Fact Vs. Fiction - Vacation Vs. Evacuation

The power outages prevented me from posting details sooner but later will do... I hope you're still reading because I still have much to tell you and even more to come when I reach U.S. soil....

My health is almost completely recovered  now and I've spent the last 29 hours in 2 major meetings addressing "Voluntary Early Departure", Spending time with my neighbor and our children in the dark during 2 Blackouts - 4 hours each, scrambling to make many phone calls, forced to make an on the spot Evacuation decision with little time to discuss it, hugging my crying neighbors who leaving on their own from the country , I also slept a few hours somewhere in that mess...

You have likely heard in the news about the evacuation of American citizens from Japan. In fact, most of you saw it on the news only 20 minutes after I found out...it came out of the blue and we immediately set off to attend a unit meeting with other families. It started off sort of jittery then sobering as I talked with a friend who is a Japanese national married to an American solider. She spoke of how she was unsure of whether to follow in this because of her mother and sister who would be left behind. Loyalty, honor, family: all are amazing qualities possessed by the Japanese. Like a noble captain ready to go down with his ship...Then an Officer comes in to officially address what we all know is coming, "Do not Panic, you are in no immediate danger." ...He gives us these facts:
-There are 278,000 U.S. citizens in Japan and 150,000 are Dod/Military/families
-Aircrafts already inroute to Atsugi Naval Air Base
-Want everyone within approx. 200 miles from Fukushima Nuclear Plants moved. We are 201-SHA to 206-Zama .

Then he continues to explain that this is called "Voluntary Early Departure" and not really an evacuation but a move to a safety zone. Although it is "volunteer" they encourage us to go...

I go to sleep that night after a few phone calls and talking with my husband but we are still unsure.

So this morning we leave early to attend a mass town hall base meeting with the Command General.

On the way, my husband and I discuss the reality of what we are finally about to encounter with this meeting. The separation, the safety, the danger, and the chaos but when we finally arrive on Zama, I am overcome with the beauty of the mountains that surround us...normally there are always misty clouds blocking this view and not since our arrival over a year and a half ago have I seen the mountains in such a clear beautiful way, the same way I saw them our very first morning here which gave me my first taste of the love and awe I would ultimately have for our host country....we waited outside with everyone, laughing off the tension we all felt, together, keeping our eyes on the sky as helicopters buzzed over us so frequently...I began to survey others on their current standing with the situation and most where on the fence like us, about whether to join this "voluntary leave" and even more interesting, was the opinion of soldiers who thought it better to send their families straight to the states in comparison to accommodations so far proposed by this "voluntary leave"...

The meeting began surprising lite-hearted despite the anxious silence and restless children among the mass. The General began  stating that this was no doom and gloom session and then continued on to information we might have received from the news. Telling us the news is grossly over exaggerated for monetary purposes and that he had the facts from reputable sources...he did little to explain the nuclear situation represented by the news and then moved on to command philosophy about being a team, following the golden rule, and character quality...the asked his attorney if he was getting carried away...???...I found this somewhat uncomfortable because even though I  do realize he has a script to follow and the attorney is there to protect the military, I still found it strange for him to so openly rely on the attorney after he made a statement to be honest, frank, and candid. He discussed the mission for the relief effort of Sendai and then led into the circumstances of why we were attending this late notice mass meeting....

Because of continued aftershocks and tsunami risks and well as the unstable nuclear situation (which he said was turning favorable ??) , they we're starting a "voluntary departure" which he called a "vacation" somewhere in a holding area...but there were no official plans yet and the were still expecting more answers and detailed plans to come within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Let me break down the implied "Voluntary Departure": we are broken down into orderly groups and bused to an air-base. Given a seat and upon take off they would then reveal where they would send us. (the states would not be an option at this point) in fact we would be sent to Korea, southern Japan, Taiwan, Guam, and etc and then placed in a large gym, hanger, or warehouse with a 100 or more other spouses and kids, sleeping on cots and dependent on whatever supllies and services the host can offer us all. Also we have no clue how long we would live like that, weeks to months....with no guarantee of communication with the outside world... someone did ask during the question session that if they were sent to a place where they had family (i.e.: another American base in Korea or by chance Hawaii) could they stay with them, The General then asked "could your family take in all the people here?" to which this person replied with "well no of course not". He said "then there is your answer" (NO).... VOLUNTARY departure. We are asked to take this opportunity to leave but not required. Because the Army has made this voluntary, we are at their whim of place and accommodation type. To save money, making it voluntary takes away our options...If they followed normal evacuation protocol, they would then have to send us to our home of record and provide us lodging for displacement if we are unable to stay with family....Cost$$ Vs. Risk.... For the record: once we arrive at whatever safe destination they would send us to, we still have the option of trying to buy a ticket home to the states from there on our own dime.

Strange Fact: The other bases around us are already in the process of evacuating their people, the same bases that our base accused of overreacting, while our base is so behind that they are scrambling with plans to get started with a voluntary leave...

We left the meeting feeling more confused about our situation and unsure of their vague answers for the future.

Barely two hours later my husband called suddenly telling me his command wanted to know our decsion on whether we would go on this "Voluntary Departure". I told him I would like to wait untill he got home so we could actually have time to talk it over but he said he couldn't because they were forcing him to get an instant decision from me. I was flustered and angry to be bullied into a corner so that I could fall into their ranks, so I declined and decided I had to find my own way out of this mess....but come to find out many of the upper ranking were sending their own families through to the states so we are doing the same. At first I worried If I had made the right decision for my son, to risk getting out by expensive commericial means to be safe and comfortable with family Vs. getting on a free flight to an unknown destination with a possible camp like living space shared with possibly 100's of people for a very long time......And the pressure of that choice made me finally break and cry after keeping my focus and resolve the entire week since the Earthquake...I know I've been scared but as a mother I've done my best to keep a clear head about what I facing here....

With perfect dramatic timing, we lost power here and thanks to some resources I was connected with an aunt in the states who helped me find tickets home...hopefully someday they will reimburse the lost savings we have spent to get to the comfort and freedom that we feel they have cheated from us with idea of  "Volunteering" to leave. It's weird to think that just 3 days ago they practically laughed at those who were thinking of evacuation happening anytime soon...

Regardless of all this, we have managed to secured a flight within the next 3 days to the states :). My son and I will have a 3 part journey through the U.S. and are very very fortunate to have so many wonderful friends and family to accommodate us along the way and help make it possible for us to accomplish a safe and happy trip back home.

I will continue to update on things here and reach out to those choosing "voluntary leave" to check on their conditions and etc...please continue to pray for the people of Japan and for all the soldiers who are saying goodbye to their families so that they may carry out humanitarian missions here.