Camp Kinser playground
first showcase
for safety improvements on Okinawa Story and photos by Jan Wesner Childs, Okinawa bureau
Myles Caldwell, 16 months old,
gets to the bottom of a slide at the new "Puckett's Park" on Camp Kinser Friday. |
CAMP
KINSER, Okinawa — Gone are the days here of rusty old metal playground equipment.
The
military on Okinawa kicked off a $4.4 million project Friday to install modern slides,
monkey bars and more at 36 playgrounds in housing areas around the island.
The first
new playground was dedicated Friday morning at Camp Kinser in memory of Col. Paul Puckett.
Puckett died from a stroke in November while he was commander of the base.
The park
was opened with a round of guest speakers and tributes to Puckett, including a short
speech by his wife.
"I
think it’s great," said Tami Kreger, who lives in one of the Kinser towers.
Kreger’s two sons swung from the monkey bars and climbed the slides as she looked on.
"They
are going to want to come all the time," she said.
Kyle Kreger, 9, swings across
the brand-new monkey bars. |
Construction
on the project started in February. The new playgrounds are being paid for by the Air
Force, which runs all military family housing areas on the island.
Lt. Col.
David Paine, commander of the 718th Civil Engineer Squadron at Kadena Air Base, said five
more playgrounds are scheduled to be completed by May, and another 10 by the end of the
summer. The rest will be built over the next three years.
Paine said
the new playgrounds have safer equipment and cushioned "fall zones," and are in
line with U.S. standards on playground safety.
Four of the
playgrounds will be on Camp Courtney, seven on Camp Foster, five on Kinser, two on Camp
Lester, two on Camp McTureous, and 16 on Kadena.
Housing
residents have long complained about deteriorating playground equipment.
Children run onto the
playground at "Puckett's Park" as parents and military officials look on after
the park at Camp Kinser was dedicated Friday. |
Puckett
pushed for construction of the new playgrounds. He also is credited with boosting several
other community projects both on and off base.
When
Puckett died, his organs were donated to a Japanese citizen. That made him the first
military member to do so under a new Japanese organ donor program.
"I saw
in him a person who was totally dedicated to the betterment of mankind," Brig. Gen.
Willie J. Williams, commander of Marine Corps bases on Okinawa, said at the dedication.
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