WEBVTT 00:08.329 --> 00:10.119 The operational tempo in 3F is 00:10.119 --> 00:12.175 incredibly high . You know , there's 00:12.175 --> 00:14.920 not a lot of time for sitting back and 00:14.920 --> 00:17.142 letting training come to you . Like you 00:17.142 --> 00:19.253 really are pushing the envelope . The 00:19.253 --> 00:21.142 training in Okinawa is incredibly 00:21.142 --> 00:23.087 different from the training in the 00:23.087 --> 00:23.040 states , specifically , Marine Corps 00:23.040 --> 00:24.873 Combat Center 29 Palms . We love 00:24.873 --> 00:26.818 training there , but . Okinawa has 00:26.818 --> 00:28.818 given us the opportunity to work on 00:28.818 --> 00:31.459 patrolling , jungle operations while 00:31.459 --> 00:33.348 we're out here , we'll be able to 00:33.348 --> 00:35.403 conduct bilateral training with both 00:35.403 --> 00:37.515 the Japanese and the Koreans , and it 00:37.515 --> 00:39.570 gives us just another edge , another 00:39.570 --> 00:41.348 toolbox for us as a company and 00:41.348 --> 00:43.626 battalion to really hone our lethality . 00:44.759 --> 00:46.815 Serving the 3 meth is unique because 00:46.815 --> 00:48.930 it's very geographically dispersed . 00:49.159 --> 00:51.159 You're not just gonna operate where 00:51.159 --> 00:53.381 your barracks room is . You're gonna be 00:53.381 --> 00:55.437 expected to operate and train across 00:55.479 --> 00:58.040 the island of Okinawa as well as in 00:58.040 --> 01:01.520 mainland Japan , Guam , Korea , the 01:01.520 --> 01:05.519 Philippines , etc . so the operating 01:05.519 --> 01:07.463 environment is very geographically 01:07.463 --> 01:09.297 diverse and it's , it's not just 01:09.297 --> 01:11.630 contained to your one place of business . 01:15.000 --> 01:17.111 I see it every day and it's true like 01:17.111 --> 01:18.889 we are contributing to credible 01:18.889 --> 01:21.000 deterrents out here every day and you 01:21.000 --> 01:23.222 know , with all respect to one meth and 01:23.222 --> 01:25.222 2 meth , I've been in both . I know 01:25.222 --> 01:27.222 people in both , great people , you 01:27.222 --> 01:29.222 can't tell me that the things we're 01:29.222 --> 01:31.278 doing when we send people to Korea , 01:31.278 --> 01:33.056 the Philippines for exercises , 01:33.056 --> 01:35.278 engagements , whatever . You can't tell 01:35.278 --> 01:35.230 me that going to do a DFT to Fort 01:35.230 --> 01:37.230 Pickett or going to the backyard in 01:37.230 --> 01:39.397 Pendleton is having that same effect . 01:39.397 --> 01:41.341 It's been without a doubt the most 01:41.341 --> 01:43.508 professionally rewarding job I've ever 01:43.508 --> 01:45.563 had . Uh , so Okinawa is actually my 01:45.563 --> 01:47.619 preferred duty station . I was super 01:47.619 --> 01:49.619 excited to be able to come out here 01:49.619 --> 01:49.480 just because I didn't know a lot about 01:49.480 --> 01:51.758 Japan . I didn't know a lot about , uh , 01:51.758 --> 01:53.980 being outside of the country , but what 01:53.980 --> 01:56.036 I did hear about Okinawa was that it 01:56.036 --> 01:58.369 was this beautiful tropical island , um , 01:58.369 --> 02:00.647 that you could go to beaches , explore , 02:00.647 --> 02:02.869 go to a bunch of rivers , scuba dives , 02:02.869 --> 02:02.760 snorkel , all on the weekends , and 02:02.760 --> 02:04.482 that was something that really 02:04.482 --> 02:06.482 interested me . Since I've been out 02:06.482 --> 02:08.760 here , I've been able to explore Palau , 02:08.760 --> 02:11.038 which is a really small island country . 02:11.038 --> 02:13.093 I've also been able to explore South 02:13.093 --> 02:15.649 Korea , Thailand , Vietnam , and Taiwan . 02:15.839 --> 02:17.561 Some of those have been on the 02:17.561 --> 02:19.506 government's dime , which I'm very 02:19.506 --> 02:21.561 grateful for , while other ones have 02:21.561 --> 02:23.672 been just vacations between me and my 02:23.672 --> 02:25.895 husband . Anywhere that you're going to 02:25.895 --> 02:25.300 be stationedonis , you're not really 02:25.300 --> 02:27.467 going to have that accessibility to go 02:27.467 --> 02:29.689 and travel , and some of that really is 02:29.689 --> 02:31.633 just because you are already being 02:31.633 --> 02:33.689 planted into the middle of a country 02:33.689 --> 02:35.911 that you probably haven't been to yet , 02:35.911 --> 02:37.578 so everywhere is new to you , 02:37.578 --> 02:39.411 everywhere is a new experience . 02:40.039 --> 02:42.960 Flights are 4 hours , whereas you can 02:42.960 --> 02:45.127 drive 4 hours and still be in the same 02:45.127 --> 02:47.071 state . So being able to have that 02:47.071 --> 02:49.293 luxury of having everything so close to 02:49.293 --> 02:51.279 you and so accessible really does 02:51.279 --> 02:54.410 answer that that drive to be able to go 02:54.410 --> 02:57.020 out and explore new things . So my 02:57.020 --> 02:59.131 family actually adjusted to living in 02:59.131 --> 03:01.131 Japan extremely easy , a lot easier 03:01.131 --> 03:03.020 than what anybody could have ever 03:03.020 --> 03:05.242 imagined when you're back in the states 03:05.242 --> 03:07.242 and you're in the comfort of PCSing 03:07.242 --> 03:09.298 from one state to another . Uh , you 03:09.298 --> 03:08.899 don't really think about , hey , what 03:08.899 --> 03:10.955 does foreign school look like ? What 03:10.955 --> 03:13.066 does driving on the other side of the 03:13.066 --> 03:15.343 road look like , currency change . You , 03:15.343 --> 03:17.343 you don't think about all that when 03:17.343 --> 03:19.399 you're back in the states , uh , but 03:19.399 --> 03:19.139 when we got when we got over here it 03:19.139 --> 03:21.361 was a seamless transition . Um , it's , 03:21.419 --> 03:23.752 it's amazing here . It's beautiful that . 03:23.752 --> 03:25.975 People are extremely welcoming . The uh 03:25.975 --> 03:28.197 the chain of command is willing to help 03:28.197 --> 03:30.419 you have that smoothest transition that 03:30.419 --> 03:30.014 anybody could ask for going from the 03:30.014 --> 03:32.404 state side to Okinawa . We're , uh , 03:32.414 --> 03:34.470 working , new environment , learning 03:34.470 --> 03:36.692 the job , and then we come home and you 03:36.692 --> 03:38.858 have to have that transition between , 03:38.858 --> 03:40.970 hey , it's time for the uniform off , 03:40.970 --> 03:40.335 uh , and it's time for me to be a 03:40.335 --> 03:42.774 husband , uh , be a dad , and right 03:42.774 --> 03:44.996 here in housing , I , I'm right next to 03:44.996 --> 03:47.330 other military members in the same boat . 03:47.330 --> 03:49.552 I say just come with an open mind and a 03:49.552 --> 03:51.330 sense of adventure like . It is 03:51.330 --> 03:53.520 different . It does take a lot of 03:53.520 --> 03:56.389 getting used to , but it's so rewarding 03:56.389 --> 03:59.199 and I know people come out here and 03:59.199 --> 04:01.143 don't wanna try new things , don't 04:01.143 --> 04:03.032 wanna try new foods don't want to 04:03.032 --> 04:05.088 travel and you know that that's what 04:05.088 --> 04:07.199 makes it for us like our our kids are 04:07.199 --> 04:10.880 older we have like had some amazing 04:10.880 --> 04:12.759 travel experiences we've been to 04:12.759 --> 04:16.119 Thailand we've been to Taiwan we're 04:16.119 --> 04:18.660 about to go to Vietnam and like . I 04:18.660 --> 04:20.716 never had that as a kid growing up , 04:20.716 --> 04:23.059 like , just you have to embrace it . I 04:23.059 --> 04:25.392 agree . I just , just be patient . Like , 04:25.392 --> 04:27.559 you know , we've , we , we talked to a 04:27.559 --> 04:27.179 lot of families that love it out here 04:27.179 --> 04:29.346 on the back end . I think we talked to 04:29.346 --> 04:31.290 those families though , they don't 04:31.290 --> 04:33.290 remember what the first like 3 to 6 04:33.290 --> 04:32.899 months are like , you know , so like 04:32.899 --> 04:34.843 when you're driving to the vehicle 04:34.843 --> 04:36.899 registration office for the 3rd time 04:36.899 --> 04:36.619 because they need another piece of 04:36.619 --> 04:38.940 paperwork . And I remember having a 04:38.940 --> 04:40.884 conversation like this isn't fun . 04:40.884 --> 04:42.773 we're supposed to have fun . This 04:42.773 --> 04:45.109 doesn't feel like fun . uh , but like 04:45.109 --> 04:47.442 there's an adjustment period that comes , 04:47.442 --> 04:49.609 I think with any PCS , and I think , I 04:49.609 --> 04:49.100 think everyone would agree with that , 04:49.230 --> 04:51.563 but you figure it out , you know , just , 04:51.563 --> 04:53.786 just be patient like you said , have an 04:53.786 --> 04:53.630 open mind . We're gonna be sad to go 04:53.630 --> 04:55.630 for sure . Uh , some advice I would 04:55.630 --> 04:57.852 give . Military members coming out here 04:57.852 --> 05:00.074 with their family for the first time is 05:00.074 --> 05:02.297 just be ready to have a great time when 05:02.297 --> 05:04.408 work is work you're working your butt 05:04.408 --> 05:06.574 off and you're having a huge impact on 05:06.574 --> 05:08.741 3 math , but when you're it's time for 05:08.741 --> 05:08.540 that family time and you're you're out 05:08.540 --> 05:10.707 in town exploring , it is just some of 05:10.707 --> 05:12.873 the best memories I think my wife , my 05:12.873 --> 05:13.320 kids are ever gonna have .