View Full Version : Okinawa
irizavrima
02-19-07, 11:30 PM
im leaving either this june or july for recruit training and i wont be stationed for about a good 8 or 9 months...and from what i heard the MCB at Okinawa is shutting down. My question is...will this base still be an option to me considering that I have a geographic incentive on my enlistment contract?
jryanjack
02-20-07, 07:24 AM
Had not heard that Oki was closing - they may be closing some of the bases there, but I doubt all of them. If I recall correctly there are 3-4 Marine bases there - Foster, Feutema, Hansen, and ?
Marine84
02-20-07, 08:01 AM
You might be lucky and get sent to the mainland - Iwakuni was a BLAST dude!
bigdog43701
02-20-07, 08:15 AM
jryan...u thinking SCHWAB
killerinstinct
02-20-07, 09:16 AM
You might be lucky and get sent to the mainland - Iwakuni was a BLAST dude!
OH GIMME SOME OF THAT CALIFORNIA CHICKEN.. MMMMMMMMM
I had not heard that schwab was closing but maybe. Okinawa is not a base it is an island. The Japanese equivilant to Hawaii. As far as the whole dang thing getting shut down.... I doubt it. There are camps. Camp Courtney, Camp Hansen, Camp Foster, Camp Fuetemna, Camp Schwab. The Army has a couple bases there and of course there is Kadena. They have pretty much got em down to training with blanks out there.
irizavrima
02-20-07, 11:54 PM
it would be nice to get shipped overseas and experience life in a different culture...are there any other overseas locations that are any fun?
Echo_Four_Bravo
02-21-07, 12:10 AM
The Marine Corps doesn't have a ton of bases in other nations. We deploy on ships, not to bases. That said, if you want to experience other cultures be a good Marine and get accepted to MSG duty. Those people are just about everywhere.
CourtneyMP
02-21-07, 05:25 AM
Alright,
I am currently an MP stationed on Camp Courtney, MCB, Camp Smedley D. Butler . . . none of the bases are going to be shutting down due to the fact that every base out here has its own job to do, Cp Foster is the main base, everything runs through it, MCAS Futenma is for all air defense, Cp Courtney and Mctureous are family housing and 3MEF/3MarDiv, Cp Hansen and Schwab are the bases that house and train all 03xx fields, Cp Kinser is all wearhouses . . . none of these bases are closing any time soon, this Island is the direct defense of Japan and the United States from any Asian Countries.
CourtneyMP:iwo:
millar123
03-10-07, 07:04 AM
I am stationed in Okinawa now and it is awesome the culture is some much more different than in the states, the locals are much more respective to us then those in the the states. If you come out here i am sure you will like it.
Marine84
03-10-07, 07:47 AM
I am stationed in Okinawa now and it is awesome the culture is some much more different than in the states, the locals are much more respective to us then those in the the states.
WOW! Must be different on that little island - on the mainland in Iwakuni, there were places we couldn't get into because we were American. I remember going to Hiroshima and getting turned around at the door because I had round eyes. That's why it's always a good thing to have a Japanese National as a friend that CAN get you into places. And the girls that work the bars..................OMG! They HATED us WMs because they thought we were trying to cut into their "business" - once they got to know some of us and figured out that we WEREN'T trying to take their "business", they were cool.
Different cultures will make you appreciate the hell out of the one you come from. I NEVER could get a steak cooked right over there! I NEVER got used to the binjo(sp) ditches and it's HELL trying to stay out of one when you're drunk! I had several Japanese women come up and grab a handfull of boob and say "takson" (a lot) and the SMELL of the whole place! I always heard it was a crematory that I was smelling - I don't know what it was but it stank to the high heavens! I was soooooooooo happy to FINALLY get back to the United States - when I landed at LAX and got outside, I literally got down on my hands and knees and KISSED the concrete - I was a happy camper!
killerinstinct
03-10-07, 11:01 PM
I am stationed in Okinawa now and it is awesome the culture is some much more different than in the states, the locals are much more respective to us then those in the the states. If you come out here i am sure you will like it.
MAMASON this buy me drinkie chick isnt putting out:beer:
mrob7781
03-10-07, 11:27 PM
you got that one right killerinstinct! more times than not when you bought mamason a double shot of whiskey for a good buck, she was actually drinking a coke!!! didn't take long to get wise to that....
killerinstinct
03-10-07, 11:31 PM
you got that one right killerinstinct! more times than not when you bought mamason a double shot of whiskey for a good buck, she was actually drinking a coke!!! didn't take long to get wise to that....
LOL yup we figured that out 15 dolla drinkie 20 dolla wine.. we just started putting our drinks in hers when she wasnt looking
semperfiman
03-10-07, 11:42 PM
i was stationed at camp courtney 1972 73 had a great time gotta get back one day
mrob7781
03-10-07, 11:46 PM
I was in oki. in the early 80's,I would imagine that alot has changed. I found it to be a great experience[did my NCO academy there] if you can get to other parts of the island... try to stay away from bc street or whisper alley!!!!!!some times BAD news
Marine84
03-11-07, 08:13 AM
MAMASON this buy me drinkie chick isnt putting out:beer:
LOL!
Sgt Leprechaun
03-11-07, 03:40 PM
I did 2 6 month rotations into Iwakuni with the wing in the 80's...had a blast. Never did a full pump on 'the rock' tho...since we were fixed wing fast movers, we did time at Kadena....AF was a whole 'nother world there....
Camp Futenma is supposed to close but not til they finish the rest of the new strip in Hanoko ( Camp Schwab). Camp Lester is half gone , may totally gone now.
S/F,
CEYA!
81s
Alright,
I am currently an MP stationed on Camp Courtney, MCB, Camp Smedley D. Butler . . . none of the bases are going to be shutting down due to the fact that every base out here has its own job to do, Cp Foster is the main base, everything runs through it, MCAS Futenma is for all air defense, Cp Courtney and Mctureous are family housing and 3MEF/3MarDiv, Cp Hansen and Schwab are the bases that house and train all 03xx fields, Cp Kinser is all wearhouses . . . none of these bases are closing any time soon, this Island is the direct defense of Japan and the United States from any Asian Countries.
CourtneyMP:iwo:
Courtney has changed now, I lived in Brks 4433 part of 6 grunts living there.
I seen pics of the new chow hall across from the barracks. It was better than walking over to the old one, more like Camp Schwab before they redid theirs by the old supply house.
S/F,
CEYA!
mrob7781
03-12-07, 12:18 AM
what are the barracks like now? at cp schwab. do they still have the old Q-huts ?
No Q huts there any more at Schwab only some at Camp Fuji. I stayed in them at Fuji for awhile while posted for duty. Only 3 remain.
Remember alot changed after the great fire on Camp Fuji 19 Oct 1979 during Typhoon Tip. That when major change came with the Quoset huts.
Hansen had some still up and the old Bulter barracks too.
S/F,
CEYA!
Always remember 19 Oct 1979.
hmckinley
03-12-07, 04:03 AM
Okinawa is the Third Marine Division, and if anything close's down it't because the Marine Corp's is replacing it with something better to get the job done. I hardly think that part's of Pendleton or Lejune would be completly zapped into another zip code. The Third Marine Air Wing is in Iwakuni, so they're all right there in the same area ready to mount out and do what Marine's ar far.
spwilliams7236
03-17-07, 12:46 PM
There has been a little resistance to building the "floating air station" in the bay near Henoko. I think they're moving most of the Division to Guam and moving the Wing up to Schwab. Suits me just fine.....Good views from the Harley up there, if you know what I mean.
I spent 3 years at MCAS Futenma. Was my 1st & 3rd duty assignment. Absolutely loved it. Check out the izakaya's down in the Chatan & Ginowan City areas. One is called Sai (over by Jusco in Chatan Town) and one is toward Futenma from the Ginowan Convention Center (same road as the Western Steakhouse), its name is Ryusukokorai (or some such name). During the summer Rai (the second one) has beer specials, I know this will warm you old salts hearts, for 10 yen a draft. So for about 5 bucks you can get torn down. You just have to memorize the times that the prices go up, because they won't tell you. But regardless if you go there with about $20 in yen, you can definitely stomp some brain cells.
Scuba diving is another big thing in Okinawa. Dive classes are cheap, starting at about $120 for Basic Open Water. There are dive trips all over the Ryukyu Islands (the Kerama Islands are really nice).
There are some places to eat out in town that really cater to americans. Sam's is one of them. There is Sam's by the Sea, Sam's Anchor Inn, Maui and Sam's Cafe. I recommend these if you want some american style food with a little Japanese twist to it. (Complete with the smiling Japanese teppanyaki cook with the tall hat, throwing knives, and spinning salt shaker). I've only been hit by food once or twice, so they are pretty good. Just hopefully they don't toss a knife my way anytime soon, might make my agent-orange act up and I'll get the urge to kill ;)
Some pretty good nightclubs there in the area. Fujiyama's is always pretty good (live bands, usually metal). Good Times isn't all that bad, I mean its not a drinky bar. Shooters is pretty good. Down in Naha, there is an R&B joint called Slums, and it lives up to the name, but its not a bad place to party. Then there was the big Techno/Rap/Everything club that gets the name changed every 10 minutes. It used to be called "The Bump" when I first got there in 99. Then when I came back a year later it was called "Be Greens". I got no idea what its called now, but it wasn't that bad.
On the club thing, take care nursing your watch, you have to be on base by Midnight. They have the cinderella liberty thing going on.
If I think of anything else, I'll post it later. Good Luck.
-W
spwilliams7236
03-17-07, 12:52 PM
SH**, I forgot about the Typhoons. I was lucky enough (I guess) to have gone through the largest Typhoon in 50 years there. Supertyphoon Bart in September of 99. Make sure you have a stock of water in your room. Yes, water and not just all sake. The electricity went first, then the water when second. Some food that isn't bad eaten cold would probably be a good idea too. Right before a typhoon isn't the time to go buy it, everyone is doing the exact same thing. The chow halls have generators, but the food is usually crap during typhoons. I mean the modern fighting man can only take so much powdered eggs and rice before he wants to punch the cook in the heart.
SP Williams,
I was there for SuperTyphoon Bart 99, it was crazy. I was on Camp Fuji when it happened. We had 6 twister on base 3 of them near the chowhall. One touched down near the LAV/AAV ramp. We were suppose to head back to Oki for our turnover (UDP)and get ready for Croc 99.
It wasn't the only big one Typhoon Tip in Oct 1979. It did more damage to Japan than Bart.
Marines, Sailors and Japanese civilians either died and got hurt in that Typhoon in 1979.
The Bump..Been there a couple of times.
S/F,
CEYA!
spwilliams7236
03-17-07, 07:48 PM
Yeah, Bart really sucked. We didn't get any twisters, but they said there was 190mph winds on the Air Station. I wasn't a weatherman, but it damn sure seemed like 190. It moved all the cars to one end of the parking lot (I do remember that one). I think the Japanese may have storm proofed the island a little better than before... But then again, I wasn't there in the late 70s early 80s.
DevilDogHEMech
03-18-07, 06:30 AM
I'm just finishing up a two-year tour in Oki on Camp Kinser, I highly recommend coming out here. Yeah, you'll have to put up with some rules that you won't like, but you'll learn to adapt. And it is changing too, definitely different than when I first got here. Some units are going out to Guam or up to mainland in the next few years, but we will always have Camp Foster (the biggest base) and Camps Schwab and Hansen up north with the grunts. The biggest change will be MCAS Futenma getting closed down, my chain of command told us by 2011. So you still have plenty of time. Oh yeah, and that club is still called B-Greens, ain't a bad place. There are clubs and other places to go to all over this island.