney but oh well. I know when I left in 07 they had approved plans to rebuild the entire camp, new PX (to replace the new one they built in 06) and much more. There was also plans to relocate the MCAS to Schwab and build a new strip up there but I don't think that ever happened (it was around the time that the 46 crashed off-base outside of the strip).

Schwab is what you make of it, if you like great PT runs then that's your place. The gym is great. PFT course blows. The Beachhead (club) is pretty decent when it's open. The theater was remodeled in 06 and not half bad. They had some new'er barracks being constructed when I left that were ok. One of the cool features of Schwab is the rifle range is right outside the gate, so "WHEN" Hansen Range Control actually schedules a rifle range at Schwab you can have a really quick trip to the range. Overall the beach is the best part of Schwab, and in my opinion the best out of all of the bases on Oki.

SGT7477
06-13-11, 08:09 PM
Anybody stationed there? Im getting stationed there and I keep getting mixed opinions about it, that is the worst place to get stationed at, others say its actually good, whats your opinion? Also.what should I do with my phone before going to Oki? I appreciate everybody's comments Semper Fi devils!
Best duty station, they will break your cherry, Semper Fidelis.:D

koedyker89
06-20-11, 03:00 AM
by far the worst base on okinawa, a boring base to be at. theres nothing around. but it is only $100 round trip taxi ride from the 2nd largest aquairum in the world

Tennessee Top
06-20-11, 03:47 AM
Did two tours on OKI during my career but I was at Foster/Zukeran/Butler (1st MAW Hq building both times) and never made it up north to Schwab.

I agree that OKI is pretty much what you make of it. You can decide to be miserable and waste your time/money there or you can decide to take advantage of the available opportunities already mentioned. Never did the SCUBA thing but I did play in an intramural softball league and took as many classes at the University of Maryland as I could (paid for by tuition assistance so never cost me a thing...air conditioned classrooms a plus).

Can't answer your question about your phone as back in the day we didn't have cell phones.

Good luck with your tour of duty on The Rock.

koedyker89
06-20-11, 05:14 AM
Did two tours on OKI during my career but I was at Foster/Zukeran/Butler (1st MAW Hq building both times) and never made it up north to Schwab.

I agree that OKI is pretty much what you make of it. You can decide to be miserable and waste your time/money there or you can decide to take advantage of the available opportunities already mentioned. Never did the SCUBA thing but I did play in an intramural softball league and took as many classes at the University of Maryland as I could (paid for by tuition assistance so never cost me a thing...air conditioned classrooms a plus).

Can't answer your question about your phone as back in the day we didn't have cell phones.

Good luck with your tour of duty on The Rock.

This made me realize that I didnt say anything good bout oki. Scuba diving/snorkeling is amazing in oki and just for that im glad i went, and if you are into car thats another nice thing. There are cars in Japan that you will never see in the US. South is the place to be but there are a lot of cool things to see north but you need a license and being so young its about 99% sure you wont get one.

jp2usmc
06-20-11, 08:32 AM
Cars, if I remember correctly, were crazy expensive to own. Not to buy, though! Just that $4000 registration and $20/gallon gasoline on a $600 car was freakin' insane!

Vandrel
06-20-11, 08:56 AM
You can purchase cars anywhere from $1 to $50,000 and up. Just depends on what you are looking for and where you get it from. 99% of the time if you buy from another service member who's got orders to PCS, you can snag their car for around $500, sometimes even a case of beer.

Vehicle registration isn't to bad, the JCI is the most expensive part. JCI is a in/out inspection of the car to ensure it's road worthy, the absolute rough price for this inspection can cost around $500 and can be done at just about any auto shop on the island. Road tax is a annual fee and is generally April to April and costs between $30 to $120, depending on the vehicle (higher factory rated horsepower vehicles pay a higher fee) and is based on your license plate number (ie: plates 10-50 are "K" cars or "yellow plates" and are the cheapest, much like eco-green cars in the U.S. and 300-800 plates are around $120 for higher performance cars).

If you buy a car while there it's best to find one at the lemon lot on Kadena just a block from the main PX/BX. Find one that's got a fresh JCI with close to 2 years left and don't spend over $2,000. Biggest mistake that people always do is buy a car that they have to JCI, they pay to much for the car and then when they have to leave they can't get rid of it to make their money back. There's plenty of cars out there for cheap and also expensive ones. Average price for a decent condition car at a private dealership out there is around $4,000.

Most dealerships will offer things such as, small body repair prior to purchase, JCI, plates, and sometimes paint. Basically, if you decide to go this route you can show up at one of these lots and drive away with a car and a temp plate until your real plate arrives at the dealer, all paperwork handled by them, etc.

Car insurance is another funny expense there. Americans "Y plates" are required to carry auto insurance from 3rd party companies located on Okinawa. No, you cannot use USAA or any insurance in the U.S. Most commonly used companies are ACE and another I cannot recall the name at this moment, but their offices are near Camp Foster on the top floor of the hobby shop and just outside the legion gate of Foster where the American Legion is located. Prices vary for these services but generally do not cost much at all, maybe around $68-$100 for 6 months of coverage, they also handle title transfers if you sell your car. Insurance is pretty flakey, don't expect to walk away from a auto accident with cash in hand, 99% of the time if it's a accident involving a Okinawan, expect to get ass raped in fines and fees.

Lastly, stay away from Drifting. There's various orders between the CG at Foster and Kadena who have prohibitted drifting and classify it as a serious offense. Example, Cpl that worked with me attended one of these events (not at the bull-ring or Nago circuit), PMO and JP's drove around taking note of license plates, he got a phone call at the 2 shop to inform him that his license was being revoked in Okinawa and he had to show up for traffic court. Very very strict rules out there regarding this sport and it's always best to just stay away from it unless it's a real event at a real track (which there's only 1 on the island, bull-ring doesn't count).

koedyker89
06-20-11, 01:06 PM
Defiantly not that much. There is not fee to register if the car is plated. but every two years JCI is a couple hundred and insurance is like a hundred a month for a sports car it's way cheap to have a car in oki

jp2usmc
06-20-11, 04:08 PM
LOL. I guess I made a lot less $$$ back then as an E1 and E2. I just remembered it was outrageous. The costs you are quoting doesn't seem like so much today, but it sure did at the time (over 20 years ago).

Vandrel
06-20-11, 07:01 PM
These days a good condition 1993-1998 will run you around $2,500 at a private honcho dealer. 1999-2002 depending on the model, anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. Newer cars will carry a newer car price tag minus about $10,000 on the U.S. market price. Older cars, pre 1986 and older, anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000. The more "classic" cars around $20,000 and up.

http://www.o-cross.net/ is a good source to seach the honcho dealerships. Just remember the red price tag online is in JPY, so something that says 7.9 in red means 790,000 Yen or "basically" $7,800.

JWG
06-21-11, 07:38 AM
Either cancel your phone in the states, or put it on military suspension so you can re-activate it when you visit the States and return after your tour of duty overseas.

Your phone and data will rack up an enormous roaming fee over here!

You can use Softbank in Japan, wait till they come out with their 'calls to the States' plan. Comes out every 2-3 months as a special. I wouldn't get suckered in to the iPhone plan they have. Waste of money.

Doc Monty
06-24-11, 11:22 AM
I was there in the late 80's, when the bowling alley, movie theater and just about all the rest of the buildings were being remodeled. Learn to dive, Oki has some of the best dives around. I use to enjoy going into Henoko, the little village outside of Camp Schwab. I had my first (of many) habu saki's there.

fvtreybal
05-05-13, 07:26 PM
I was in Oki in 1973. I had my choice between Hansen and Schwab and chose Schwab. One of these comments said that is the best place to be a Marine and I agree. That's pretty much all you have to do --- and its really great (when you look back on it). I really got to be a Marine with not many other distractions. I made great friends. Henoko was a fine little town with very good places to eat (and drink). I liked it very much and would chose that camp again. There were things to do, by the way. Great duty station when I look back at the rest of my Marine service. I hope you had a good time!

Ceya
05-10-13, 01:56 AM
Been to the base too many times.
As UDP and Permanet personnel.

Go to you tube, there are plenty of vids of how it looks today.

USO there is the best on the Island.

Recon Point used to sit there watching the water,
4th Marines Regt HQ ( no longer there) .
Old racket ball down by the theater is gone.
Old E club is gone
LZ Schwab was leveled off, those who remeber the old set up, rocky.


They have a all girl college outside of base now.

I like Schwab out of all the bases I was stationed at in Oki, it was my first.

MilitaryRugged
10-22-13, 07:04 PM
My son is headed to Schwab in a few weeks. First duty station, 3rd CAB. Thanks for all the advice here! Hope he learns to dive!

Ceya
10-28-13, 01:29 PM
My son is headed to Schwab in a few weeks. First duty station, 3rd CAB. Thanks for all the advice here! Hope he learns to dive!

It's CAB - Combat Assault Bn 3rd Marine Divison.

I was with them three on UDPs.

S/F,
CEYA!

VINCE8541
10-29-13, 07:14 AM
I was stationed there in 1983 and loved it. There is beaches all around. I would go back in a heartbeat. I got in the best shape of my life on Camp Schwab. The 3 mile PT run is almost all down hill.

VINCE8541
10-29-13, 07:16 AM
Also There used to be a bar called the Dollhouse outside the base in 1983 Whiskey was cheaper than the beer.

Ceya
10-30-13, 11:03 PM
Update.. 4th Marines is still there but old HQ building gone.

But LZ Schwab is gone and alot of other stuff.

Seen pics all I can say is WOW!



Been to the base too many times.
As UDP and Permanent personnel.

Go to you tube; there are plenty of videos of how it looks today.

USO there is the best on the Island.

Recon Point used to sit there watching the water,
4th Marines Regt HQ (no longer there).
Old racket ball down by the theater is gone.
Old E club is gone
LZ Schwab was leveled off, those who remember the old set up, rocky.


They have an all girl college outside of base now.

I like Schwab out of all the bases I was stationed at in Oki, it was my first.

Aguilar90
10-12-15, 04:15 AM
It's been over years since I created this post and here is a follow up. I ended up staying in Schwab for four years (liked it that much). I got to experience full libo when i got a gold card but went away in 2012 when two sailors raped a local. Never got into the whole scuba diving thing but know many friends who did and they loved it. Got a car and a map of Okinawa, on the weekends i'd pick a random spot on the map and go to it. Before getting the car i would use the public bus (yen bus) a lot cheaper than the taxis (honchos). During my time, i met many Marines that hated their time there, and met some that loved it. At the end of the day it came down to what their outlook was. I'm glad that i had a positive experience and thanks to all of you that gave me advice when i needed it!

jrohr
10-15-15, 12:49 PM
Thanks for the interesting four year perspective on your experience of going to and time spent at Schwab. I'm glad you enjoyed your time so much. I went to Okie, but was down south at Foster in 79-80. I only got up north when I went to the rifle range, so I couldn't have given much advice on that part of the island.

mexbearlll
10-15-15, 10:35 PM
What is a Gold Card for liberty ???