Chances at being stationed in Okinawa

[MarineNoob]

Hi question!
I am about to enlist and wanted to know what were my chances of being
stationed in Okinawa, especially with the movement coming up to Guam(well actually that's not true anymore, minister of japan just delayed the descision, ****ed washington big time, so it may not even happen since they are starting to question this entire thing)
Also what MOS are needed the most and what is the typical job lifestyle in
Okinawa? My wishlist is Okinawa most of all and i don't really know what MOS is most needed and least needed. I will be going in as an MOS 0311 i do have some goals set for the later future but that's not important)


Last but not least i do understand they put you where they need you, not where i want but still, just wondering.

[StoneTheWeak]

Roll of the dice, there is no magic trick to getting stationed at Okinawa.


But how about you worry about bootcamp first there, thing. You're a long ways off from even worrying about a permanent duty station. It's not up to you anyways, needs of the Marine Corps.

[MarineNoob]

next question! what's the minimum time i can serve active? i know total it's 8 years active/reserve but whats the minimum i can go active? is it 3 or 4 years? Also let's say i do 4 years active, 4 years reserve, and i find out i like being in the active millitary so much, can i keep being active or do i have to go reserve? Is it possible to go from active, reserve, active?

[Hamelink83]

If you go 03, your not going to be on Okinawa. Most (if not all) of 3rd MarDiv's grunts are on Hawaii. The combat units here are CAB (engineers, trackers, LAR), 3rd Recon, and 3/12 arty.

Yes, if you want to stay active longer than 4 years, you can re-up.

[Vandrel]

Yup don't bet on going to Okinawa. There's a lot of units in Oki, mostly support and logistical MOS related stuff but there's also the Wingers and some Grunts. Best chances to get there would be Admin, Comm or Motor-T, there's 7th Comm at Camp Hansen and TSB at Foster. There are many other areas but those are the most common. Don't bet on Engineers, LAR or AAV's because Combat Assault Battalion at Camp Schwab is mainly a UDP unit that has only 2 companies that are permanent personnel (H&S and CEC). CAB is a very unique unit and has several month long field ops and mini-deployments in support of excersises accross the Pacific. In the 3+ years I was with CAB we had several Cobra Gold events to Thailand, KITP to Korea each year, the MEU, Fuji, and more. Plus there are always trips to Iwo Jima that CAB has seats to each year.

Again, Okinawa is hit or miss but it's a good time if you get there. If I could I would pack up my family and move back there. The only reason I got stationed there was because I demanded it on a reenlistment and got the hookup through the senior enlisted drug deal network, lol. From 2004-2007 I was one of the only 1833's permanently stationed there aside from a MSgt and MGySgt and a few field grade Officers from the MOS.