US military begins evacuations of families from Japan due to nuclear threat

[Baclava]

Source: Examiner

As officials struggle to contain leaking radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, the US military has begun to evacuate families from the disaster-stricken island. Efforts to cool the reactors have seen little success since last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami and concerns are growing of a nuclear disaster in the offing.

The Navy has moved quickly to start the process at Naval Air Facility Atsugi and Yokuska Naval Base. Those facilities are approximately 200 miles south of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

Following suit, the Air Force announced similar measures at Misawa Air Base and the Army began evacuations at a facility near Tokyo. The Marine Corps has not announced any evacuations at their facilities at this time.

Other military facilities in Japan are expected to announce the evacuations to service members and their families today


Read more: http://www.examiner.com/natural-disasters-in-national/u-s-military-begins-evacuations-of-families-from-japan-due-to-nuclear-threat#ixzz1GsMB6fvv

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Unprecedented, to say the least.

[daleo]

1. This won't be reassuring to the Japanese. n/t

[Baclava]

5. China, France, Russia and Britain diplomats and their families are leaving too

I don't think they're doing it to scare anyone.

[ehrnst]

2. Although - resources all over will be stretched tight, so this may be a little less stress on all.nt

[Downtown Hound]

3. There's this awful sick feeling in my gut that says:

This plant is going to go, and they already know it. I only pray that I am wrong.

[closeupready]

6. You probably aren't wrong; it may not, but the radiation is clearly hazardous

they know it, and they just aren't telling the public.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

10. your not wrong and they need to start the entombing now...dump tons of Boron and cement on it ....

like Cherenobyl...ENTOMB IZT NOW before it is too late....all of that radition is going to fall on us...starting tomorrow it reaches the west coast already

[Downtown Hound]

12. I've read that one of the No. 4 reactor walls has collapsed

If true, I don't see how they can stop a meltdown. You can't fill it back up with water even if you had the means, not with a wall missing, and you can't get in close enough to repair the wall because of the radiation. In other words: we're fucked. The only thing they can do now is slow it down, which is maybe what they're trying to do.

But yeah, I'm with you. They need to start entombment immediately.

[mysterysoup]

4. As usual, the marines get the scuzzy end of the stick.

"The Marine Corps has not announced any evacuations at their facilities at this time."

[haele]

8. Depends on where the base is - Okinawa in the south is not yet in a danger zone.

If I remember correctly, that's the biggest Marine base. The other bases are closer to Tokyo or in more northern areas.
But it definately saves both US and Japanese resources to get families and non-essential personnel out of Japan. It also opens up housing and medical facility infrastructure in southern areas that are currently not availiable.

I'm also pretty sure the essential personnel will be the last to go.

Haele

[tammywammy]

11. Here's a list

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Forces_Japan#Facilities

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. good...they need to do it...China did it days ago, got all their people out

[lovuian]

9. yes get the women and children out of there

the more you can save the better

[jwirr]

13. There is another good reason to leave, If there is going to be a food

shortage then all those who can should leave so what there is can go to those who cannot leave.