Camp Schwab

Camp Schwab is a United States Marine Corps camp located in northeastern Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, that is currently home to the 4th Marine Regiment and other elements of the 28,000 American servicemen based on the island. The Camp was dedicated in 1959 in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Albert E. Schwab who was killed in action during the Battle of Okinawa.

Camp Schwab
Okinawa, Japan
Gate 1 of Camp Schwab
TypeMilitary base
Site information
Controlled byUSMC
Site history
In use1959- present
Garrison information
Garrison3rd Reconnaissance Battalion

Combat Assault Battalion

4th Marine Regiment

Combat Logistics Battalion 4

Camp Schwab is primarily located in the city of Nago (99%); a small part of the base is located in the village of Ginoza (1%).

The unit conducts live-fire training and coordination with other units.

Base overview
  • Location: Nago (Toyohara, Henoko, Kushi, Kyoda, Sukuta, Yofuke), Ginoza Village (Matsuda)
  • Area: 20,626 thousand m2
  • Area ratio by municipality: Nago City 99% (about 20.43 km 2 ), Ginoza Village 1% (about 0.2 km 2 )
  • Management Unit: U.S. Marine Corps Base Command in Okinawa
  • Number of landowners: 752
  • Annual rent: 2,639 million yen (FY2012 results)
  • Number of stationed Marine employees: 242[1]

Adjacent to the north side of Camp Schwab is the Henoko Ordnance Storage.

U.S. military base in Henoko, Nago City
FAC6009 Camp schwab Camp schwab
Camp Schwab Training Ground
Camp Schwab LST mooring facility See Table C
FAC6010 Henoko Ordnance Storage Henoko Ordnance Storage
Henoko Navy Ammunition Dump

Units and mission

III Marine Expeditionary Force, 3rd Marine Division (4th Marine Regiment, Combat Assault Battalion and 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion), etc. (Army, Navy, Air Force use range etc.)

Purpose of use: Dormitory, various entertainment facilities, management office and training ground

Geography
Both Camp Hansen and Camp Schwab form a vast central training ground. It is also adjacent to the Henoko Ordnance Storage on the west side.

It is divided into a Schwab training area located in the inland area on the west side of Route 329 (* at the same time, National Route 331 also overlaps) and a camp area on the east coast.

The Henoko Ordnance Storage is adjacent to the north side. The Schwab training area forms the north side of a large training ground called the Central Training Area. The south side is adjacent to the Camp Hansen training area.

There is also a Marine training ground and training area on the coast for amphibious assault exercises on LSTs (tank landing ships) and amphibious vehicles. The foot of Mt. Kushidake is used as a landing area for live ammunition training and as an abandoned ammunition disposal site.

Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Main article: Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Ourawan bay and Camp Schwab

There have been various plans to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma—first off the island and most recently to Camp Schwab—however, as of November 2014 the future of any relocation is uncertain with the election of base-opponent Onaga as Okinawa governor.[2] Onaga won against the incumbent Nakaima who had earlier approved landfill work to move the base to Camp Schwab in Henoko. Onaga has promised to veto the landfill work needed for the new base to be built and insisted Futenma should be moved outside of Okinawa.[3]

Incidents
1971: Marine Scott Parton at Camp Schwab on Okinawa near Agent Orange Barrel (second from right)

Reports indicate that Agent Orange was stored and used at Camp Schwab and other US bases on Okinawa in the 1960s. The US government denies that the toxin was present at the base, and the Japanese government has declined to investigate.[4][5]

On 24 March 2009, a Marine was killed and two others injured in an explosion near the base. The Marine Corps announced that the Marines were part of an explosive ordnance disposal team preparing unexploded ordnance for disposal when the explosion occurred.[6]

References
  1. 沖縄県「米軍基地環境カルテ」(2017年)
  2. "Okinawa US base move in doubt after governor elections". BBC. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  3. "U.S. base relocation opponent elected Okinawan governor". Japan Today. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  4. Mitchell, Jon (13 August 2011). "Agent Orange buried on Okinawa, vet says". The Japan Times. Okinawa. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  5. Mitchell, Jon, "U.S. Agent Orange activist brings message of solidarity to Okinawa", The Japan Times, 15 September 2012, p. 14
  6. The Washington Post, "Okinawa Blast Kills U.S. Marine", 25 March 2009, p. 10.
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