Marines Deployed to Remote Island of le Shima Receive Holiday Cheer from the USO

By Meghann Blochowski

The sun hasn’t even risen in Okinawa, Japan, and the USO Camp Foster team is preparing to catch a ferry to deliver holiday cheer to service members on Ie Shima island.

Ie Shima, located northwest of Okinawa’s main island, is one of the one hundred and sixty-two islands making up the Okinawa archipelago. Ie Shima consists of forty-two smaller islands, but only four are inhabited. Some of these inhabitants include a small United States Marine Corps detachment operating the Ie Shima Training Facility. Operating under the III Marine Expeditionary Force umbrella, this group of Marines and sailors execute assignments on the remote island from six months to a year. Training missions hardly cease, even in the holiday season, and while the island is a subtropical paradise, the lack of snow flurries and homecooked meals, as well as limited comforts of a larger home base and traditional holiday activities, can make the holidays feel a little less jolly. That’s why the USO Camp Foster team travels to the island to offer support throughout the year but makes special trips during the holidays.

Getting to Ie Shima is no easy task — with an hour-long drive to the port and an hour-long ferry ride, the team comes prepared with a delicious meal, holiday-themed games, USO Holiday bags and ready to spend the day with the Marines and sailors.

“Not all locations occupied by the military in Okinawa have a brick-and-mortar USO Center,” explained USO Camp Foster Center Operations Manager Christi Brent. “Ie Shima is one of those areas, and they fall under our Center’s scope of support. We understand that being stationed on Ie Shima, away from their parent unit, can be extremely taxing, especially without all the comforts of their home base. We know they face unique challenges while at the training facility, and by visiting, we try to ease those challenges and remind them that no matter where they go, we’re right there with them.”

The Challenges of Being Stationed or Deployed on Ie Shima During the Holidays:

It doesn’t matter the time of year; no deployment or overseas assignment is without its own set of challenges — but those challenges are amplified during the holidays. Service members must miss out on family gatherings, favorite meals and beloved holiday traditions with loved ones. Missing those special moments can make getting into the holiday spirit hard, but this is where USO Camp Foster steps in to provide the people who serve with holiday cheer and a connection to home.

Cpl. Bryan Nguyen, an active-duty Marine of three years, hadn’t had an opportunity to step into a USO Center before executing his assignment on Ie Shima.

“It was very nice to receive a visit from the USO and have their support,” he shared as he recalled the USO team’s recent visit to celebrate Thanksgiving.

The USO Foster staff and volunteers took an hour-long ferry, packed with a Thanksgiving meal, games and a Christmas tree for the service members to decorate and enjoy.

“We love bringing a little bit of USO to the service members — it’s important to us that they remember we are here for them,” Christi said.

Service members on Ie Shima face unique challenges while executing their assignment to the remote island. Due to its location and size, resources are limited, with only one dining hall, gym, base store and an entertainment room.

“There is a lack of options in how we get to spend [our free time],” explained Lance Cpl. Sherbecoe. “We’re also further away from any friends that may be on the mainland of Okinawa, and when the USO visits, they provide food, company and entertainment.”

Even options to restock groceries are limited, and service members must take the ferry back to Okinawa for a proper grocery haul, which can be difficult as the ferries are periodic and have limited space.

How USO Camp Foster is Boosting Morale and Providing Support:

USO Foster recently returned to Ie Shima to provide USO holiday programming for the upcoming Christmas and winter holidays. By serving a delicious meal and hosting various games, including Reindeer Antler Toss, Candy Cane Pickup, as well as passing out USO Holiday bags, the holiday spirit could be felt throughout the training facility. In these moments of fun, service members received a much-appreciated break from their duties and a connection to home.

Distributing USO Holiday Bags filled with cozy socks, battery-powered Christmas lights, playing cards and more may seem like a small action, but for the service members missing family, friends and the coziness of home, those items mean so much more. Sgt. Tristan Delgado attended both USO Foster holiday events and shared that “it’s a major morale booster!”

These day-long visits offer the Marines a reprieve from their daily job duties and the holiday cheer they otherwise might not have had.

“It felt good that people remember we’re out here,” said Sgt. Austin Takemoto, who also had an opportunity to visit several USO airport Centers while traveling.

Other service members shared their joy in finally enjoying a home-cooked meal, agreeing that connecting with another over comfort food was lovely. While a hot, home-cooked meal may seem simple, for service members who have been exclusively eating military dining facility food throughout the holiday season, having homemade food prepared by the USO can go a long way in boosting morale.

“It was really special to be part of the Christmas visit to Ie Shima this year,” shared USO Okinawa volunteer John Cartagena. John, fondly known as “Carti” throughout USO Okinawa, has been part of the USO volunteer team since 2021, accumulating over 1,500 hours of volunteer service.

“I’ve had the opportunity to be part of many USO programs, outreach supports and Centers, but this visit to Ie Shima is by far my favorite USO memory,” he said. “It felt nice to give back to my Marine community and connect with the service members out here on Ie Shima — they’re away from base and a good portion of their friends, so it was nice to bring that holiday cheer to them.”

As USO Camp Foster and the larger USO Okinawa team continues to visit and uplift service members throughout December, their efforts underscore a powerful truth: no matter where America’s service members are stationed, the USO will always be there, standing by their side and ensuring they feel connected to home just when they need it most.