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Any Navy/Marine guys ever spend time in Diego Garcia, Bahrain, Japan, or Okinawa?
- Thread starter vellnueve
- Start date
It was a big command way back when. It's located on Nimitz Hill . Can't get the Naval Hospital in Rota , SP ? It's a bit closer if you have family to visit back here. Guess your looking for overseas shore that counts as sea . Been there done that myself.
![[laugh2]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/014.gif "Laugh at above [laugh2]")
Never got the feeling they didn't like me, then again when you have cash all is good.![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
All the senior people take Rota/Italy/etc, and there aren't many sea billets available on amphibs at that time. DG is 12 months as is Bahrain, figured that would be better than two years in a craphole like Okinawa or Japan. Guam may be an option too. Then again, all these billets may be filled by the time they get down to me.
Have you though about Guantanamo Bay?
I though it was a great duty station.
The base had a small town type feel to it.
Many of the Marines dated the teachers who worked at the base school.
There were frequent morale flights to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and other Caribbean islands.
I though it was a great duty station.
The base had a small town type feel to it.
Many of the Marines dated the teachers who worked at the base school.
There were frequent morale flights to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and other Caribbean islands.
I've spent some time in Bahrain....the base is decent. Not a whole lot to do off the base. Make sure you consider COLA in your decision. I recall Japan being pretty high. I spent a few years in Italy and really enjoyed it. Japan will be very different, but many people I know loved it.
I was on Diego Garcia in 77 and we started out in seahuts and later moved into trailers with AC. They were doing alot of work on it back then so I would think that by now it must be really developed.
Back then there were no women on the island so that sucked but otherwise I had a good time enjoying the tropical climate.
I am pretty sure it is alot different now since women are there and it is built up much more.
For some interesting reading check out war stories from Diego Garcia the website is www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/76.html
I would choose Japan out of the places you listed.
Back then there were no women on the island so that sucked but otherwise I had a good time enjoying the tropical climate.
I am pretty sure it is alot different now since women are there and it is built up much more.
For some interesting reading check out war stories from Diego Garcia the website is www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/76.html
I would choose Japan out of the places you listed.
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I spent a year in Camp Hansen Okinawa in 1994. I took 2 college Japanese language courses but still had a hard time communicating with the locals. Very difficult language. Watch the movie Lost in Translation and it'll give you an idea of living in Japan.
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Rockrivr1
NES Member
Was stationed with a fighter squadron on the USS Midway in Yokosuka. Great duty spot. If you're in a squadron you'll deploy to NAS Atsugi when in port. Both are great duty spots. As some have mentioned, ships out of Japan get to great ports of call. Seen most of Asia, Australia and parts of Africa. If you deploy there, you'll have a great time. I enjoyed Okinawa. Became Scuba certified there and did a lot of great diving around the island.
Spent a couple months on Diego Garcia on TAD. SUCK central. Small island and virtually nothing to do. Yeah, you can do some beach stuff, but that is it. Couldn't take being stationed there long term. No way no how.....
Didn't experience Bahrain, so I can't comment there.
Spent a couple months on Diego Garcia on TAD. SUCK central. Small island and virtually nothing to do. Yeah, you can do some beach stuff, but that is it. Couldn't take being stationed there long term. No way no how.....
Didn't experience Bahrain, so I can't comment there.
Thanks for the insights... Most of the guys who've done DG in the last few years have raved about it, I guess the quality of life has gone up a little bit since the AF was based there for several years.
Japan seems to be where most of the billets are open - Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Okinawa. Then there's DG. Apparently Guam and Bahrain are considered to be decent places so my chance of going there is low. The other possible options I've heard are Gulfport MS for deployments with the Seabees, and possibly an amphib out of Norfolk or Little Creek.
Japan seems to be where most of the billets are open - Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Okinawa. Then there's DG. Apparently Guam and Bahrain are considered to be decent places so my chance of going there is low. The other possible options I've heard are Gulfport MS for deployments with the Seabees, and possibly an amphib out of Norfolk or Little Creek.
Twigg
NES Member
Officers have things MUCH better than the enlisted men. 1 roomate instead of three (unless you're stuck in a seahut or worse then it's platoon strength (30+). Seperate mess with better food, ect. Guam was fun. I was there with MCB-40 in '76 - '77. The Seabee camp was a seperate command with it's own camp. My roomates & I sold beer out of a refridgerator in our room-. Made enough every week for a night in downtown Agana.
Grab a billet with a CB battallion if you can it's good duty. Oh, and be glad places like Adak, Ak are closed down these days.
Gulfport, MS. was my homeport when I was in NMCB-62 during the 70's. It was my least favorite place to be. Biloxi, and Pascaqula had more going on back then and it has become much more of a tourist area than it was then so you might enjoy it alot but Missisissippi is one muggy place during the summer and the Gulf coast does not seem to get the ocean breezes anywhere near as much as the east coast or tropical islands. I am not sure if it is still there but Kessler AFB was in Biloxi and that was a very large and nice base. The Seabee base did not have much on it back then but it may have more now.
Good luck with what ever you choose!
Good luck with what ever you choose!
Twigg
NES Member
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Thanks for all the input - you all make some very good points, especially MrTwigg and edmorseiii. I'll need to look into the CB billets a bit more. If anyone else has input I'd greatly appreciate it - not many of the officers at my station right now have been to all these places.
ISOTOX
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Hasn't Bahrain had a lot of unrest at the moment? I'd bet most US military personnel aren't out on the town at the moment.
Vellnueve if you click on the link I provided in post #38 it will bring you to 1976 but they also have years up to the current year so you can read comments from people that have been there recently. There is also someone that said they are still there and they provided contact information so you could check with them.
It's quieted down quite a bit especially compared to the rest of the Middle East. I don't believe any of it was directed at the Navy installation.
Thanks. I've heard from a few people who have been stationed there in my specialty and they all enjoyed it.
USMC stationed in Iwakuni, Japan about 20-30 miles south of Hiroshima, Japan. Best duty station the Marines have IMO, nice quiet town not far from Hiroshima party/night life if you into that, and it's in the mainland Japan. Did a couple deployments to OKI and like everyone else says. STAY AWAY!!! lol.
Big Daddy 45acp
Instructor
Watch out for you corn hole!
![[shocked]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/007.gif "Shocked [shocked]")
Best wishes to you and when you get there keep us informed on how you're doing and post some pictures of the place. I would like to see how much it has changed since 77.
