Wow!  Watching news about the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan have made me feel for the people there and everything they are dealing with right now.  In addition, it's made me worry about PCSing there with my family this upcoming summer (July or August).  If it were just me, I wouldn't be as concerned, but I have two young children's lives to consider as well.  It's still unknown what is going to happen with these nuclear power plants, plus, I heard there will probably be aftershocks for months to come.  I hate the idea of putting my children's lives in danger and being stuck without electricity and having no idea what is going on or what to do to be safe because of the language barrier and poor communication on the part of the military to families located there.  I wonder if this is a sign not to go there?!!  I've been so excited about moving to Japan, but now I just don't know if I should take my kids there.  I don't know what to do.  I know that there are always dangers in life, but these are very real threats.  

Earthquakes like this one occur only once e/ 100 years.  Japan was well overdue for a major earthquake.  So, the good news is, unless you plan on living here for another 100 years, you probably won't have to witness one like the one we just experienced! 

Japan is a wonderful country.  Don't let the news scare you.  You are seeing images from regions of Japan that were hit the hardest.  Many place in Japan were spared from this great disaster because Japan was in fact prepared for it.  The buildings are built to withstand major quakes.  I guarantee if s/thing like this happened in Seattle, there would be far more casualties and damage. 

I like to put it this way.. Earthquakes for Japan and other countries or states who have them, are like tornadoes for Oklahoma, Missouri, tennessee and the like. Or like Hurricanes for those southern states bordering the coastline. You have them and you are prepared for them. I lived in California for 6 years and had ONE larger earthquake that was a 4.5. Yes it was a little scary, but life went on. There were other smaller ones, most I didn't even feel... It's the thing of not knowing or being used to something that makes it more scary. We are moving to Japan in June and while I pray nothing like this happens while we live there, I'm not going to stay in the states just incase an earthquake strikes again, when in fact a hurricane or tornado could come ripping through my neighborhood here in Maryland (we get both) any day. There are natrual disasters that could happen any where you live, you just gotta be prepared for them and they aren't so bad. )

That was supposed to be a smiley face, not a scared face.. sorry..

Please, anyone reading this, don't be scared to move here! It's no different if you were to move to Cali and experience the big one or the east coast and have that devastating hurricane come through. It seldom happens, and you can't pick and choose orders to prevent tragedy --you just don't know. And it happens everywhere.

Japan is a great experience IF you're willing to enjoy the culture and people. Yes, we've got earthquakes and other natural disasters, but so does sunny San Diego, etc. Don't miss pass it up because of this recent news.

And in light of it all --Yokosuka here experienced a 5.0 range with no blunders. And Misawa experienced a 6.8 (right?) and it has power outages, yes --but their buildings and homes are still standing with no damage! And no one hurt anywhere!

I'm PCSing there soon as well and I'm not concerned in the slightest. There's a major fault line in the middle of the Midwest that hasn't erupted since the 1800s, but you dont hear people talking about earthquakes there. Be prepared, but don't be worried about things that you can't control.

The radiation from the nuclear plants is what scares me. We are supposed to head to Yokosuka somewhere between May 5th and 12th... Our kids are 4 and 8 months. How is that situation now?

My husband is already detached from his command and is on leave so he's trying to get a hold of his sponsor to see if he's heard anything about orders being cancelled, delayed, or changed to "unaccompanied".

What has anyone been hearing over there about this?

Posted By Yoko-girl on 03-13-2011 12:14 AM
Earthquakes like this one occur only once e/ 100 years.  Japan was well overdue for a major earthquake.  So, the good news is, unless you plan on living here for another 100 years, you probably won't have to witness one like the one we just experienced! 

Japan is a wonderful country.  Don't let the news scare you.  You are seeing images from regions of Japan that were hit the hardest.  Many place in Japan were spared from this great disaster because Japan was in fact prepared for it.  The buildings are built to withstand major quakes.  I guarantee if s/thing like this happened in Seattle, there would be far more casualties and damage. 

When Orlando Florida is hit by a hurricane and decimated you don't see pictures from Atlanta Georga where everything is hunky-dorry, but they got rain.

Yeah, but there's radiation now...

I'm wondering what is going on too. They are doing a voluntary evacuation of dependents right now. My husband, me, and our 1 year old daughter are suppose to be coming in beginning-mid April. His check in date is actually the 14th or April! We have not heard from our sponsor, but I am sure my husband will email him asap. I'll be sure to come back here and post what he says or maybe hope to come back to find out what you guys have found out.

STOP MOVEMENT FOR PCS AND TADS
by Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 5:38pm
Due to damage as a result of the earthquake and tsunami That occurred in
Japan, it has been determined by the secretary of the Navy (in consultation
with Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet) that the movement of Personnel to commands
and activities in the country of Japan, be stopped
Effective immediately. This notice shall remain in effect until further
Notice or until superseded by modification to individual permanent change of
Station (PCS) orders by commander, Navy personnel command/chief of Naval
Personnel.

This stop movement order affects all personnel scheduled to report to
Commands and activities in the country of Japan as either an ultimate duty
station or an intermediate duty station in conjunction with a PSC move and
will remain in effect until further notice. This notice is not directed at
personnel scheduled for temporary additional duty (TAD) in the above
mentioned area; however, personnel scheduled to report there in a TAD status
over the next 30 days are advised to contact their chain of command to
determine whether they should execute their TAD orders as scheduled.

Procedures: personnel with orders to commands in the affected area who
have not yet detached from their current command are directed to remain in
place at their current command (if this is not possible for POCONUS Sailors,
they should contact their detailer for further guidance). Ship and embarked
Units/staffs who will be getting underway and therefore cannot retain the
Sailor on board should detach the Sailor and direct the sailor to report to
the beach detachment, or transient personnel unit (TPU) for temporary duty
awaiting further transfer (acc 330). Members who have already detached, but
have not departed the area of their home port, are also directed to report
To the nearest Beach Det, or TPU for temporary duty awaiting further
Transfer (acc 330). Members who have detached from their command (sea or
shore) and have commenced travel should report to the nearest Naval
Installation and contact their detailer for further direction. Detaching
commands should make every effort to contact these members in order to
advise them of the contents of this message and direct them to contact their
detailer. Personnel who have additional questions or circumstances that are
not adequately addressed above should contact their detailer for further
assistance and or guidance.

Information regarding entitlements: the following provides general
information regarding entitlements. However, members are advised that the
impact of this stop movement order on their specific entitlements is highly
dependent on the member's individual circumstances. For questions regarding
entitlements, members should contact their nearest disbursing office or
personnel support detachment.

Per diem: per diem allowances may be payable to the member IAW the
specific requirements of the joint federal travel regulations (JFTR).
However, if the member has detached the old permanent duty station (PDS) and
remains in the area of the old PDS/home port, in a temporary duty status,
Per diem is generally not payable to the member IAW JFTR. Personnel who
have departed an overseas location and who are placed in a temporary duty
awaiting further transfer (acc 330) status upon arrival at the CONUS port of
entry are entitled to per diem IAW JFTR.

Temporary lodging allowance (TLA): personnel who have detached from
an OC command (or who have not yet detached but have vacated their
Permanent residence) and whose departure from the area of their overseas
command is delayed by this message may be authorized payment of TLA per
JFTR.

BAH: entitlement to bah for members affected by this message
remains unchanged from that of any other member under PCS orders. Members
continue to receive BAH at the old PDS rate (except for members who have
departed an overseas location, they will receive BAH-T) while on leave, in
transit, or for periods of temporary duty en route to the ultimate duty
station, so long as they do not occupy government quarters in excess of 30
days. This 30-day rule does not apply to new accessions, for which BAH
stops upon occupation of government quarters for any duration.

Temporary lodging expense (TLE): authorization to receive TLE for
members affected by this message remains unchanged from that of any other
member under PCS orders. TLE is generally authorized for up to ten days if
the member has vacated permanent quarters or household goods have been
packed.

Receipts/records pertaining to added expenses:
Reimbursement for certain added expenses members and their dependents might
incur because of this stop movement order are governed by existing law and
regulation. While it may not be possible to fully reimburse every expense,
members are advised to retain all pertinent receipts and records of expenses
in the event some or all of the expenses are found to be reimbursable.

Contact information: if not already known, members can obtain the phone
numbers of their individual detailers by going to the NPC/Bupers website at
www.npc.navy.mil, or www.bupers.navy.mil, or by calling the Navy Emergency
Coordination center at 1-877-414-5358.

For questions regarding allowances and entitlements, members should first
contact their nearest disbursing officer or personnel support detachment.
The POC for travel and transportation on the OPNAV staff is:
- Lt Grant Schweikert at (703) 614-5635/dsn: 224 or via e-mail at
Grant.schweikert(at)navy.mil
- Mr. David Maly at (703) 695-3322/dsn: 225 or via e-mail at
David.maly(at)navy.mil for bah entitlements contact:
- Lt Brandi Mcgehee at (703) 695-3304/dsn: 225 or via e-mail at
Brandi.mcgehee(at)navy.mil CNIC will open an accessibility event in the Navy
family accountability and assessment system (NFAAS) system for Navy members
affected by this stop movement NAVADMIN to Japan. All Navy Sailors or
family members who are in need of assistance should utilize the NFAAS
support site at https:/ /www.navyfamily.navy.mil to ensure the Navy can
track and assess support requirements for all parties affected.

Further guidance will be disseminated as it becomes available.

eam,

Thank you for posting that. I didn't have that on the "low side" to be able to post that.

Im an A1c who just received orders to Kadena Afb i leave in sept, will u think they will be postponed or even cancelled?

If things keep getting better and even completely under control then I doubt they'll get cancelled. We have orders to report no later than May 12th and although they say they are "on hold" for now, they are telling us that more than likely if things keep getting better and get under control that we will probably still leave as planned. The only think being held off for now is packing us up. So we shall have to keep a close eye and a listening ear as to the situation over there in Japan.

I recommend "liking" the FaceBook page for your base if they have one. I have CFAY and my husband's specific command in Yokosuka "liked" and I see the updates that they post pretty frequently these days which give me a better idea as to what is being done with the families and new orders. Just a suggestion...

My husband and I are supposed to PCS to Kadena AFB, May 11th. The last information we received was that they are going to send my husband now but that I will be defered without a known date for travel and that those family members that are voluntarily evacuating will have priorty to return. This was my worst nightmare. I know there are worse things but I will be left here to deal with our household good pick up and traveling alone with our two small dogs. Not to mention my husband just returned from a twleve month deployment... I'm not ready to be apart again without knowing when we be able to be together. Is there a real threat of nuclear fallout in Okinawa? Should we be concerned? We have been preparing for the last year to move and as of our PSC date we are out of our lease. We were also told during our Levy brief that we can not bring over our car...has anyone else heard this? I am starting to feel that PCS'ing may not be our best decision.
Anyone have any advice?

I'm in the same situation as 2007jjms....I'm in San Diego..we were four days out from when the movers were coming when we were told to hold off. We were supposed to arrive in Yokosuka in late April.

Since our lease is ending at the end of the month AND we had already sold our cars, we went to household goods and pleaded with them to continue to pick up our stuff. They agreed to move it to a storage facility in San Diego.

Now, we just have to wait it out and see what happens. I'm really REALLY REALLY hoping for the best as I was super excitied about coming to Japan. People here are predicting that May is the timeframe in which they start returning people, buuuutttt....that's just rumor and speculation because no one really knows.

Now the movers are coming tomorrow and we're going to stay with my husband's family for 28 days to wait this out. If it's still not resolved, he comes back to San Diego and I go stay with my family. Not the best solution, but I hope this is all temporary.

We too are in San Diego. Our transfer date is June. Our landlord has already re-rented the house we are in. The new tenants will be moving in as of July 1st. I have no idea what we will do if we are not relocated by then. It really stinks that we just out of pocketed over $500 on passports that we might not even be using

I feel so bad for everyone impacted by this horrible event. I really hope things can get sorted out soon.

Re: recent posts. Kadena is not hazardous and never will be. The problem is logistic & airlift capability, there is a lot of activity & ongoing confusion here mostly related to relief operations and voluntary evacuation of families. Support staff who are helping families deal with the challenges are overwhelmed (my friend at the family support center in Sasebo has 600 active inquiries from families closer to Tokyo which he is trying to help resolve). He and others simply have no more excess capacity to support incoming families, and trust me -- incoming families need a LOT of support. It's complex & confusing getting settled here, and if suddenly there is no one to help you, then you would be at a loss.

FWIW, virtually NO ONE brings their car to Japan. There are many reasons, but it's unrelated to the current situation. You would not bring yours here regardless of what happens.

Kadena is on hot standby to receive evacuees from other bases. It may or may not happen, but they're trying to prepare for this. It would be a massive operation. You do NOT want to suddenly show up in the middle of this trying to figure out child care & how to quarantine your dog.

Take it easy; try to find yourself the most comfortable situation in the States whether or not you've already packed out. Think "long term"; this could go on for a while. Get your kids in school somewhere, even back at mom's house or something. Don't start thinking you'll fly out in a week or two; you won't.

Thank you ThaiGuy.

Thai Guy... We are supposed to PCS to Sasebo in July.. our detailer told us to continue on with planning and that we should be going as planned.. I know Sasebo is quite a distace from Sendai and that they haven't been affected by the happenings there,except for trying to help as much as they can with relief efforts. I'll be interested to see if that stands closer to the date of departure...

Does anyone know if there is a minimum timeframe for the stop movement to be in place? I understand it's open ended, but regardless of how things improve is there a no earlier than date established? Also, has any information been put out on any specific conditions that need to be met to terminate the stop movement? Finally, is there a web link to a video or transcript of the town hall metting conducted yesterday with ADM Willard?

My husband's detailer in Millington, TN told him that there is supposed to be an update to the last NAVADMIN 084/11 to be done by April 10th, so I think they're hoping to re-asses the situation about what's going on at that time. I understand, too, that the current evacuation is for about 30 days, which also goes into making sense because that gives the government time to reassess.

My husband's detailer in Millington, TN told him that there is supposed to be an update to the last NAVADMIN 084/11 to be done by April 10th ----------------------------------------->

My Husband said the same thing... He did not have a date but said that he was told by his commad to watch for an update soon.

Hi military peeps! DEPed in jan  (with gurantees/orders to coast japan) and leaving late april for basic. After 3 months (basic and aschool) and getting married to the wifey, im PSCing to japan but due to the tradegy, it might change. So i have 2 important questions:

1. do you guys believe that i might get rolled back or sent somewhere else other than japan due to tradegy?

2.are they doing only unaccompanied tours? 

@RF.. Let's see.. You just may get sent elsewhere pending on how you do in your school, needs of the Navy or something other. If it's written in the contract make extra positive and ask your recruiter and when you get to the MEPS station ask there as well. If nobody gives you a straight answer, you can decline. Then start the whole thing over again. Personally I never saw anyone with a guaranteed duty station after their schooling. At best, you had the 'dream' sheet where you could request where you wanted to go. Then again things may have changed, since I was in.

I highly doubt they will do unaccompanied tours. Yet, this is a new situation and the DOD is playing it safe by allowing families to depart and taking their assests away from the local area. If your neighbors house was on fire, would you leave your family, car and self just sitting there?

Now for the easy one. Any amount of ionizing radiation is harmful and does have some risk. (The things they teach you at those Nuke schools). Not only are there risks to navy wives but, civilian ones as well. Also to their unborn and born children. Now the risk is small when working with a normaly functioning Nuclear power plant. However, by the time you finish basic and a school (what rate are you going for?), there should be a plan set and in action.

Good luck, remember to keep those boots nice and shiney.
Dave

Thanks Dave! In-depth detailing is always deeply appreciated =D

@RF, How to put this... Did you see the CFAY CO's facebook page? He made a rather interesting comment about radiation. "Did you know that you can receive radiation from the person you're sleeping with?". Of course the answer is yes. Also from eating Bananas, spinach and even salt substitute. You can get it from being outside in the sunlight, inside a concrete building, a granite countertop or even while taking a cross country flight. These are all examples of 'Natural' radiation.

The 'risk' statement I quoted earlier is for those that work with ionizing radiation, or the Nukes as a recruiter would say.

Unless you're future wife is going to actually work on/at or near the power plants she should be ok. When I say near I do mean with in the exclusion area which I see very unlikely.

Again good luck, and keep those shoes nice and shiney during boot camp.
Dave

ALrighty Dave, thanks!