Director Voluntary Evacuaton of Military Dependents Here in Japan

[Sheila]

As of today, the President of the US has authorized a military assisted VOLUNTARY departure of dependents from Japan.

In the next 24 hours, there will be Air Force cargo passenger planes landing here on Atsugi, first taking women & children (possibly to Korea) for 1-2 days then another transfer to a new destination which is not yet known. Pacific Air Force planes will fly into Narita, Yokota & Atsugi - trying to do 10,000 people per day through the 3 sites. The next step would be bringing civilian airliners into these spaces (United, American, etc.) to move out more people.

We've been advised to go ahead and pack a suitcase for 3-5 days, get our passports, any thing that we'll need like diapers, baby food, etc. & plan to be gone for a few days.

This is NOT an emergency, it's a precautionary measure only. They hope to start the evacuations in the next 24 hours.

 

[Sheila]

Update: The planes are headed stateside. The kids & I will be on one. We are in the 1st group to go because of the ages of the kids. Not sure how many people are in the first group & how many planes it will take to get us all out of here ... but I do anticipate being on a plane tomorrow. The stateside destination is not yet known. Hopefully, close to friends/family! LOL

 

[pamperedlinda]

Take care Sheila! I hope you have internet wherever you go so you can stay in touch with us. If you wind-up on a commercial relief flight in a few days, and it's Delta, the pilot might be my husband - he has volunteered for some of those flights.

 

[Sheila]

I saw where you posted that on Chef Success. Odds are I won't run into him, but what's his name just in case?

 

[kcont]

If you end up somewhere in Houston then contact me, I would love to help out and offer a place to stay for free hon. I know you don't know me but we are sisters in the biz and I served 13 years in the AF and always want to be there if anyone needs it.

 

[Sheila]

I have family in Dallas & in Alabama. Tying to head to Dallas. We'll see how far we get from the west coast.

 

[annew]

Safe Travels for you & the kiddies Sheila

 

[PCJenni]

saying a prayer for everyone. safe travels

 

[almondfarm]

Praying for safe travels for you and the kids... if they send you to South Dakota let me know !

 

[baychef]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo glad to hear this!!!! Wish this wasn't going on but glad you are taking the kids to a safe place. I fear for everyone with the condition of the air getting worse.
Safe travels, my friend and keep in touch with us.

 

[Chef Kearns]

I'm so glad that are erring on the side of caution. I do hope and pray that everyone gets to be safely removed from the danger. I do pray that the authorities are able to contain this disaster! Scary stuff!!

 

[flemings99]

Great news. Safe travels.

 

[chefkathy]

Take care Sheila! I hope you have internet wherever you go so you can stay in touch with us. If you wind-up on a commercial relief flight in a few days, and it's Delta, the pilot might be my husband - he has volunteered for some of those flights.

Awww, way to go, Dee!

 

[chefkathy]

Be safe, Sheila. We'll be thinking of you!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Awww, way to go, Dee!

He's volunteered, but right now Delta isn't scheduled for any relief flights. Not sure if the airlines are involved yet. I'll let y'all know if he's on any and which one.

 

[Sheila]

It's almost 11:30 AM here now. We went to the meeting & learned how we will get to the planes. They are dividing us in to groups & we should have the list in a few hours as to which group & what time we will leave this afternoon or tomorrow morning. They have several categories and I'm in category 1, but each category is divided into sub-groups. So I don't know if I'll be 1A, 1B, 1C, etc.The group getting us to the planes is NOT the group taking us to the states. The group taking us to the states has not yet told this group where we are going! No way for us to make plans yet as to where we will land, so we are unable to start making plans on how to get to our family from that spot. I have friends in WA and CA who have stepped up with phone numbers & instructed me to call when we land. Not sure yet if we'll be flying from our drop spot to TX or if we'll be on a plane. I think driving would be fun & making stops along the way visiting so many of you ... but not sure I'm brave enough to do that with the kids. It will just be me & my two right now. The other families that I thought would be traveling with me have made other arrangements.So we are in a holding pattern right now waiting for further instruction. All the ATM's are out of cash, so I need to go see if the bank is open & get the health certificate for my dog. Hopefully the list will be out when I'm done with those errands & lunch!

 

[Sheila]

Linda, I'll be on one of the first flights already en route over here. So if he's not already in the air, I won't be on his plane.

 

[Sheila]

Still in a holding pattern. The US hasn't sent planes. Our Commanding Officer here on the base in Japan said he is hoping that the "button will be pushed" and the planes will be here & ready to take the first group at 6PM Sat night (Japan time). Not definitive yet. Still waiting for the official word that the plan is in play.

 

[chefruthie]

Finally had time to get on here and read all your updates. Oh my word! Our family and many, many others are praying for all involved in this very sad situation. My husband and I viewed before and after google images of variuos places there and just sat speechless, staring at the screen. Again Sheila, thank you for taking time to keep us updated on your family and the daily events in Japan.

So glad to hear things are being taken care of on base for the dependants. I know y'all have been in the military long enough to know the "Hurry up...and Wait" motto, right

 

[finley1991]

Stay safe Sheila!

 

[PCJenni]

I am in southern CA, if you end up here, let me know 951 676 6732. I am 20 minutes from Camp Pendleton and an hour from the depot in San Diego

 

[Sheila]

Oh, yes Ruthie! I know the "hurry up & wait" motto all too well! LOLHere's what I just put on CS:

Okay, here's the scoop! Hubby told me late tonight that the military came around & gathered the information needed for who all was going & the home of record for each family. They are making the necessary arrangements for us to get all the way ... oooh, another earthquake ... sorry! Got sidetracked. Anyway they are paying my way back to Dallas! BUT, since the stateside people haven't told this end when they are coming, when we will arrive in the US or WHERE we will arrive in the US, this end can't make the arrangements for the connecting flights yet. So it looks like they will be putting us up in hotels at our drop point while they get the final stuff done. If I'm lucky, I might sit in an airport 2-3 hours waiting for my next flight. Or I could be in a hotel for 2-3 days. We have been informed to take 3-5 days of clothes with us and that we should be at our home of record by then with access to washers/dryers and able to go shop for more clothes!We do not know when or IF we will return. It could be several weeks or never. If things don't start looking better soon here, they could flag northern Japan as a "no dependent" zone meaning NONE of the military members can have family here. If they end up pulling all active duty out of the area and determine that it's unsafe for them tor return, they would turn the land back over to the Japanese and not let anyone return. This means all our personal property would be abandoned. They would not send anyone back for it. They are having the military members do a household inventory for documentation of what all would need to be replaced if that turns out to be the case. 99% of what I own could be replaced, but of course there are family photo albums here that I would hate to loose as well as some memorabilia items from my Dad & his parents (all 3 are deceased). I would be extremely sad if I lost those. IF it looks like hubby's going to have to leave AND if the military mail is still running he MIGHT be able to mail some of those things to the states, but there's no guarantee. If they do a mandatory evacuation it will be under rushed circumstances and they won't be taking as much luggage or any pets. We have to take the pets now or risk never seeing them again. (Yes, our dog will be with me on the plane!) And I'm not even willing to think about loosing all the Pampered Chef items! :cry: So for now, I choose to live in denial on that possibility. So now it's head to the US to sit & wait. I have no idea if we'll be there 2 weeks, 2 months or indefinitely. If the military pulls out of northern Japan, Hubby would probably be reassigned somewhere that I'd be able to go ... (praying for Okinawa again! LOL)So that's where we are now. I'll get home, but unknown for how long. I have to assume I'll be there for a while and do some Pampered Chef while I'm there. If things are not looking better by April 1, look out Kit Enhancement! LOL I'll be buying stuff to do shows in TX!!! If I'm still there in 2 months I'll probably rent an apartment and start establishing a home for the children.

 

[Sheila]

Since I can't say this on FB, I'll say it here ... I'm freaking AMAZED at how many of my friends here in Japan are advertising their paypal accounts & asking their friends/family for donations!

I really should try to recruit every single one of them!

 

[cookingwithlove]

Sheila,

You go recruit them! I am amazed at your poise. I just wanted to let you know that my heart and prayers are with all of you in Japan. Japan will recover and I am sure you will be heading back and recover your personal items. I am glad you get to take your pets too. It would be hard to leave our dog behind he is such a part of the family. Stay safe and positive. Hopefully where ever you end up there is internet , so you can stay in touch with us.

 

[Sheila]

Thanks Wendy! Yes, I'm a very calm person by nature. I learned many years ago that you get more accomplished by not freaking out. I'll be heading to my friend's house in Red Oak, just south of Dallas (TX). She has wireless! LOLHopefully what ever temporary lodging we might have on the west coast offers it too. I hope we do get to come back, but they are preparing us for the possibility that we'll never see our property again.

 

[pamperedbecky]

Wow, Sheila! What an incredibly frustrating time this must be for you and your family! Not only now knowing when you're leaving or exactly where you're going, but not knowing if you'll ever return there! Good luck with everything! You and your family are in my prayers. Please keep us posted!

 

[flemings99]

Wow Sheila! Can't imagine going through that. Guess the bright side is you weren't "hurt" by the quake and didn't loose items from it. Sounds like the military is going to replace what you lose should they abandon - if they are asking to take an inventory--which would be a monstrous task in and of itself! I think I'd try to send your cherished items before you leave if possible since it sounds like hubby won't be able to. I've heard to take video of the rooms of your home and pics from inside cupboards for insurance purposes. At least it would help you think of what you had in case you didn't have time to write it all down.

Heart goes out to you.

 

[cincychef]

Sheila,
I am so sorry that you are dealing with all of this. Wow, thank you to your husband and you, and all military families for your sacrifices. Good luck with your travels and I hope they are very stress free. Just remember that with all your many accomplishments in life, you can easily travel with 2 kids and a dog I can say this because that is what I tell myself with my 4! I hope you don't end up loosing any of your possessions, especially your Pampered Chef and your pictures. That is always the first thing I think of when talking about house fires. Good luck, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Oh wow Sheila! If I ever get into a dire situation, I want your number on my speed-dial! You are blessed to be so calm and in control, not so sure I would be under the same circumstances. As of now, my husband is not doing any extra flying. Delta has not asked for volunteers and hubs says that they are flying a regular schedule other than in the areas that are affected. Take care of yourself and your babies and keep us up to date on your progress.

btw - what branch of the military is your husband and what does he do?

 

[cookingwithlove]

I know there are nonstop flights to Portland Oregon. If you end up here, give me a call: 503-449-5678. Be safe.

 

[Sheila]

Wendy, we are doing military only planes to the west coast, then they are dividing us up to send us to our respective cities after that. We'll be flying from our base to the states, not choosing flights at the airport here in Tokyo. Linda, he used to jump out of helicopters as a rescue swimmer in combat zones, but hurt his shoulder. So he recently crossed over & is now a crew member on small airplanes. When I say small, I mean SMALL! Like 6 passengers! LOL

 

[Sheila]

The list came out. I'm in the first group of 300 to go. Planes are not yet here, but we are on standby to be called. I may not have time to check in again before we leave.

 

[chefkathy]

Be safe Sheila! Be sure to update us as soon as you can.How are you kids holding up?

 

[Sheila]

They called us, then said no, wait ... not yet. I fed the kids lunch & put them down for naps, but the loud neighbors were nice enough to wake them about 1/2 way through their nap. I spent an hour trying to get them back down with no luck. So now I have fussy, tired toddlers. This should be fun.

 

[Sheila]

Well, the base isn't saying anything yet, but the facilities that were closed for our staging announced that they were re-opening for business. Doesn't look like we are going anywhere tonight or even this weekend! I did find this: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/19_15.html

 

[Sheila]

Okay, the commanding officer of the base finally made an announcement. There was a military plane headed in, and they jumped the gun & started calling people in. Then the Secretary of Defense said that military planes could NOT be used to transport the dependents, that it needs to be civilian planes. So here it is Sat night, we've been waiting for word for several hours & they are telling us no civilian planes are scheduled to be here before noon on Monday (our time). So, we wait yet again.

 

[pamperedlinda]

..............., that it needs to be civilian planes. .................

According to my husband, Delta has not requsted volunteers yet (most likely his plane, the 767-400 or the 777 would be doing the flights). Which I guess would mean that they are not or have not been asked to do any of the flights or they are rerouting scheduled staff to do them if they are....not sure how that works in a situation like this.

 

[baychef]

Wow, Sheila what a roller coaster you are on. I see the strong military wife in you...it is truly amazing.

 

[pamperedbecky]

Uggggg. How frustrating! I can't even imagine the stress. Hang in there, Sheila!

 

[Sheila]

Thanks ladies. It's starting to get a bit frustrating and PMS is NOT helping. I just posted this on Chef Success:

I have to say that this is getting a bit frustrating. I had to take the dog kennel off it's wheels & carry it back upstairs last night. Today I'll have to take the car seats off their wheels & re-install them in the car so we can go somewhere. I've had to unpack contact stuff, toothbrushes, hair brushes, deodorant, etc. from the suitcase. I'm pulling new outfits out of the suitcase, washing the dirty outfits each day & putting them back in the suitcase. All the kids movies are transferred on a hard drive so we can thumb through them faster on the PS3 ... so we broke down & pulled that back out last night.

I really need to make a list of everything that I'll have to re-pack!!! This is getting crazy. The guys can disregard this next statement ... but for the girls ... PMS isn't helping!

I'm just ready to have the transition behind us. Oh, and we got word today that a plane of kids & women landed at SEATAC. Haven't yet figured out which base is sending people, but it's definitely not our base!

 

[Nanisu]

Sheila I have doubles of everything and if you need PC tools you are welcome to them. And I bet HO would help too.....

 

[Sheila]

Are you in Dallas?

Well, we have the word! It's 8:40 PM here & I'm to report at 8AM! They called Catagory 1, last names starting with letters A-D ... that's ME! Looks like the flight is good to go. They told us where to report, the time & what we are to do when we arrive. Sounds promising.

 

[baychef]

We'll be waiting to hear from you! Safe travels and hope the journey is a smooth one for you and the kiddos.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Safe travels!

 

[pamperedbecky]

Great news!! I keep checking this to hear your updates and I hope the next one is a positive one!!

 

[annew]

Safe travels

 

[Sheila]

I'm stateside! I've been up for 28 hours, but I'm finally in Seattle, in a hotel & headed to bed. The kids went down about 30 min's ago and haven't MOVED! They had been up for 27.5 hours. They took about a 1.5 hour nap on the plane & then Connor slept for about 45 min's at the airport in a children's play area that the military had established for those of us coming from Japan. I'm soooooo tired. But luckily my flight to Texas is not until 3:45 PM tomorrow. It's currently 6PM here in Seattle, so I'm going to head to bed & see just how long the 3 of us sleep!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Sleep well Sheila! So glad you are almost home.

 

[flemings99]

Good News!

 

[almondfarm]

thanks for updating us sheila! i've been thinking about you in transit with two toddlers all day! Hope the rest of your journey is smooth!