The Army barracks there as well as here in Oklahoma, are like living in a public housing project. When I was in Okinawa, our barracks were like prison cells, without the bars.
And according to the Veterans Administration, they're still contaminated with asbestos.
I'm not sure how I should take your tone, so I'll say this: being in the military does not mean that soldiers should be subjected to materials that could harm them for the rest of their life. I lived in better buildings when I was on the skids a few years back. My own father has asbestosis resulting from asbestos used in Navy ships while he was a nuke tech for the Navy, and that was back in the early 80's. ANd myself, both of my sisters and my mother were all exposed to what he brought home from work. So what you're saying is that they just learn to deal with the lead in the water pipes, the asbestos in the building materials, and be good little soldiers and do what they're told...you'll be coughing up blood, have difficulty sleeping, have numerous bouts with pneumonia and cancer, but the VA will take good care of you. And sorry about that little sarin gas thing from the first Gulf war...oops, our bad.And that makes it substandard? It's the military. Cripes, maybe it is time for them to leave if they can"t handle living in private rooms.
Depends on the buildings I think, the overwhelming majority of the barracks here have been built within the past 20 years or so. There mayb e some offices and older structures left but housing? If you have a website of further information could you please put it here? Thanks.
....... being in the military does not mean that soldiers should be subjected to materials that could harm them for the rest of their life. I lived in better buildings when I was on the skids a few years back. My own father has asbestosis resulting from asbestos used in Navy ships while he was a nuke tech for the Navy, and that was back in the early 80's. ANd myself, both of my sisters and my mother were all exposed to what he brought home from work. So what you're saying is that they just learn to deal with the lead in the water pipes, the asbestos in the building materials, and be good little soldiers and do what they're told...you'll be coughing up blood, have difficulty sleeping, have numerous bouts with pneumonia and cancer, but the VA will take good care of you. And sorry about that little sarin gas thing from the first Gulf war...oops, our bad.
There's this website, called "Google," at www.google.com, and you type things into the text box and click on "go" and it shows you all different kinds of stuff pertaining to your search. It's really neat. Try it sometime
I'm not sure how I should take your tone
I think the US should leave country's like Japan especially since we haven't been at war or "war" with them in so many years and they're now more so allies than enemies and everything. I wouldn't mind if there were some of the military left (like maybe a very small handful of bases) and an embassy but I just don't see what the purpose is to have all these military bases there.
Ah SouthernBelle it would be nice but there are so many other issues involved particularly concerning China, Taiwan and North Korea.
The Us presence here has also allowed Japan to develop into the country that it is today.
What bases would you leave and what bases would you suggest they shut?
"I ain't about to go through 300 pages of web links to get your answer."I want to see picture proof.
Well I would keep bases that are closest to civilian life but in reality I would make that be the decision of the leader of Japan (does Japan call them a prime minister?) since they know their military strengths and all.
I also wanted to say I know my answer sounds like a cop-out to the question but that's just my answer. I'm not some military expert and won't pretend to be.
"I ain't about to go through 300 pages of web links to get your answer."
Have a good night.
Compared to back in the early to mid 80's, they have it great and there isn't anything you can say or "prove" to me otherwise.
I've been in the "old" and the "new" it's day and night. I was here in the Marines when you were in Elementary School or maybe Junior High School, and compared to what my Uncle's and cousins had back in the 1950's, 60's and 70's, from the stories I heard them tell, I had it better than they did.
So please don't start preaching to me about "sub-standard", it just isnt going to cut it with me. I would have taken the "new" vintage 1990's anytime any day.
Semper Fi.
I was here in the Marines when you were in Elementary School or maybe Junior High School,
And dont you ever forget it ok....Top picture old barracks....bottom picture new barracks built and paid for with Japanese tax money. No problems with the use of asbestos in those.Your'e always right
Glad to see that you understand.Yeah, sure you were...
But since your profile says that you've been living in Okinawa or Japan for 15 years, something isn't adding up. If you're there now, surely you would have access to get your own pictures of your acclaimed "new" buildings, instead of simply hotlinking to another site's pictures. I mean, if you even were in the Marines and decided to stay in Okinawa and got out, you still should have some form of access to military bases for purposes of healthcare and whatnot. Unless that is, you got busted for drugs and were booted out and decided to stay, or, you're just plain lying.
And judging by how defensive you're getting, one begins to wonder
With North Korea still trying to develop a nuclear program, and even nuclear weapons, and still being regarded as an unstable political regime, would Japan feel safe if ALL U.S forces were pulled out off the bases thus opening up Japan to possible attack at some point in the future, even nuclear attack?
Well, in relation to that, about a year or so ago, there was news about something like a drawback in the number of troops in Japan, and either Japan was paying for them to go, or the US was paying for them to go...whatever happened to that?
Having been a military brat and Dad was in the Air Force until the major shutdown of bases was in the 70s when Vietnam was pretty much over. Whether they should leave and shut down to save American Dollars $$ may be important for a few of us, in the long run, It is a needed security to have our Advanced bases in case of a major crisis. As the USA are the Policemen of the World, we tend to be in everyone's back yard. Yes we can be mis-behave a little or a whole lot too while in the position. We are not the Major power over any country. The game field has even out a little. Can Japan haf=ve its own Military force ready? how many japanese (men and women ) would join the military (JASDF) to protect their country? If the Peace Constitution can be revisioned and other Asian countries NOT PANIC about Japan will be come a militaristic WARMONGER like it was in the mid 30-40s. WE are always looking over our shoulders of what the others are doingin thier backyard.
BTW,, Heisei tenno BANZAI !!
Ichi-KAZE
No actually it doesnt sound like a cop out, and I appreciate your putting your thoughts and opinions here. Yes here in Japan the leader is called the Prime Minister and I am pretty sure he knows what the strengths and weaknesses of this country are.
It is a good thing to have your opinions about topics like this, it helps to broaden one's horizon's and together we learn more aobut the world that we live in. Thanks for sharing.
Dude you need to take a serious look in the mirror if you think I am being defensive. You my friend making quite a few wild judgements assumptions and insinuations here as well.
btw this is all off topic here and to prevent it from going any further I am going to let you know that unless you want to make a further comment about whether or not the US military needs to stay here in Japan I wont be commenting to your rather problematic posts.
Oh and back on topic I believe the military should stay but needs to be reorganized and unused land should be returned to Japan.
Would NKorea still try to develop nuclear WEAPONS,
if the US had not invaded Iraq which was not involved in any attack on the US and did NOT have nuclear weapons?
I think there were some in the US that wanted Japan to pay for the redeployment and the building of a new US base to replace Utenma air field at Okinawa which is supposed to have been gone by now. The agreement was to remove the base after 7 years.
Is this the same thing?
I don't think any country should police any other country.
If someone was supposed to remove a base seven years ago why haven't the Japanese government enforced that?
If someone was supposed to remove a base seven years ago why haven't the Japanese government enforced that?
Well my opinion is that todays world isn't a very good place to live ...
Since Japan will develop its own army it will need only weapons not soldiers .
Regarding who are Japan's neighbors I think it would be better if the Americans remain there. ( I've seen maps of Okinawa showing those damn bases and airfields and everything else ...)
But someone must protect it from North Korea and China .
That's the reality ...kashii:
The mainland of Japan should take a larger percentage of the bases and give Okinawa some relief, but it wont, so we're stuck with them.