Voluntary Evacuaton of Military Dependents Here in Japan

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the voluntary evacuation of military dependents from Japan, as authorized by the US President. Participants share personal experiences regarding the evacuation process, updates on their travel plans, and expressions of support for one another during this uncertain time.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, shares that military cargo planes will assist in evacuating dependents, starting with women and children.
  • Another participant mentions being in the first group to evacuate due to having children, expressing hope for a destination near friends and family.
  • Several users express concern and support for those evacuating, wishing safe travels and offering assistance if participants end up in their areas.
  • One participant discusses the uncertainty of travel plans, noting the lack of information about final destinations and connecting flights.
  • Another participant reflects on the emotional impact of the situation, mentioning the potential for personal belongings to be abandoned if the evacuation becomes permanent.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ regarding the specifics of the evacuation process and the emotional responses to the situation, with no clear consensus emerging on the overall feelings about the evacuation.

Contextual Notes

Participants are sharing their personal experiences and updates related to the evacuation, highlighting the uncertainty and emotional challenges faced by military families in Japan.

Who May Find This Useful

Members of the military community and their families may find the shared experiences and support within this thread relevant during this challenging time.

  • Thread starter
  • #31
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
 
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  • #32
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. ;)
 
Be safe Sheila! Be sure to update us as soon as you can.How are you kids holding up?
 
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  • #34
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. :(
 
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  • #35
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
 
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  • #36
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.
 
Sheila said:
..............., that it needs to be civilian planes. .................
Click to expand...

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.
 
Wow, Sheila what a roller coaster you are on. I see the strong military wife in you...it is truly amazing.
 
Uggggg. How frustrating! I can't even imagine the stress. Hang in there, Sheila!
 
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  • #40
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!
Click to expand...
 
Sheila I have doubles of everything and if you need PC tools you are welcome to them. And I bet HO would help too.....
 
  • Thread starter
  • #42
Are you in Dallas?

Well, we have the word! It's 8:40 PM here & I'm to report at 8AM! :D 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. :D
 
We'll be waiting to hear from you! Safe travels and hope the journey is a smooth one for you and the kiddos.
 
Great news!! I keep checking this to hear your updates and I hope the next one is a positive one!!
 
Safe travels :)
 
  • Thread starter
  • #47
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! ;)
 
Sleep well Sheila! So glad you are almost home.
 
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!
 
  • Thread starter
  • #51
We got a 5 hour nap & the kids were up again. I let them run around & play for 2 hours. They snacked on some cereal that we had here in the room & I just laid them back down. I thought my (3 year old) daughter went to sleep, but my (2 year old) son kept making noises & I had to get on to him. Now it looks like he's down but she's not yet. I have their Tot Clock here in the hotel room, so it's playing their music that they listen to at home & will hopefully pass out soon. ;) Mommy needs more sleep!!! LOL
 
hope you got some sleep :)
 
Hope you are rested for your continuing travels today.
 
So glad you are on your way home. We went to the zoo yesterday and went to bed at 9 p.m. I was so tired--I can only imagine how exhausted you are!Many thoughts and prayers for continued safety for your entire family!
 
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  • #55
I'll have to come back later to read all the responses, just wanted to say that we arrived in Dallas last night and got to my friends house around midnight. I got the kids down just before 1AM, tried to sign into internet but was having a hard time. My friend works nights & had already left for work & her hubby was sleeping, so I used her computer to e-mail Hubby & let him know that we were okay, then went to bed. I crawled in bed at 1AM ... exactly 55 hour from when I had crawled out of bed in Japan to start the journey. Man, that was a loooooooong one! So glad to be done.We had a really rough night of sleeping. My 2 year old woke me twice between 1AM & 3AM to pee, then they were both up at 4AM. I got the little one back down but my daughter did not want to go back down. She tossed & turned (in the same bed with me) until I swatted her bum at 7:30 and told her it was time to go to sleep. I then slept good from 7:30-11:30. So ready for a good night's sleep.The dog needs a bath. Lord, the dog needs a bath. She was in her kennel in our room last night and reeks of urine. Yick!!! Anybody wanna come to Red Oak, Texas & wash the dog & her kennel? LOL
 
Glade you made it safely and from what I've seen on the news good that you were able to leave. Prayers go out to those left behind and the nation of Japan.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #58
Thanks everyone. We still haven't gotten 8 hours of sleep. Kiera & I started feeling sick in the hotel in Seattle, Connor picked up on it a few hours later. Now all 3 of us have sinus stuff going on. We were up & down all night last night. The plane didn't land last night until 9:45 PM. By the time we got the luggage & the dog, stopped to eat & made it to my friend's house it was almost 1AM! I got the kids in bed as quick as I could & e-mailed hubby to say we were here. My son had me up twice before 3AM. At 4AM my daughter was up & didn't go back down until I threatened to spank her at 7:30. We then all 3 slept really well from 7:30-11:30. We got a 45 min nap before dinner tonight. It's my Anniversary. Wishing I could have spent the day with hubby, but he sent roses & paid to have the in-laws arrange a dinner with me, the kids, the in-laws and my friends who have opened their home to me during this time. We all went to Saltgrass (a restaurant Hubby & I love). Would rather have spent the evening with him, but they were a great substitute.About to head to bed, just wanted to check in before going. Hope everyone else is doing well!
 
Happy Anniversary!!!! I am sorry that you couldn't spend it together, but it sounds like your hubby did a good job making up for it :)
 
I would LOVE to come down and wash your pooch! Hope you get some rest and you all get settled in. So glad you left when you did. Feel so bad for everyone in Japan.
 
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