I drew all the bases I've set foot in during my family's time being stationed in Okinawa...except for Camp Lester. That one's irrelevant.
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Imma tell you guys about each of them. Oh and, Ilovereadingwriting9 , the idea of the bases being people is one of the reasons I wrote TGbtS.
Camp Kinser: My family was based here since it was close to the Naha military port—where my dad worked. It's small, it's old, but it's peaceful. It's soon to be given back to the Japanese. I have a lot of good memories there. Going to the Commissary with my schoolmates, learning Japanese, and playground drama. Many families live here and the thing I love most about it, is how tightly knit the military community is here. Everyone knows each other and the everything that happens in it is one big inside joke. Oh yeah, and my dad was homies with a Japanese gate guard. There was a language barrier, yes, but they were certified homies for life.
Camp Foster: I'm going to be blunt: Everyone I've met who's from Camp Foster is batshit crazy. I don't know what happens in there, but I know it's good for festivals, grabbing some food, and recreational activities such as bowling. Still—everyone is batshit crazy.
Kadena Air Base: It's the biggest base on island. I sympathize with the Okinawan people. IT'S UNNECESSARILY BIG. There are a lot of planes, of course. Kadena is the most high-quality of the bases. It has what is considered the biggest Base Exchange in the DoD. My dad and I, towards the end of quarantine when we arrived on island, were given the green light to explore. We decided to check out the Base Exchange (BX for short) and I was in awe. It was two stories tall. The first story was a food court and the local people selling merchandise that teach about Japanese and Okinawan traditional culture. The second floor was anyone's typical BX. Clothes, books, and uniform repairs. Kadena is good, but it's too big.
Torii Station: The reason it's called Torii Station is because of the Torii (looks like this: ⛩) gate in front of it. Torii Station takes care of passports, dealerships, housing, healthcare, and Army logistics.
White Beach: White Beach is a Naval base. My family went camping there once. It's the only base I know of that allows locals on without ID or permits. It protects a lot of the culture, so it's common to see a shrine while walking. It's so well protected, that most of the base is reserved for families who pay respects to the shrines.
Welp, those are the major US military bases on Okinawa.
