Fort Buchanan is the only United States Army installation located on the island of Puerto Rico inside the capital city of San Juan. After passing hands between the Army and Navy a number of times, Fort Buchanan now consists of 746 acres and serves approximately 13,000 people including military personnel and their families as well as retirees and DoD civilians. It is used primarily for Reserve and National Guard units for forward operations in the Caribbean area.
OCONUS
EYB: Camp Zama, Japan
Originally created by the Japanese as an Imperial Army Academy in the 1930’s, it came under American control when a battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army arrived on Sept. 5, 1945. It eventually became known as Camp Zama. It saw increased activity during the Vietnam War, as soldiers were sent there for additional medical care of R&R and it was used as a main supply center for the war effort. Changes were made as Japan regained more control of various towns. U.S. Army Garrison Japan was activated at Camp Zama on Oct. 15, 2002.
It’s a Small World
I don’t know if I should apologize for getting the tune stuck in your head or keep singing the lyrics of the well-known Disney World ride, but either way, I bet you’re humming along to “It’s a Small World” because…it’s a small world after all.
As a kid that grew up as a “Disney brat,” I knew the song (and ride) backward and forward. I knew all the little languages within this magical-themed ride focusing on our similarities across the globe as opposed to our differences.
This is Reality
Growing up, my best friend and I loved to talk to each other in movie quotes. We would converse by stealing lines from the movies we saw together and loved. I remember gifting her a calendar of quotes as a present. I hope it was a daily calendar. Hope that I actually sat there and thought up 365 different quotes from movies we enjoyed together, but I can’t quite remember if I was that inspired.
Celebrating Volkstrauertag as an American Living in Germany
Living overseas offers plenty of new opportunities for Americans: food, traditions, cultural events, and more. It’s probably the best part about the experience and why I urge people to accept an OCONUS posting if one is offered.
During my first year living in Bavaria, a heavily Catholic state in Germany, I learned about the various Catholic holidays that don’t carry as much weight in the United States. I celebrated my first Fasching, the German version of Carnival or Mardi Gras, complete with a parade prior to the lenten season. I’ve attended my fair share of Volksfests and other fests popular in Germany.
Not All Rainbows and Unicorns
I stood there, helpless and sad. I watched, almost as an outsider, as my son clung to his grandmother in the middle of the airport parking lot and sobbed tears of a young boy missing his family.
Show #671: Foreign Military Spouse Association
Join us for this empowering episode of AWTR with guest Juliette Ramberg de Ruyter, sharing about the Foreign Military Spouse Association. This organization provides support and information to foreign spouses, their families, and the military community.
26 OCONUS Experiences You Might Miss
Living at an OCONUS duty station is probably one of the most exciting parts of being a military family. Not everyone gets the chance, but if you ever do, seize that opportunity with both hands, even if it scares you.
There are so many wonderful things to experience, from the extensive history, to food, to traditions, and more. If you’ve ever lived at an OCONUS location, then you may know how easy it is to leave a part of yourself there.
25 Things to Love About America
When living overseas, it’s very easy to quickly begin missing certain things about the good ol’ US of A. It’s not that other countries necessarily “get it wrong,” but rather that it’s different from what Americans are used to. Over time, we adjust to the host nation’s culture, and it becomes our new normal.
But really, we still kind of miss certain things.
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