Brig. Gen. John Gallemore gives his first speech as commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, July 14, 2025. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — U.S. service members who live off-base on Okinawa will soon receive $400 to $500 more per month from the U.S. government to pay their rent, according to the commander of the Air Force’s 18th Wing.
Beginning May 16, active-duty troops across all service branches on the island will see an increase in their Overseas Housing Allowance, Brig. Gen. John Gallemore said during a May 1 livestreamed interview with American Forces Network.
The wing operates the Okinawa Family Housing Office on Kadena Air Base, which manages all housing for service members, Defense Department civilians and their families on the island. The office approves rental properties for use by military-affiliated tenants.
“The OHA rates for Kadena are not keeping pace with rising market prices because landlords are price-matching to the local civilian housing allowance, which is higher than current OHA rates,” Gallemore said May 5 in an email from wing spokeswoman Maj. Alli Stormer.
“This has caused an increasing gap in what Service members are able to afford in the local area,” he added. “Due to this shift, a review of rental allowances was warranted to ensure that Service members and their families can afford local market housing.”
The added allowance will give enlisted members up to E-4 another $396 per month, Gallemore said on AFN.
Ranks O-1, O-2 and E-5 will receive about $504 more per month. O-3 and E-6 through E-8 will gain about $450 more per month.
“I know that that is a big quality of life piece that has been affecting people, because on average folks have been coming out of pocket about 300 bucks,” Gallemore said on AFN. “So not only were we able to meet that, but we were actually able to exceed that.”
The office of Ishiken Housing agency in Chatan town, Okinawa, Japan, as seen May 8, 2026. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes)
As of May 1, ranks E-1 through E-4 with dependents receive $1,403.46 per month in rental allowance, according to the Defense Travel Management Office’s online calculator. Without dependents, that figure drops by about $140.
E-5s, O-1s and O-2s receive $1,439.44 with dependents and about $1,300 without. E-6 through E-8 and O3s receive $1,655.36 and about $1,500 without.
All ranks receive a monthly utility and maintenance allowance of $661.56 with dependents or $496.17 without.
So far, the allowance increase applies only to service members on Okinawa.
U.S. Forces Japan has “nothing to announce at this time regarding OHA changes in Japan,” USFJ spokesman Col. John Severns said by email Friday.
Off-base rental agencies on Thursday said they were not told about the allowance increase by Kadena’s housing office.
Airi Farmer, manager of Ishiken Housing, said the agency plans to raise rents but will only after a tenant moves out, she said by phone Thursday.
The agency rents to about 150 military families. Two- to three-bedroom units range from $1,150 to $1,785, she said.
Roberto Harding, front manager for Seaside Housing, which rents to about 650 military families, said the agency sets its rents based on market price and what military members can afford based on their allowance, he added.
“It depends on the owner for us than it is our particular agency,” he said by phone Thursday.
Joy Housing, which rents to 600 military families, sets rents based on unit size and the owner’s wishes, customer service representative Hina Jefferson said by phone Thursday.
Lt. Col. Akira Nervik, commander of the 718th Civil Engineer Squadron, said rents are set by housing agencies and property owners and not approved by the housing office.
“The housing office reviews lease agreements to help ensure terms are consistent with standard housing practices and applicable policies affecting service members,” he wrote in an email Monday.
AloJapan.com