Marines

Unit HomeLinksLiving in Okinawa

LIVING IN OKINAWA
MCIPAC Logo
Forward Deployed. Forward Engaged.
Official U.S. Marine Corps Website

Living in Okinawa
Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu chain, is home to more than 18,000 Marines, sailors and their families. There are only a few places outside the United States that have more meaning and more history to Marines.

As the "Tip of the Spear," Marines on Okinawa are here in support of the U.S./Japan Security Treaty, providing for the mutual defense of Japan and ensuring regional security. Although home based on Okinawa, units and personnel here may often spend much of their time training in other countries, taking part in the numerous exercises throughout the Pacific. Marines can be spotted training in the searing heat in the jungles of Thailand or on the cruel frozen slopes and tundra of Mt. Fuji, Japan and Alaska.

An overseas tour here is part of a long tradition of dedication and excellence that Marines have struggled to uphold for more than half a century. Today there is a unique blend of Marines, sailors, airmen and soldiers standing at-the-ready, in the "Keystone of the Pacific."

As you plan for your move to Okinawa, you can find information on various aspects of living on the island, from housing and healthcare to recreation and shopping, on the pages to the above.

HP_Banner_VetCrisisLine_New.pngHP_Banner_MilOneSource.jpg.pngHP_Banner_Eagle_Eyes.jpg
HP_Banner_SAPR.jpgDOD-SAFE-HELPLINE.jpgHP_Banner_ICE.jpg