How to use a Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) to access bases in Okinawa, Japan

*****March 2023 Update*****

USAG Torii Station is no longer allowing access to Disabled Veterans in direct contradiction of the law. They are using what i feel is an incorrect interpretation of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to justify their actions. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa is the only military facility in Okinawa that appropriately recognizes the VHIC for base access; however, you cannot use it for purchases at the commissary or Exchange. 

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For those not familiar with the Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC), it is possible to apply here. The ability to apply online is new and unfamiliar to me. I had to fly back to the United States and visit an actual VA hospital to apply for my card in July of 2022. 

I am writing this article as a resource for service-connected, disabled veterans living in Okinawa, but it should reasonably apply to those living anywhere in Japan as well. I am writing it because I could not find any definitive evidence anywhere online. I will do my best to come back and update this article. I am posting it here instead of Facebook and etc so that it can easily be shared.

In 2018 Congress passed the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. This law amended Section 1065 of Title 10. Specifically the reference here that matters for base access is paragraph

 (d)Eligibility of Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities.—

"A veteran with a service-connected disability shall be permitted to

use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as a member

of the armed forces entitled to retired or retainer pay."

I have seen many articles from the Stars and Stripes and Military.com giving incorrect information or making assumptions after clearly not reading the actual law. For example Stars and Stripes quotes Kevin Robinson as saying“Veterans living overseas will need to check with their closest installation to see if they can shop on base as each country’s Status of Forces Agreement with the U.S. is different.” The gist of the law is, if a retiree can shop on base and access the base, so can you. 

In Japan specifically, this seems to be a grey zone. Retirees may not technically be allowed to purchase items tax and duty free at the commissary and exchange under the SOFA, but they do, every-single-day. Putting my barracks lawyer hat on for a second, I am going to suggest that customarily retiree purchases are allowed, in which case that same established custom must be extended to service-connected disabled veterans. The law specifically does not say what disability percentage one must have to enjoy these entitlements, although at least one person at pass and ID told me only 100% disabled veterans were eligible. He clearly did not read the law. As long as one's VHIC says service connected, you rate base access to use "commissary stores and MWR facilities."

According to Military One Source, an example of other facilities available for service-connected disabled veterans to use includes:

• Commissaries
• Military exchanges
• Golf courses
• Bowling centers
• Recreational lodging
• RV campgrounds
• Movie theaters
• AmericanForcesTravel.com

The problem in Japan is that implementation of this law has been extremely slow. Most bases have been adding access under this law for example, Camp Pendleton. When I returned from the States, with my VHIC, Kadena Air Base (KAB) had just implemented access policies. I was able to enroll my VHIC in the Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) at KAB Gate 1 Pass and ID. Since then no one has so much as batted an eye at the gate on KAB. I have also had success using the VHIC on Camp Foster. I know that a friend of mine also had no issues doing the same thing at Yokota Air Base. The biggest problem for me on Okinawa had been Torii Station. Torii Station is a small base with nothing of note going on there, but as my former work location and the closest base to my house, it was where I wanted to access the most. 

When attempting to access Torii with my DBIDS-enrolled VHIC, I was told that I was unable to use it to access the facility. Obviously this is incorrect. I still had access with my CAC at this point, but was planning to retire shortly. I went to Torii Station pass and ID, where I was given incorrect information repeatedly and told by the Japanese employees that I cannot access the base. I was even erroneously given an printout stating that the Veterans Identification Card (VIC) could not be used for base access, which is correct, but I had a VHIC, not a VIC. Shame on the VA for making it so complicated and having two different cards with such similar names. It would be like the DOD having a CAC which gives you privileges and a CAK which does not, but just gives you a free beer at Chili's on Veterans Day, which is all the VIC is good for. 

I eventually elevated my request to the base Physical Security Chief who was able to draft an access memo that I must use in addition to the VHIC to access Torii Station. Requests for a memo can be sent to Mr. Shimada, an Access Control Specialist. Torii will hopefully drop the memo requirement down the road, but for now this is an acceptable solution. I have been able to access the base since receiving the memo, but the gate guards are still uneducated on the procedure and have given me some pushback. It is incredibly frustrating for non-veteran, non-US nationals to deny base access, but so far things are moving in the right direction. Do your best to be polite and respectful.

Lastly, I have limited experience actually using my VHIC on base to make purchases at the Exchange and Commissary. The Defense Commissary Agency (DECA) has definitely not implemented a system here that reads the VHIC barcode automatically as it does with a DEERS issued ID. That being said, the Commissary manager has thus far kindly done a manual override and allowed me to make my purchases. I do not foresee any issues at the Exchange, but if you experience any I would just step to the side and explain the issue to a manager. If that still doesn't work I suggest providing a printed copy of the relevant portion of law, which is linked above. 

What has your experience been using your VHIC in Okinawa? Please share in the comments.