Packing for your move to Iwakuni

PCS (for those of you non-military types who are reading this, this is a Permanent Change of Station… basically, our 2, 3 or 4 years are up at our current base and it’s time to move again) season is gearing up and more people are moving to Iwakuni this summer than ever in recent history, due to the base expansion. I have been getting a lot of questions about what to pack in what shipment, carry-on, etc., which I understand. That was one of my top priorities once the shock of “Oh, $#!+, I’m moving to Japan!” wore off.

Unfortunately, we happened to be stationed in Pensacola when we got orders, aboard a Naval base, and the information folder they gave to us about MCAS Iwakuni was about three years out of date. Which was pretty standard for any information about the Marine Corps, if there was even any information specifically for Marines available. After all, sailors were the priority on a Navy base. So, I headed online to find out what I could about moving to Iwakuni… which was pretty darn close to nothing. The MCAS Iwakuni base website didn’t even have my husband’s squadron listed on it… because it happens to be the smallest one on the base (Thanks to someone with a loud mouth, it is now listed. Think of me when you see MACS4 on the list of squadrons). The lack of information was appalling, which is part of the reason I blog about my life here: I hope to help out other families moving here.

Fortunately, we happened to be stationed in Pensacola with another, more experienced Marine Corps family who was moving to Okinawa about the same time we were moving to Iwakuni, and had already served a tour in Iwakuni more than a decade earlier. Seasoned spouse Cheri Schultz was a fabulous resource for me during this crazy time and she shared her personal “PCS with Success” information with me. With her permission, I share the information about what to pack, for when and where, with you below.

These suggestions are based off of Cheri’s family’s needs (or mine). We each have four members in our family, so adjust the quantities as necessary. The list items in red are where I deviated from Cheri’s list.

Luggage

I do not pack light. I never have. And this trip was definitely no exception. Each member of our family had the max of what we were allowed to travel with: two large suitcases, a backpack and a carry-on suitcase. That’s eight full-sized suitcases, four small suitcases and four backpacks. If you follow the Jessica Guthrie-be-prepared-for-anything-including-a-zombie-invasion method of moving, make sure every suitcase has wheels. My purse was in my carry-on suitcase, but my wallet was in my backpack. Here is what I packed (with some help from some of Cheri’s suggestions):

Carry-on

Boys’ Carry-on: My sons were 10 and 6 when we arrived in Iwakuni, old enough to wear a backpack and pull a small carry-on suitcase, so they did. Toys, all of their handheld electronics, games and power cords, and snacks were in their backpacks, which also had an index card with all of the contact information I could think of on it, in case we somehow got separated. In their carry-on suitcases were more toys, two complete changes of clothes (Cheri recommends five), and their toiletry bags (toothpaste, toothbrush, contact solution, contact case, extra contacts, hair gel, hair brush, etc.). I also included a sweatshirt, even though it was July, and their night-time woobies (i.e., security blankets, favorite stuffed animal, etc. … don’t tell them I told you!).

My Carry-on: In my suitcase: My purse, external hard drives, iPad, power cords, camera, lenses, important documents (see list below), two complete changes of clothing and the bare necessities of toiletry items, in a plastic Ziploc baggie as required by the airline. I also had a small bottle of mild dish soap... you never know what you might need to clean in a hotel sink. Make sure it is in the plastic Ziploc baggie required by the airlines.

My backpack: My wallet with regular documentation, like drivers license and military ID… you will NEED your military ID for nearly EVERYTHING – including grocery shopping on base - while in Iwakuni, so make sure it is up to date before you leave the States! I also had $100 cash and 10,000 yen per person in my family (so $400 and 40,000 yen), all passports (both the free government one and tourist), a copy of Rodney’s orders, air travel itinerary, laptop with power cord (I did not have an iPad yet), first aid kit, cell phone chargers (I couldn’t call, but when I found WiFi at the airports I could Skype, Facebook message or iMessage), battery-powered device charger, and prescriptions/medications for the family, including Tylenol, Tums and motion sickness meds.

Rodney’s Carry-on: I have no idea. I let him worry about himself but I suggested that he have two sets of clothes and a toothbrush. I think he listened, but I am not sure.

Checked Baggage

Boys’ Checked Baggage: More toys (kids get bored easily and these may be the only toys you have for weeks or months) and all of their summer clothes and items, such as swim trunks. I packed some fall items, as well, since I was not sure when our advance and main shipments would actually arrive. Their suitcases also housed some of my stuff I needed for my job as an online college instructor (class started about three weeks after I was scheduled to arrive in Iwakuni), like books and files.

My Checked Baggage: Most of my summer clothes and matching shoes/sandals, going mostly for comfort, rather than style, although I packed a dress or two “just in case.” I did have some jeans and long-sleeved shirts, as well. All of my make-up and hair stuff, any liquid toiletries and candles the movers wouldn’t move and I wasn’t willing to give up, two power strips, desk items (pens, pencils, notepads, stapler, scissors, tape, etc.), flashlight, batteries of different sizes, and anything else I felt I needed and couldn’t live without for a month or more.

Rodney’s Checked Baggage: I have no idea. I had enough to worry about and I have made it a point NOT to learn all the parts to a uniform so I am consistently less than helpful and can concentrate on my much-longer to-do lists of life.

Advance Shipment (up to 500 pounds)

This supposedly gets picked up at your old house before your main shipment and arrives at your new house before your main shipment. But with the lovely shipping shenanigans, especially at peak PSC season (summer and around Dec./Jan) I have heard many tales of how the advance shipment arrives with or after your main shipment. And, to throw a wrench in to "what should happen," our advance and main shipments were packed a day apart. Our advance shipment did arrive about two weeks ahead of our main shipment, so it was nice to have these items. You are given loaner furniture by housing (called a lending locker, which has other household items, as well) if you get a home prior to your main shipment arriving. It is free to use and arrives in various conditions, depending on who you ask and which family had the good/bad experience.

Here is what to pack in your Advance Shipment:

4 sets of dishes (plates and bowls)

4 sets of silverware

2 sets of sheets for each bed (Iwakuni temporary furniture are twin and queen-sized beds)

pillows

blankets

A set of bath towels, had towels a washcloths for each person in your family

Clothing (including all of the kids’ clothes that we did not pack to fly with us)

Some Tupperware

Bicycles/air pump

Hangers

Alarm clock

Clock for living area

Extension cord(s)

Power strips

A few tools

A phone

Colander

Knives

Measuring cups and spoons

Can opener

Cutting board

Mixing bowl

Baking stones

Pan

Pots

Pitcher

Timer (iPads/iPhones also work)

Crock pot

Dish towels

Hot pads

Coffee cups

Plastic drinking cups

Trash can (not needed in Iwakuni)

TV

DVD player

Flashlight

Things I wished I had packed once I got to Iwakuni:

Microwave (there aren’t any built-in microwaves in the midrises I have seen)

Toaster

Lamps (some midrises have NO overhead living room light… it gets very dark.)

I am not sure what more would be needed if you happen to be assigned a townhouse. Perhaps someone could comment below if there are other things to bring.

As mentioned, here is Cheri's list of important documents:

Important Documents:

birth certs

marriage cert

divorce decree (if applicable)

social security cards

insurance docs

mortgage and rental docs

copies of orders

immunization records

dental records

Any medical records you can get your hands on (bases losing records has been a continuous problem for our family)

last LES statement

powers of attorney

wills

bank books with checks

home inventory of household goods (video or photos)

professional licenses or certifications

address book

calendars

packer’s list

new duty station information folder

last month’s bills

PCS with Success folder

resume (the dependent spouse's)

school records, including any IEPs

pet health records

tax returns

computer passwords

Things I bought once I was in Iwakuni:

Pillows (We needed new ones and then we had more space in our advanced shipment

Phone (ours was apparently the wrong frequency... ?)

Queen mattress cover

Twin mattress covers (because the temporary mattresses we got were DISGUSTING, and even though they had a plastic cover to put on them, I wanted one more layer of protection. Ugh.)

Shower organizer

Toilet bowl brushes (who wants those to be packed?! Yuck!)

Light bulbs (for the lamps that came in our main shipment, but that I had wished were packed in my advanced shipment.)
Batteries

Sure, you could buy all this stuff, but the $2,000 or however many dollars of "inconvenience pay" you get wouldn't cover half of it, so I encourage you to pack as much as you can. Also, selections at the Exchange here are VERY limited, and the next closest Exchange is about 6 hours away (Sasebo) and even smaller, so shop while you are still in the States.

I hope this helps... and a big thanks to Cheri for allowing me to share. If you recently moved to Iwakuni and had something else to add to this list, please feel free to share in a comment below!


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