Photo By Cpl. Thomas Sheng | U.S. Marines and civilians stationed on Camp Foster pose for portraits on Camp Foster,...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa, Japan. -- Key managers of U.S. Marine Corps establishments and departments on Marine Corps Base Camp Butler work to improve the quality of living for Marines and families stationed in Okinawa.
When deployed overseas to Okinawa, Marines face the challenge of adjusting to new living conditions, laws, and procedures separate from their stateside counterparts. Managers around Marine Corps installations in Japan have worked numerous hours to alleviate some of the challenges.
Bachelor Enlisted Quarters 473 – Lance Cpl. Dallas Montgomery, a native of Tennessee.
“My objective is to ensure that Marines in my barracks have a great place to live,” said Lance Cpl. Dallas Montgomery, a barracks manager with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations Pacific. “No one wants to be welcomed to the island with a filthy room and broken appliances.”
Montgomery stepped in as an assistant last year and eventually took over the corporal’s billet of barracks manager in December of 2022. One of the first things he took charge of was designing a new room layout for Marines checking in and out of the barracks. This system ensures that the departure of outgoing Marines leaves clean rooms for incoming Marines to stay for their three-year assignments.
BEQ 473 continues to enhance its appliances and amenities offered to Marines. Recently, Wi-Fi modems were installed into every room to give Marines a rapid internet connection upon their arrival. More parking spots have been added in front of the barracks along with a new pavilion that includes a grill. Additionally, Montgomery oversaw the replacement of 10 new fully functioning washers and dryers and keeps inventory of appliances needed and old furniture that needs replacement.
“The quality of life in the barracks is one of the most important things because it’s their home whenever they return from work, deployments, or exercises,” said Montgomery. “No matter how big or small, the need for them to have everything to live comfortably is extremely important to me.”
According to Montgomery, since the end of October, he has received, processed, and fulfilled over 60 maintenance requests from issues to a broken door latch to defective refrigerators.
Military Commissaries in Japan – Kalani Patsel, a native of Hawaii.
Once inbound Marines have adjusted themselves in the barracks and families have adjusted to new living conditions, they can start looking outward for groceries and necessities. However, obtaining a privately owned vehicle in Japan can be a long-extended process before they can gather what they need.
To solve this problem, the Defense Commissary Agency has introduced its new COMMISSARY CLICK2GO program. COMMISSARY CLICK2GO is a free drop-off program where everyone who has access to the commissary who are stationed at bases without commissaries can fulfill all their grocery needs.
“We are very excited about this new program and what it offers to individuals stationed abroad,” said Kalani Patsel, the regional manager of commissaries throughout Japan. “Now we can reach Marines stationed at bases without commissaries like Camp Fuji, Camp Schwab, and Camp Hansen.”
Marines and families who are stationed at installations that have commissaries can also utilize this program. According to Patsel, for shoppers that prefer the ease of selecting their items from the comfort of their home or those who do not have time to search the entire commissary for items can also use COMMISSARY CLICK2GO.
The process for receiving groceries begins with logging on to https://www.commissaries.com/shopping/click-2-go. Shoppers can either log in or create an account and select the location of their own commissary. Marines and families stationed at bases without commissaries would select a commissary that is assigned to deliver to their specific station. After selecting groceries and confirming the pickup date, the delivery will be dropped off at their respective locations.
According to Patsel, all commissaries have partnered with USO facilities to ensure that any item within the commissary inventory can be delivered. The USO’s extra space offers dry, chilled, and frozen storage for ordering perishable items. This is also enabling Marines and families with dietary restrictions and preferences to order to their needs.
On top of COMMISSARY CLICK2GO, the self-checkout process and inventory has also changed. Commissaries are meeting the demand of customers by installing more self-checkout stations for more contactless purchases of items. Patsel has also expressed that he and his staff are more than happy to accept customer inquiries and requests for inventory changes or additions.
“We encourage Marines and families to come in and meet management so we can enhance the shopping experience,” said Patsel. “We play a vital role in feeding the military and COMMISSARY CLICK2GO is an example of a product that arose from the voices of customers.”
DeCA is also partnered with U.S. manufacturers who gave back $5,600 in gift cards. 28 Marine families received $200 each from various brand contributors. These families were identified as “families in need,” who were Marines and sailors that are E-4 and below who have at least one child or legal dependent. The families currently reside in Okinawa, have a single line of income, or they’re expecting a child that could also cause financial instability.
Four Seasons and Camp Foster Exchange – Tonja Norris, a native of California.
Another facility that has adopted self-checkout stations, custom orders, and product deliveries is the Foster Exchange.
“One of the main concerns from Marines on the island was the selection of products,” said Tonja Norris, the manager of the Camp Foster Exchange. “We tailor our product inventory from the feedback from our customers.”
According to Norris, the Exchange has received many requests about hair care products and sport supplements. Within 21 days her team was able to move over 300 new products to the main store.
To keep up with trends and other customer requests, the Exchange installed self-checkout stations and are in the works for bringing more. The Exchange also has pickup and drop off programs like the commissary.
“Our programs are no different from an Amazon delivery service,” said Norris. “We’ve adopted programs like our brothers and sisters from DeCA to evolve and fit the needs of the community”
The Buy Online, Pickup in Store program allows customers to shop online for pickup as well as deliver items from other locations to their nearest Exchange. Buyers using can either go into the Exchange to pick up their chosen items or they can park at designated pickup spots and call in to get their orders delivered straight to the car.
The shuttle program works like COMMISSARY CLICK2GO where other items can be delivered from any Exchange in Okinawa. This caters to buyers who may not have a car or do not have an Exchange with items they need.
“We will never say no to a customer’s request, and our team is going to do our best to get whatever our community needs,” said Norris. “More plans for changes are in store for the future.”
USO Camp Foster – Mardie Velasquez, a native of Texas.
While BEQ 473, Foster Exchange, and Foster Commissary take care of personnel from by fulfilling their needs, USO Camp Foster offers service members a place of productivity and leisure.
The USO’s mission is to strengthen America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country, through their service to the nation. In order to do this, the USO is ever-changing to adapt to the needs of every type of service member to support them.
“One main thing we’ve done is taken a deep look at our demographics and who is typically utilizing our services here at USO Camp Foster,” said Mardie Velasquez, the central manager of USO Camp Foster. “Our main demographic are the younger service members, so we cater to them through authentic, home cooked meals and our other amenities.”
USO Camp Foster frequently celebrates major holidays and hosts event gatherings where all attendees receive homemade food and entertainment to enjoy. According to Velasquez, USO’s volunteers come from different backgrounds and households and offer a variety of cuisines for anyone that walk through the USO’s door.
The USO’s staff is always looking for improvement and recently made upgrades to amenities to help create a comfortable environment. At the facility, service members can find different areas to watch a movie, rest in between their duties, grab something to eat, or even study for college classes.
On the Dec. 31, 2022, the USO finalized all its appliance upgrades, starting with the movie theater. Rows of recliner seats had been added along with an oil diffuser for aromatherapy relaxation. The theater is now completely enclosed and soundproof allowing viewers to watch whatever they want without disturbing the rest of the building.
Another addition was providing service members with studying pods that came with a power supply to charge any devices. According to Velasquez, regular USO visitors frequented the back area of the building to work in silence on MarineNet and college courses.
Velasquez also noticed the musical talent that Marines and volunteers of the USO possess, so she added three acoustic guitars, one bass guitar, one piano and one drum set.
Another successful addition is a two-player arcade game which is very popular according to Velasquez. Additionally, the pool table set was replaced, and a dartboard and ping pong tables were added.
“Obviously we are a nonprofit organization, so we have to work within our means,” said Velasquez. “However, if it’s just a simple coat of paint or an entire appliance that needs upgrading, we are always looking for improvement”
Mess Hall 488 – Staff Sgt. Ernesto Hernandez, a native of Arizona.
Mess Hall 488 also provides meals but has a different mission objective. To support the entirety of Marines on Camp Foster, the mess hall is open seven days week, providing three meals Monday through Friday and providing two meals on the weekend. Throughout the week, Mess Hall 488 provides a total of 19 meals for each Marine eating at the chow hall.
Every meal that is prepared follows the nutritional standard known as the Armed Services Recipe Cards. This standard ensures that each meal has a balanced variety of macronutrients and eliminates unhealthy food items from the menu.
While the chow hall does not have leeway to make extravagant, home-cooked meals as frequently as the USO, they make the effort to produce specialty meals at least five times a year.
“Big changes came to the master menu over the last two years,” said Staff Sgt. Ernesto Hernandez, the assistant manager of Mess Hall 488. “We’ve seen an increase in our budget to make special meals for special occasions and we’ve also received more personnel.”
According to Hernandez, the budget increase allowed Mess Hall 488 to cook with more variety and provide a vegetarian alternative for every meal. The recent changes also fund higher priced items like T-bone steaks and lobsters for the Marine Corps’ birthday, Navy Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
“Some of our ongoing projects involve using assets around Camp Foster to advertise our holiday celebration meals at the mess hall,” said Hernandez. “Unfortunately, we can’t replace the feeling of family, but we can substitute it with camaraderie and food to give a feeling of the holidays.”
Marines having a meal at the mess hall can also utilize the free Wi-Fi provided. Hernandez stated that he frequently sees Marines calling or facetiming family and friends during lunch and dinner hours.
“I’ve noticed the Wi-Fi at the mess hall is a good service to get Marines out of the work mentality and decompress,” said Hernandez. “This is just one of the benefits that we can provide for them.”
Receiving orders abroad to Okinawa can be challenging for Marines and their loved ones. Adjustments must be made for a new language and culture, but Marines are not alone. Civilians and other service members work behind the scenes to improve every aspect of their lives to ensure that they are supported throughout their military careers.
| Date Taken: | 01.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2023 01:58 |
| Story ID: | 437492 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 281 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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