Being Stationed Overseas
Justin Allen Carroll
WRTG101
Simona Rogowski
The Pros and Cons of being Stationed Overseas If you ask any junior Marine ( Marines beneath the Rank of Corporal are considered “junior”), after they have been stationed on Okinawa, Japan for at least 3 months, whether it was a good decision to request to be sent here or not, chances are they would laugh in your face and tell you “Hell no!”. Being stationed here in Okinawa has some advantages, but many would argue that the disadvantages of being stationed here outweigh the advantages greatly. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why service members might think it a good decision to be stationed in Japan instead of their home country. When new Marines first arrive on the island, it is a common occurrence for them o be excited about the new local. New places to visit, new people to meet, a whole new culure to explore. For many of the younger Marines, this is the first and only time that they will have the opportunity to visit another country. When first arriving, I remember the excitement in the air being so thick that you could almost cut it with a knife. At this point, the only things these Marines know about life on the island is what they’ve been told by other senior Marines, who have already been stationed here previously. Shortly after arriving, the Marines are put into a community barracks shared by all the newcomers to the island, and formed into a company known as JRC (Junior Receiving Company). During the space of a few days, the Marines are initiated into life in the Asian Pacific, getting brief after brief on why exactly we are here and what is expected of us on a daily basis. During these briefs, a couple of the perks of being on the island are brought up, and excitement abounds when the Marines learn that they will be receiving and extra 200 dollars a month for the higher cost of living while on the island, and that the legal drinking age on island is 20 years of age, instead of the regular age of
WRTG101
Simona Rogowski
The Pros and Cons of being Stationed Overseas If you ask any junior Marine ( Marines beneath the Rank of Corporal are considered “junior”), after they have been stationed on Okinawa, Japan for at least 3 months, whether it was a good decision to request to be sent here or not, chances are they would laugh in your face and tell you “Hell no!”. Being stationed here in Okinawa has some advantages, but many would argue that the disadvantages of being stationed here outweigh the advantages greatly. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why service members might think it a good decision to be stationed in Japan instead of their home country. When new Marines first arrive on the island, it is a common occurrence for them o be excited about the new local. New places to visit, new people to meet, a whole new culure to explore. For many of the younger Marines, this is the first and only time that they will have the opportunity to visit another country. When first arriving, I remember the excitement in the air being so thick that you could almost cut it with a knife. At this point, the only things these Marines know about life on the island is what they’ve been told by other senior Marines, who have already been stationed here previously. Shortly after arriving, the Marines are put into a community barracks shared by all the newcomers to the island, and formed into a company known as JRC (Junior Receiving Company). During the space of a few days, the Marines are initiated into life in the Asian Pacific, getting brief after brief on why exactly we are here and what is expected of us on a daily basis. During these briefs, a couple of the perks of being on the island are brought up, and excitement abounds when the Marines learn that they will be receiving and extra 200 dollars a month for the higher cost of living while on the island, and that the legal drinking age on island is 20 years of age, instead of the regular age of