Camp Kinser

Camp Kinser
Okinawa, Japan
Barracks buildings on Camp Kinser.
Coordinates	26°15′09″N 127°41′51″E / 26.252528°N 127.697396°E / 26.252528; 127.697396Coordinates: 26°15′09″N 127°41′51″E / 26.252528°N 127.697396°E / 26.252528; 127.697396
Type	Military base
Site information
Controlled by	United States Marine Corps
Garrison information
Past commanders	Colonel John E. Kasperski

Camp Kinser is a United States Marine Corps logistics base in Okinawa, Japan.

Camp Kinser is a major logistics base for Marine Corps Forces on Okinawa. Its flagship command is the 3rd Marine Logistics Group. It sits adjacent to the East China Sea in the city of Urasoe, and just a few kilometers north of Naha.

Camp Kinser is the southernmost of nine Marine Corps bases on Okinawa, which make up Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler. Another military installation, the Naha Port Facility which belongs to the U.S. Army is located south of Camp Kinser.

Camp Kinser is equipped with a DeCA Commissary, AAFES Shopette, and an AAFES PX, which houses a food court with eateries such as Subway, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. It sports a bowling alley, enlisted club, fitness center, and mess hall.

It was named for 21 year old Sergeant Elbert L. Kinser, who threw himself on a grenade to protect his fellow soldiers at the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

As of 2013, the U.S has indicated that it wants to return Camp Kinser also known as the Machinato or Makiminato Service Area to Japan by 2030.

In 1993, the US government issued a classified report entitled "USFJ Talking Paper on Possible Toxic Contamination at Camp Kinser, Okinawa". Publicly available U.S. military documents have quoted excerpts suggesting extensive pollution with Vietnam era chemicals stored there, like insecticides including DDT and heavy metals, rodenticides, herbicides, inorganic and organic acids, alkalis, inorganic salts, organic solvents like vapor degreasers and ferric chloride, of which 12.5 tons were buried.