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Wired Bean open for holidays

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Hailey Staker
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Being on an island during the holidays can be tough, especially if it's a first duty station, or the first time someone has been away from home.

However, service members don't have to be alone this holiday season; the Wired Bean began 24 hour operations Dec. 20 here.

The purpose of opening for 24 hour operations is to give service members, E-4 and below a safe place to hang out and spend the holidays with other service members who are staying here for the holidays.

"The Airmen are working midnight shifts (and difficult hours) and this is their first base," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Craig Nakagawa, 18th Wing Chaplain Corps chaplain. "Airmen straight out of tech school are not only adjusting to being in the military and doing their jobs but they are in a foreign country. And it's not a foreign country like England where they can read the street signs, or speak with the local populous; It's completely foreign."

Nakagawa explained how Airmen sometimes feel overwhelmed, isolated and lonely due to the island being their first duty station, and sometimes this is their first time away from home.

"There is a sense of isolation, of loss, chaos and you're overwhelmed," Nakagawa said. "So the tendency of a lot of brand new Airmen is to hang out in their dorms. (Service members) wanting to connect don't always make the best choices so the idea by opening for 24 hour operations, especially during the holiday season when sometimes the feelings of separation and loneliness are that much more poignant, is to give them a place to hang out."

The Bean is able to maintain 24-hour operations with the help and support of various organizations across the base, which provides volunteers to look after the facility and help mentor those who use the facility.

"We have NCO volunteers at the counter and a lot of this couldn't be possible without the Kadena 56 and Top 3 supporting this. By having volunteers come and be here during 24-hour operations just to keep an eye on things," Nakagawa said.

For Christmas, the Wired Bean is encouraging service members to come into the facility in their pajamas and take part in their "PJs, Pancakes and Presents" event at 8 a.m., followed by a Christmas dinner at 4 p.m.

Airmen and their sister service members may also participate in Ohana Night Dec. 26 at 6 p.m., followed by gingerbread house making at 7 p.m.

The Wired Bean also has wide screen TVs, a theater room, a rock band room, pool tables, a phone to call back to the states and wireless internet.

Volunteers also run a coffee counter and the kitchen is stocked with drinks, snacks and is fully furnished so service members can cook if they would like to.