I'm married with 4 kids and the Equal list just came out for my cycle today and Kadena is on it. I'm a mandatory mover so I'm working with a small cycle. I'm not fond of hot and humid weather but other than that I'm not picky at all. Does anyone have any experiences from Kadena? I'd like to know what kind of housing I would have. I read that there's a waiting list of like 10 months for Enlisted housing. I'm testing for TSgt this next cycle so hopefully I'll have a line number when I get there (if i get the assignment). Also, I'm in the CE squadron if that makes a difference.
Have you googled the weather for Okinawa? Some folks call it the Mississippi of Japan. One way or the other its an island in the Pacific ocean with jungle on it.
As for CE, its a CE Group, 3 squadrons last time I checked.
Big, base lots of stuff on it. Lots of Marines on Okinawa who generally p!ss off the Japanese on a routine basis. When they get bored with that they like to come to Kadena and work on the Airmen from time to time.
DoD school system so that's kind of the good news.
Excellent facilities and nice weather, One thing you have to have is a car and they drive on the other side of the road. There have been other threads on this subject.
2 squadrons, 718th and 18th for CE. Base housing is what it is. The waiting list just depends, sometimes you catch a long list, sometimes you get in without a problem. When I was there 4 years ago I got a house 2 weeks after applying and turning down the first choice.
Base is nice, area is nice, lots of things to do especially if you like water activities. Any specific questions? It's been two years but I am in CE, so things probably haven't changed too much since then.
I'm here at Kadena now and I'm in CE. We have two squadrons. 18 and 718CES. They both form the 18CEG. Yes, we are a group and a force to be wreckened with. The weather here is very humid in the summer time. Mold can be a big problem but bleach takes care of that. Mosquitos are plentiful. Housing doesn't take that long to get at all. I was in a house in a little over a week. They offered me 2 of them. The island is beautiful to say the least. The japanese are very nice people for the most part. There are a ton of things to do out here. The only way you'll really get bored is if you don't like to go out and see what the base has to offer. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
Hi, thanks for you reply to my post about Kadena. The biggest issue I have is humidity and my wife is scared to death of the typhoons. From reading about they really play it down and not much of an issue although Okinawa sees 3 or 4 a year. Does the CE have a high ops tempo? I was at Langley before being a recruiter and it was VERY political there and high ops tempo. I like the ops tempo but hated the politics associated with having a MAJCOM on base, especially being in CE and having to bow down to all of their request. So, basically housing shouldn't be an issue? If I couldn't get on base the off base housing is affordable with the OHA? thanks for your help!
Not too many politics on Kadena. Despite as large of a abse as it is, it isn't host to ANY HQ units other than the base commander. No numbered air force, no MAJCOM. The base commander is a 1 star.
Ops tempo is high and expect to go to silver flag at least once a year since PACAF's silver flag is at Kadena - when slots go unfilled the first people they ask is kadena CE.
Typhoons aren't a big deal at all really. Everything is built to withstand typhoons and the locals go about their daily lives during one. If you live off base you'll still see McDonalds open and customers going in and while you're not allowed to go there, well, that doesn't always happen. Everything is made of concrete and the only deaths or injuries from typhoons are the idiots that go down to the beach or the seawall.
Like jsd said, there are so many things to do on Okinawa despite it being small... and if you get bored take a hop to Yokota, Misawa or Korea.
What field of CE are you in? You sound like a guy in Ops since Ops is the only one that bows down to anyone else, lol.
