Naval Base Okinawa
Okinawa Island in 2015 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 26°28′46″N 127°55′40″E / 26.47944°N 127.92778°E |
| Archipelago | Ryukyu Islands |
| Area | 1,199 km2 (463 sq mi) as of 1 October 2018 |
| Length | 106.6 km (66.24 mi) |
| Width | 11.3 km (7.02 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 503 m (1650 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Yonaha |
| Administration | |
| Location | Okinawa Island |
| Naval Base Administrative | United States Navy 1945–present (USMGR 1945–1950, USCAR 1950–1972) |
| Founded after | Battle of Okinawa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Peak of over 545,000 US Troops in 1945 (12,000 killed) |
Naval Base Okinawa, now Naval Facility Okinawa, encompasses a number of bases built after the Battle of Okinawa by United States Navy on Okinawa Island, Japan. The naval bases were built to support the landings on Okinawa on April 1, 1945, and the troops fighting on Okinawa. The Navy repaired and did expansion of the airfields on Okinawa. United States Navy Seabees built or repaired the facilities on the island. The bases on Okinawa put the United States Armed Forces only 350 miles from Japan's home islands. Most facilities closed after the war, but some are still in use today by all branches of the United States Armed Forces.