Loose Lips Sink Ships

This is always an important message to remember but it is especially important when you are living in a foreign country. You really never know if the people around you whom you assume can only speak Japanese can fluently understand English and could be collecting information. I know, I know, I sound very paranoid but to be honest in this situation you really can't trust others with information that could put your sailors life on the line.

Facebook

What information would that be exactly? It really doesn't take much. A simple "I am so sad my husband is leaving in a few days" or, " (Sailors name Here) can't wait to port in (location)" on Facebook defiantly indicates ships movement. You may also think that because when a ship is leaving is pretty well known around base that its ok...wrong. It may be common knowledge to you but it actuality it is not. Remember most people do not know all the people on their Facebook list and if by some miracle you do, there is a good chance you haven't been in real contact with that person in some time. The point is, you don't know who is getting that information.

Talking to Family and Friends

Everyone needs support when a deployment is coming up but one of the worse things you could do is start letting people know ahead of time, even family and friends. Obviously they have our best interest at heart but you don't know who they might innocently talk to and leak that information that you just gave out. Keep in mind as well, phone lines, the internet and the mail are not secure means of communication. You may think you are having a private conversation but you never really know.

The Do's and Don'ts

-Don't announce plans ahead of time. This includes when the ship is leaving, coming back, where it is going, or even what your spouses leave dates are.
-Don't give any information over unsecured means of communication...so basically never.
-Do let people know if you would like AFTER the event has occurred. Once the ship is gone let people know that your sailor is out to sea. By then it is public knowledge because anyone that can see the harbor knows that the ship is gone.
-Do master the phrase, "I don't know." Most of the time this will be true, you really won't know what is going on with your sailor but in the times that you do, answer "I don't know" anyway.
-Do remember that a little bit of information given by you can be added up with information gathered from other people to paint a full picture.
-Don't forget that even though it would be easier to be able to tell ahead of time and get the support you need and want from family and friends, your sailors life is more important.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me at navywifeinjapan@gmail.com

A Few of the Extras in Your Paycheck

I know many people have concerns about money and moving to Japan, but if you have the right information it should make the transition much easier. Your money matters will change due to a PCS move here and for many it can be a really good thing. Here are somethings you and your family can look forward to coming into your bank account.

COLA

COLA, or Cost of Living Allowance, is a benefit to help offset the difference in living in a higher cost area. There are a few factors that determine what you are going to receive. Click here to find out what your COLA might be.

Here is a sample of what this worksheet looks like once all of your information is in.

OVERSEAS COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE

PAY PERIOD: 1-16-2011 thru 1-31-2011

Rank: E5 Years of Service: 4 Number of Dependents: 3 Country/State: JAPAN City: YOKOSUKA (KA) Location Code: JA061 COLA Index: 0.56 Effective Date: 20101201 Daily COLA: $ 45.111 Daily Unique: $ 0

COLA Payment for Pay Period
1-16-2011 thru 1-31-2011

COLA:	$ 721.78
UNIQUE:	$ 0
	__________
TOTAL PAY PERIOD ALLOWANCE:	$ 721.78

Just type in your own information to see what you can expect. This money is added on to your base pay and can equal a pretty nice sum.

OHA

Similar to BAH (but with some differences), OHA is an allowance given to services members with families living outside of base housing. Here is a OHA calculator to help you determine what you can plan to revive here in Japan if you are not planning on staying in base housing. Here is an example with the same information that I used from the last one.

Overseas Housing Allowances

JAPAN Location: YOKOSUKA (KA) , Location Code: JA061PAY PERIOD: 01-16-2011

---

For an E-5 with dependents, the Overseas Housings Allowances are as follows:

Allowances Effective: 20101001	Local Currency	US DOLLARS
OHA Rental Allowance	210000.00 YEN	$ 2618.13
Utility/Recurring Maintenance Allowance	95000.00 YEN	$ 1184.39
Move-In-Housing Allowance (MIHA)	68322.00 YEN	$ 851.79

Climate code is: 2.00


Wow, is that a lot of money? Heck ya it is, but keep in mind that the Navy isn't giving you all that money for nothing. Housing here out in town is very expensive. There are a lot more fees that you can expect to pay than you would in the states. Your utilities can really get up there too. Some people can really save a whole lot of money being smart with their OHA money. So if you choose wisely, you can too.

Beware of expecting too much of the money that you are getting. It is easy to think that there is no way you could run out of money each month with all that extra money on top of base pay. A lot of people leave here broke though and it is easy to do. Yen to dollar rates change everyday and the dollar is a lot weaker than the yen right now. Remember when you pull out 5000 yen, you are not pulling out $50.00. You are pulling out anywhere from $60-$70 depending on that moments exchange rate. If you were not a good saver in the states it can only get worse here when you are using currency that you are not familiar with so plan ahead! If you are great at saving, bravo. You will most likely be able to put away a lot of money while you are here.

If you set up a spending plan and workable budget before you get here based on what you think you will be getting, you will be better off and the transition will be a lot easier. If you have any questions or comments please email me at navywifeinjapan@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Yokosuka Ship Information Pages

All ships I am pretty sure have websites nowadays and it is a great way to get information about that ship. Here I have complied a list of the ships websites that are stationed here in Yokosuka.

USS Blue Ridge click here for information

USS George Washington click here for information

USS Cowpens click here for information

USS Shiloh click here for information

USS Curtis Wilbur click here for information

USS John S. McCain click here for information

USS Fitzgerald click here for information

USS Stethem click here for information

USS Lassen click here for information

USS McCampbell click here for information

USS Mustin click here for information

If you are looking to contact the ship, head over to their contact page for that information.

The Paperwork That Will Get You to Japan

I don't know anyone who enjoys paperwork, especially military paperwork, but if you want to come to Japan you better start loving it. Make sure that you know what day the orders say your sailor has to report by. He will most likely be leaving on this day no matter what. You, your kids and pets are another story. It is up to you to finish your paperwork in time to move with your husband or wife. There is a whole lot to do, so get started as soon as you can. The following things are what you need in order to be approved to live in Japan and be a part of the base.

Orders

Orders are what makes everything official. Before you have these its all just word of mouth and as a lot of people can tell you, if it isn't in writing then it doesn't exist. Orders can be pretty hard to read so if you are having trouble understanding them, head over to your PSD and ask them for help. You will be working with these people a lot in the coming months so get to know them. Make sure that those orders are accompanied!

Passport

A passport is the way that you travel from country to country. They will check your passport three to four times before you have even left America so believe me, you can't do with out this. You do have options though. You can apply for a no-fee passport at the passport office located on major bases. This no fee passport can only be used for traveling on official orders. Make sure that you and all of your dependents have one of their own. The other option is a regular passport. This will let you travel to other countries with or without orders and costs around $75 plus a processing fee in some places. If you would like, click here to complete and print out. Apply as soon as possible because it can take up to 90 days to show up. Your military member will not need a passport to travel to the country on orders but it is highly recommended that he or she have one anyway.

Overseas Screening

Find out where to pick up your overseas screening packet on base. If you are on a smaller base, you may have to go to another one to pick it up. You will need to have an overseas screening for each dependent going to Japan. Once you have your packet call to make an appointment for an overseas screening with your Doctor. In the packet it will ask you a lot of questions about your health history. They are trying to determine if the facilities over here will meet your needs. Hospitals here are for basic problems and are not made to care for people with chronic illness. Check that your Doctor has filled out all of his portion, and make extra sure they signed everything that they need to. You will also need a dental exam and this can be done by your normal dentist. Make sure he fills out everything. You will also need to get some shots before you can be approved. If you have a shot record, great! You probably won't have to have as many. Double check that every last page is completed and signed by the appropriate people. Turn in your packet to the overseas screening office and now wait. Depending on how busy they are, this can take a while.

Importing Your Pet

This is a headache all on its own. Here is a list of everything that must be completed. It is a lot to do and make sure that you do everything as specified. If you get that blood test too early or late your furry friend may not be allowed into Japan.

Family Entry Approval/ Command Sponsorship

Make sure that everything above has been completed and also that everyone is enrolled in DEERS and you must go over any debts that your family has with a counselor. Please refer to this to help guide you. It is for the Coast Guard but it is the same form for Navy. Your sponsor must turn this completed into his command to receive the Entry Approval.

Get Your Flight

Contact the PSD once all your paperwork has been completed for your flight arrangements.

Make sure to contact your sponsor for all the information that you need in order to get over to Japan. These are the big things that need to be done and you may need to do some smaller things in between. Try to start this process as quickly as possible and make sure to write everything people tell you. Also, make note of who told you what or who said they are going to do something for you. I turned in some papers to the PSD only to have them lost by that person. When they asked me who it was, I had no idea so I had to start that paperwork over. Take names! The more organized you are the smoother this bumpy ride will be for you.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at navywifeinjapan@gmail.com.

Our Journey to Japan

Getting to the point where we are now has taken a lot of effort, time and tears to be honest. Moving here was probably the hardest thing we had to do since my husband has been in the Navy. We honestly did not know what we needed to do to get me here and had no help to turn to initially. We really felt helpless.

My husband got his orders on April 2, 2010 and we were so excited. This is where he wanted to go way back when he signed up for the Navy. After nearly two years of school he was really ready to get out into the fleet. The school house helped him with his paper work and made sure that he would be able to get out as soon as possible. I on the other hand, was left to fend for myself. A lot of times during this period I really felt like the Navy could care less about whether or not I would be going to Japan, and in reality that is probably the truth. I learned that their job isn't to get me to live with my husband but to get my husband to work for the Navy.

I knew I needed to get an overseas screening so I called my doctor and set up an appointment at the clinic. The day rolled around and guess what, I need a big packet of papers (which no one told me about) for them to fill out. I had to reschedule after I got the papers. I did as I was told and came back only to find out I would need several other medical appointments to complete that part of the paperwork and this would whittle away at the little time I had to get ready before my husband left.

Needless to say, I was extremely stressed about everything. The school house told us we would be moving in a couple of weeks and to make preparations. We told our apartment complex that we would need to move ASAP and we were going to be out on April 20. The movers were going to come on the 19th so that all was moving ahead at full steam. After all this had been put into motion, we found out that my husband would be flying out sometime in the next couple of weeks. So after the 20th we would be homeless and I still wasn't close to being ready to go. The base really was useless in helping me to get to Japan. Every time I asked for help or to point me in the right direction, they would look at me like I was crazy or act like I was the first person to ever come across that situation. Our apartment was packed up and not having a place to live until we moved to Japan, we ended up couch surfing at a couple of friends houses.

Soon enough, my husband got the call to be ready and at the airport in two hours. We were going crazy trying to get him ready in time, not to mention freaking out that we still didn't know how I was going to get to Japan. He flew out on May 5th not knowing when we would see each other again. I finally finished my overseas screening and me being as naive as I was, thought that we were all done. Soon I found out that even worse news. Since he was now in Japan and no longer attached to the base in VA, all paperwork had to be routed through them and since I was not there to do it, he had to do it during the little downtime that he had on his ship.

I decided to fly back to CA and stay with my parents as I waited. I had started to feel hopeless. He now needed to get Command Sponsorship for me which is a whole different thing than what we were working on back in VA. Since this kind of sponsorship isn't used much, most people didn't know exactly what was needed. Paperwork was mixed up and missing sometimes. Finally I was able to get some help from a cousin who is an E9 in the Marines. Man oh man, did he get things done. If it wasn't for him, I would probably still be waiting. After he talked to the people he talked to, my sponsorship was excepted and we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Now, all we needed was to get my plane ticket. But wait, which base is going to pay for it? Dam Neck said because he wasn't attached to their base anymore that they wouldn't pay for it. Yokosuka said that they never pay for it. That argument went on for a couple of weeks until my husband and I decided to bite the bullet and pay for the ticket ourselves. It was expensive and hard to know we wouldn't be reimbursed for it, but it was worth every dollar to finally be here. On September 9th I was finally in Japan.

This was my abridged version of our story but I think you get the idea. The whole thing was awful and I really wish no one had to go through it. Sadly a lot of people will. I hope that anyone who is reading this and is going through this knows that you will get here if you keep trying. Make sure to call on every network and resource you have to get you here. You may even step on a few toes along the way, just do what you have to to get where you want to be.

If you have any questions or comments, email me at navywifeinjapan@gmail.com. Don't forget to follow this blog for quicker updates.

How to buy a train ticket in Japan

Getting around on the train here is super convenient once you know how to do it. This youtube video shows you how simple it is to buy a ticket.



Make sure that once you put your ticket in the machine that you collect it on the other side of the machine, you will need this ticket at your destination to let you out of the station.

Keep reading and email me at navywifeinjapan@gmail.com if you have any questions.