Not many people who have struggled in life can complain about being able to eat a good meal, even when dead broke, and having a reasonable place to live with enough amenities to keep you going. Given today's rising costs of living, I'm sure many young people, freshly released into the wild world of bills, tax paying and credit scores can agree. Keep in mind, I'm not referring to a bid at Riker's Island, because I'm sure they don't have the internet in every cell. Instead, a Marine barracks in Okinawa, Japan, on a small industrial base in the southern part of the island is put in the spotlight. For the simple minded, it's a good place to live, with a slight disturbance every now and then. For those who question everything; it's cramped living quarters with unruly tenants and poor facilities. For the few and far between, it could be a lot worse, but it also could be a lot better.

The primary issue dealing with barracks life isn't the rooms that are the modern versions of double-wide prison cells, nor is it the on again, off again plumbing. I personally don't mind the lopsided billiard on the 4th deck and the broken sticks. There are Marines in Iraq without billiards, Devil Dog. Ok, seriously, it's really not that bad. Compared to living out the back of a '94 Hyundai and surviving simply on street instinct, barracks life is next to Club Med, so any grateful human being, regardless of financial background, can appreciate it. The rooms are small, but a person who works for an organization that has them moving about from one location to another on a somewhat regular basis doesn't need the Gotti Estate to lay their head, just the appropriate facilities. So what's the big deal with barracks life?

Perhaps the rules can be a bit too cumbersome for a free spirit? After all, a Marine, new to Okinawa, dealing with the liberty restrictions, being prohibited to drive, and can't even get some alone time with a member of the opposite sex could start to lose sight of reality. As Marines in Garrison, we're not hard to please. A little bit of booze, liberty and a free pack of cigarettes and most of the island is content for a few days. Well, maybe just one for the drunks and the chain smokers. Still, no matter if you're 18 or 26, a Junior Enlisted Marine that once had, and could handle, the freedom that a Marine in the states has, and had that freedom taken away in some way shape or form, isn't going to agree with having the MCBJ UCMJ shackles on his/her feet.

With all of the liberty restrictions, Marines seek refuge in the barracks. Instead of going to the party, why not bring the party home, right? It makes sense to me. No members of the opposite sex in each others' rooms? Damn, that's a body shot for those of us with wandering eyes and enough charm to hold a conversation with a female well out of our league. But, being Marines, we adapt and overcome. Toga parties in the Beer Garden, 'Flip Cup' and beer bongs in the 2nd deck lounge, pavilion cookouts that last until odd hours of the night, and hopefully, just hopefully, someone can manage to maintain their sanity amidst all of this party oriented nonsense and sexual deviancy.

Then, of course, we have those that can get lost in the wonderful world of the internet and videogames for their sole source of comfort and entertainment. More power to them. I'll use my former roommate as a perfect example; he hardly went out, was rather anti-social, and would rather lose himself in a Role Playing Game on his desktop as opposed to get caught up in the community college social structure outside of our fortress of a room. He saved money, never once got caught up in a love triangle and managed to stay so low key that no one knew who he was so he had no enemies whatsoever. Though he has expressed to me that he's missed out on the cultural experience of the island, his worries and concerns had nothing to do with those around him.

That's a bit extreme for most of us; including me. Sure, there are nights where I want to do nothing else but lay around, eating Ramen noodles and watching Chapelle's Show, and there may be times where I'd rather sit in the smoke pit and make a new friend or two. There has to be some sort of middle ground that Marines can find to stay out trouble and remain sane in a world that is completely foreign to them, and when dealing with a chain of command that enforces rules just seem so unjust and unfair. "So what, a Marine 6 years ago raped a dozen schoolgirls at one time, in broad daylight, while Combat Camera had the film rolling?! I didn't do anything, hell, I just got here!" This is the mindset that we all have upon arriving, but some of us deal with it differently than others.

Here's the catch-22 in all of this; upon joining the Marine Corps, the wicked ways of a civilian should be dead and buried. Even though the Corps has a strict policy about allowing criminals to be a part of the few and proud, there are plenty of former drug dealers, gang bangers, thieves, hustlers, wierdos, violent drunks and pathological liars living in the barracks. Have you ever gotten something stolen from you? I'm sure you have, or at least, you know someone else who has. Marines talk amongst one another, when the beer flows, out come the stories. Add some hard liquor to the equation and the pores of the barracks become clogged with stupidity; like a Marine running around in an LBV, gas mask and combat boots... nothing else. Ok, I can see why the barracks can be a bit annoying from time to time. Some of us have gotten away from the nasty civilian world (which, in retrospect, was pretty damn good), and we're trying to grow comfortable in our roles as reformed members of society, but witnessing the ridiculous barracks antics, and dealing with that one NCO with no friends who insults your intelligence, abiding by the rules gets that much harder.

For every rule, there are a dozen, seemingly-foolproof, loopholes to circumvent the system. To no one's surprise, Marine's continue to get away with it. I've fallen on my own sword when it comes to striving for my own freedom. What the hell is a curfew, again? Oh well, it happens. After all, I'm a Marine in Okinawa and the only thing that can be done for any Marine who will fall victim to their own restless frustrations about having to abide by rules that their buddies in Pendleton or LeJeune don't have. When it comes to the lack of character, integrity and the gall to be a stand up person and follow some moral compass, the most anyone can do is live by a code of ethics and hopes it rubs off on someone around them. All we can do, as "non-rates," (don't you hate being called that) adjusting to this place is go with the flow. With that being said, I hadn't even tapped into the world of Marine male to Japanese female relations, I'm just scratching the surface.