I’m writing to update you on the details of our move to Okinawa, as we know them. For some, this is all news. For those of you who have watched as my drama has unfolded, I apologize for the redundant information.
In October, Jason received an offer for a position as a Facilities Engineer at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. He simultaneously received an offer to Lajes Field in Terceira, Azores, Portugal. We figured that if we were to be marooned on an island, better an island with an area of 463 square miles than one of 148 square miles. Shortly after accepting the offer, he also received requests for his resume from England and from Germany. Even though we would love to go to Europe, we figured a bird in the hand was better than two in the bush, and Jason declined.
The months since have been spent rounding up and filling out forms, as well as sorting through the “stuff” in our house and trying to visit everyone we could. During the holidays, we were able to see a lot of our family. But as the holidays are always busy, we haven’t had time to see all of the friends that we wanted to visit with before leaving. We hope you will all stay in touch.
In response to some of the questions that we have been asked: The contract has a minimum of two years but can be extended, if both parties are agreeable, up to five years. We will either live on base or we will receive a housing allowance that will cover reasonable rent and utilities. We aren’t sure what kind of on-base housing we qualify for, so we’ve decided to wait until we get there to make the decision. Our kids will go to school on base. The Department of Defense has an excellent school system and curriculum. We are allowed two Space-Available flights on military transport per year. We are going to use one each year to come home and the other to do some traveling. We will probably do some other traveling at our own expense, as well. Depending on what kind of traveling we have planned, etc, the kids and I might spend the majority of the summer in Utah, and Jason will join us for a few weeks. We’ve decided to rent out our house. We have contracted with Real Property Management to handle the renting and maintenance of the property while we are there. They think that we’ll be able to rent it out for enough to cover our mortgage. The weather in Okinawa is very similar to the weather in Florida. The temperatures range from the 40’s to the 90’s, and of course, it’s very humid. It is in “Typhoon Alley”, so if a typhoon hits, everyone is in lockdown in their houses. I know this sounds scary, but when we’ve talked to people who have been there, they act like it’s really no big deal- almost like it’s a vacation because they can’t go into work. We feel like the base must have a good system for dealing with typhoons, and we aren’t worried. There are 40 beaches on the island and up north there is a DoD resort that has bungalows and condos (as well as camping) that would be a great place to stay if we have any visitors- hint, hint. Okinawa is about 900 miles away from the Japan mainland. Of the approximately 1.3 million people living there, about 80,000 are Americans, as there are multiple Armed Forces bases located there. Knowing that there are so many people there that I can communicate with has erased my concerns about feeling isolated. Also, there are four LDS branches, so I know that we will be welcomed right away. Actually, we have already been in contact with a few people over there, and I already have a couple of friends who are anxious for us to arrive.
Now, as we have finally received our orders, our schedule has been set. The movers will pack up our house beginning on February 2nd. We will move into a hotel until the 12th, when we fly out. The travel time will take about 20 hours, including layovers. The longest flight, between San Francisco and Tokyo, will be 11 hours.
We have been assigned an Army PO Box in California. Postage there is at the standard US rate, and they will forward it to us in Okinawa. We hope everyone will continue to send us Christmas cards and other correspondence. Also, I have set up a Facebook account and we have set up a family blog, to which we will all be contributors. Currently, only this letter is on the blog, as I have had very little time to make it beautiful, but I will when things calm down. We have also gotten a Vonage phone and we are using my former cell phone number, so you can call without long distance charges (if you are located in Utah.) Note, however, that Okinawa is 16 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Day Light Savings Time.
Our family is excited, nervous, stressed, and apprehensive. This will be an invaluable experience for all of us. We will miss everyone here, tremendously. We wish we could pack you all along with us. We hope that everyone will keep us updated on the happenings at home.
