| Camp Hansen | |
|---|---|
| Okinawa, Japan | |
Aerial view of Camp Hansen in 1996. |
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| Type | Military base |
| Controlled by | USMC |
Camp Hansen is a United States Marine Corps base located in Okinawa, Japan. The camp is situated in the town of Kin, near the northern shore of Kin Bay, and is the second-northernmost major installation on Okinawa, with Camp Schwab to the north. It is part of Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, which itself is not a physical base and encompasses all Marine Corps installations on Okinawa.
The base is named for Medal of Honor recipient Dale M. Hansen. Hansen was a Marine Corps private who was honored for his heroism in the fight for Hill 60 during the Battle of Okinawa. Hansen was killed by a Japanese sniper's bullet three days after his actions on Hill 60.
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The base is home to the Central Training Area, which includes several firing ranges, a pair of shooting houses which support live fire training, and other training areas, being one of the few locations on the island where weapon firing is permitted. Also located at Camp Hansen is a brig, a confinement facility that houses U.S. military members from around the Far East for short term sentences.
Facilities include a Post Exchange, a theater, a convenience store, two gyms, and a "consolidated entertainment facility" known as The Palms, which has two restaurants, as well as enlisted, SNCO, and officer clubs.
As of March 2008, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has started to train at Camp Hansen, as part of the reorganization of US forces in Japan and the move towards sharing facilities between US forces in Japan and the Self-Defense Force.