Military Families
cegraham
member
Anyone stationed at Misawa, Japan?
cegraham
member
My hubby and I are scheduled to move to Misawa in a couple of months (while I am in the tail end of my second trimester). Right now all moves to Japan are on hold but we are being told that we will most likely still be going. This is my first baby and I am very nervous.....it is my first overseas tour as well! I heard that 6 babies were born at Misawa during the Earthquake! I'm hoping some of you ladies are stationed there and can tell me what it's like. I know there was a voluntary evacuation.......I just don't know if I should go with hubby or stay with my parents in the States for awhile, which would mean that my hubby would miss possibly the birth and first couple months until we could fly to Japan. Luckily I have some time to decide and see if everything in Japan calms down with the Nuclear Reactors, etc. But, I'm hoping someone can give me advice?
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Re: Anyone stationed at Misawa, Japan?
Congrats on your first pregnancy, and welcome!
Misawa is great! I've never lived there, but I've visited while stationed on Okinawa.
As far as safety goes, the military will not move you there if the threat increases. As of right now, not even Iwakuni (the closest base) is under too much threat. The evacuations you are hearing about are more precautionary than anything, and at this point are still 100% voluntary. There are tons of experts (Japanese and American) watching the nuclear reactor situation, and they are doing everything they can to keep the situation under control. A lot of what you're seeing on the news is hype and fear-mongering.
Only you can decide whether you want to go or stay, but if it were me, I would go, no hesitation. It will be so much harder on you to try and go out to Japan after the fact- you will be moving with a newborn, through international customs, on a flight that can last upwards of 14 hours, depending on the route and time of year! Plus, you don't want to choose to miss out on that time with your husband.
Japan is a great place to live, and even though it will take some adjusting, I haven't ever heard anyone say they didn't like it except when they missed family. Going overseas has made my marriage stronger, and has helped me mature so much. Some days it's hard to be far away from family, but you just take advantage of the technology you have- I pay less than $3 a month to be able to call my parents as much as I want on Skype.
Looking up information on the base can help ease your mind quite a bit. I've found militaryonesource.com to be a great resource. And of course I don't have information specific to Misawa, but if you ever want to vent about the international PCS process, I am always open to chatting!
You're welcome! Honestly, I think you will still have a great experience. I have a friend here who PCSed while she was about 5 months into a high risk pregnancy, and she had a great experience with everything. As far as the earthquake situation goes, tere is not as much to worry about as the news media suggests.
Once you have a sponsor, they should be able to relay official info to you- I know I have received official statements from the Okinawa CG stating that everything is safe here. I'm sure leadership from Misawa and your husband's new unit will have issued similar statements detailing what is going on there. Your husband should be able to ask your sponsor for details like that. That's what the sponsorship program is there for!
THIS. AND my cousin and her husband are living there right now. He is stationed there and they are staying put. Aside from the after shakes (she said they got old) things are going well. Except for the timing for somethings is slower and sometimes rationed. But it is only temp and may already be back on track. Try to not miss out on what could be the best experiences learning or otherwise. Stay strong and comfy during the rest of your pregnancy. And just think of the fun your LO may have for the 1st couple of years there, and when the kiddo is older it is cool to of been born in a different country!
THIS. AND my cousin and her husband are living there right now. He is stationed there and they are staying put. Aside from the after shakes (she said they got old) things are going well. Except for the timing for somethings is slower and sometimes rationed. But it is only temp and may already be back on track. Try to not miss out on what could be the best experiences learning or otherwise. Stay strong and comfy during the rest of your pregnancy. And just think of the fun your LO may have for the 1st couple of years there, and when the kiddo is older it is cool to of been born in a different country!