A sign posted by the 718th Civil Engineer Squadron warns residents to stay away from an area in front of a housing tower at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Aug. 1, 2025. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP KINSER, Okinawa — Air Force civil engineers plan to inspect the balconies of all homes in six family housing towers on this Marine Corps base for spalling concrete, a problem discovered in other housing units on the island earlier this year.
The 718th Civil Engineer Squadron has already identified concrete spalling from balcony surfaces in the towers and will inspect all 544 homes, including 263 occupied units, according to a letter posted Thursday on the Okinawa Military Family Housing Facebook page.
The letter, signed by engineer squadron deputy Kelly Livingston, was also posted inside the towers and on residents’ doors. The affected towers — 1086, 1087, 1088, 867, 871 and 872 — are on Kinser’s north side.
The spalled concrete was found outside tower 1088 on Tuesday, the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base wrote in an unsigned email Friday.
“The safety and well-being of our residents is our utmost priority, and all actions are in place to mitigate risk,” the email stated.
Spalling refers to cracking and delaminating steel-reinforced concrete. It is caused by pressure under the surface of the concrete, and most often occurs due to improperly constructed joints or rebar corrosion, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
Inspections will take about 15 minutes and include visual assessments and photos of balconies “and other areas as needed,” the letter states. They will take place over three weeks.
Residents should schedule an inspection by calling DSN 634-4663, selecting option 2 and then option 5. They can also call 090-7587-5225 or email 718ces.servicecall@us.af.mil, the letter states.
Orange netting blocks an entrance and grassy areas around a housing tower at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Aug. 1, 2025. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes)
Questions or concerns can be directed to housing maintenance chief Eric McClay at 080-6481-1548 or eric.mcclay@us.af.mil.
The engineer squadron, part of the 18th Civil Engineer Group at Kadena Air Base, manages all military housing on Okinawa.
Orange plastic net fencing blocked off three sides of tower 872, including one of the main entrances, and areas around towers 1088 and 1086 on Friday. Signs warned residents to keep out of those areas.
Jessi Owzarski, who lives with her Marine husband, 2-year-old daughter and dog on the third floor of tower 872, said she saw the squadron’s engineers setting up the fencing Thursday. The engineers told her there was swelling rebar pushing against concrete in the building, she told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday.
Owzarski has not noticed any spalling on her balcony, but said she is concerned for the safety of her family.
“I don’t feel like it’s being addressed appropriately,” she said. “They took an action based on safety, which I agree with, but the communication could have been better. No one was told that they were going to be blocking off the place.”
Spalling concrete was also an issue in two family housing neighborhoods at Kadena earlier this year.
The wing announced in December that the 18th Civil Engineer Group had found spalling concrete in several units at the Sebille Manor housing area near Bob Hope Elementary School.
One family was moved, and several others were required to relocate by June 30, the wing said in January.
In February, the wing announced that another 263 homes in the Washington Heights neighborhood across the street from Marek Park and behind the base housing office would be inspected for the issue.
