Camp Zama

Infobox Military Structure
name=Camp Zama
location=Zama and Sagamihara, Japan


caption= Two U.S. military servicemembers work atop a signal tower at Camp Zama.
type=Military Base
built=
materials=
used=
controlledby=Japan
United States
garrison=
commanders=
battles=nihongo|Camp Zama|キャンプ座間| is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about 40 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan (USARJ)/ I Corps (Forward), the United Nations Command (Rear), the 78th Aviation Battalion "Ninjas"(Provisional) , the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Japan Engineer District, the 78th Signal Battalion and the 3rd Engineer Group of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

The Camp

There are 4 gates where access to this installation can be obtained. Identification cards are required at all times and will be checked at each entrance point. The nearest trunk roads are Route 16 and Tomei Expressway. Route 16 is frequently used to visit nearby installations such as Yokota Air Base and Yokosuka Naval Base. Atsugi Naval Air Facility is also only a short drive away.

Camp Zama is located close to Sagami River near the foothills of the Tanzawa Mountain Range, Kanagawa Prefecture. The installation falls in the Zama City limits while the two housing areas, Sagami Depot and Sagamihara Housing Area (SHA), are located in the adjacent Sagamihara City. Once considered rural, this area has transformed into an urban area. New housing developments and communities along with shopping centers have increased the population and made traffic extremely congested. Traveling from Tokyo and outlying U.S. military installations to Camp Zama averages from 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the time of day. The best method to travel to Camp Zama is utilzing the extremely reliable local public transportation train system. The closest train station to Camp Zama is the Odakyu Line's Soubudai Mae station.

The Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Division offers a variety of programs and activities to meet the social needs of the entire community. There is a full spectrum of extracurricular activities open to persons of all ages. Spiritual needs for a vast range of faiths are met through Camp Zama's many chapel programs. The Post Exchange (PX) and commissary offers "a little bit of home" by providing most of the same goods and services available in the individual serviceman's hometown back in the United States.

History

Camp Zama was the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. Route 51 is a road to Camp Zama that was specifically built in order for the Emperor of Japan to travel to review the graduating classes. The Emperor Showa, or Hirohito visited Camp Zama in 1937. Camp Zama also houses an emergency shelter for the Emperor, and to this day, it has been maintained by the US Army Garrison Japan. The Camp Zama theater workshop is the only building remaining from the pre-occupation era. It is a large hall that was used for ceremonies by the Imperial Japanese Army.

The camp had been attacked, for the first time, by pro-leftist extremists when a bomb exploded outside the camp in 2002 [ [http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/02/12/blast_reported_near_us_base_in_japan/ Japan investigates blasts near U.S. base.] Retrieved on May 18, 2008.] .

Weather

The weather is comparable to Washington, D.C. There are four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The summers are normally hot and very humid, the winters are cold, but usually have little or no snow.

Education

The United States Department of Defense operates several public schools in the base.
* Arnn Elementary School
* Zama Middle School
* Zama American High School

Higher educational opportunities for those in the military and working for the Department of Defense, as well as for family members at Camp Zama are available through several contracted academic institutions. For example: [http://www.asia.umuc.edu]
* University of Maryland University College
* Central Texas College
* The University of Phoenix

Zama American High School (ZAHS)

The Zama American High School first opened in 1959. It was opened to, and continues to serve, American dependents of U.S. Military and civilian employees stationed in the area, as well as U.S. Contractors. It was built at the bottom of 'General's Hill' on the north side of Camp Zama and remained there until 1968. In 1968, the school Principal, Mr. Richard A. Pemble, had the high school and Jr. High 'switched', and the high school then occupied two wooden army barracks close to the main gate. The barracks were the original Imperial Japanese Army buildings used to house Japanese imperial army officer candidates during World War II, and subsequently house U.S. troops during the occupation.

In 1980, a new high school was built on the hill near the original site, and the historical barracks were subsequently torn down. The high school still serves the American School community for the U.S. dependents in the Camp Zama / Sagamihara / Sagami Depot / Kamiseya / Atsugi areas.

ZAHS alumni enjoy an active alumni association and bi-yearly reunions that draw members from all over the globe.

References

External links

* [http://www.zamaalum.net/ Zama Alumni Association Website]
* [http://www.zama-hs.pac.dodea.edu/ Zama American High School Official Website (public)]
* [http://www.usarj.army.mil/ USARJ and 9th TSC Camp Zama] Web site
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/camp-zama.htm http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/camp-zama.htm]
* [http://www.zamaalumni.com Site dedicated to alumni of Camp Zama American High School. Pictures, artifacts, history, memorabilia, etc.]
* [http://www.zamayearbooks.com Yearbooks on-line: Zama American High School yearbooks online - all yearbooks from the first year the school opened in 1959 to 2000.]
* [http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jgbarber65/ The Official 1956th Communications Group/374th Communications Squadron, Operation Location - C Alumni Website.]