U.S. Navy slaps drinking ban on 18,600 sailors in Japan

[GennGreymane]

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/wo.../idUSKCN0YS0CL

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy slapped a drinking ban on sailors stationed in Japan on Monday and halted off base liberty after police arrested a U.S. sailor on the southern island of Okinawa on suspicion of drunk driving following a car crash that injured two people.

"For decades we have enjoyed a strong relationship with the people of Japan. It is imperative that each sailor understand how our actions affect that relationship and the U.S. Japan alliance as a whole," Rear Admiral Matthew Carter, commander of U.S. naval forces in Japan said in a press release on Monday.

The United States has 18,600 sailors stationed in Japan.

The latest incident came as the U.S. military observes a 30-day mourning period at bases on Okinawa after an American civilian working for the U.S. military there was arrested on suspicion of dumping the body of a 20-year-old Japanese woman.

Renewed anger among residents in Okinawa at the U.S. military presence threatens a plan to relocate the U.S. Marines' Futenma air base to a less populous part of Okinawa, which was agreed in 1995 after the rape of a Japanese schoolgirl by U.S. military personnel sparked huge anti-base demonstrations.

Okinawa's governor and many residents want the marines off the island.

All U.S. Navy sailors in Japan will be kept on base and banned from drinking until "all personnel understand the impact of responsible behavior on the U.S.-Japan alliance," the press release said. "Sailors living off base will be allowed to travel to and from base and conduct only "essential activities."

The restrictions do not apply to family members and civilian U.S. contractors, which brings the total number of people to 35,000, but they are being encouraged to observe the rules "in a spirit of solidarity," a spokesman for the U.S. Navy said.

[Adam Jensen]

Typical military:

"Someone fucked up? PUNISH EVERYONE!"

[Shinra1]

Why are Americans in Japan in the first place? Go home you're drunk.

[Techno-Druid]

Why are Americans in Japan in the first place? Go home you're drunk.

Security for both Japan and the US. Japan has a small military and the US protects Japan from any possible invasion.

Same reason why there are bases in Europe...

[Alvito]

Why are Americans in Japan in the first place? Go home you're drunk.

Because we are the United Kingdom 2.0. The sun never sets on the US military.

[Shinra1]

Security for both Japan and the US. Japan has a small military and the US protects Japan from any possible invasion.

Same reason why there are bases in Europe...

who is invading japan?

[ItachiZaku]

Daniel-San always starting some shit.

[Shinra1]

Basically, because Japan lost against America and those are still considered US territories, I believe. Plus, Japan knows that China, North Korea, and any other potential combatants will stay far away as a result of the US having bases there.

US should be ashamed of itself and go home.

[Skroe]

US should be ashamed of itself and go home.

Never going to happen.

[Independent voter]

Those bases are telling the world that an attack on Japan is an attack on the US.

[Hotto Pantsu]

Typical military:

"Someone fucked up? PUNISH EVERYONE!"

It'll lead eventually to this lol.

[Dystemper]

who is invading japan?

A few countries still hate Japan for the War crimes and atrocities they committed . Korea, China, Russia to name a few . People focus on the Atrocities commited by Germany, but seem to forget that Japan slaughtered 4 million more people then Germany did

[Polyxo]

If they want to continue to have a Military Base in Japan without conflict, they need to ensure the locals safety, and Soliders need to understand the importance of conducting themselves in an appropriate and acceptable manner. They clearly have been having issues, which needed actual enforced actions, rather than just a discussion on how to behave.

The Military does not want to be seen as a problem, so I understand and support their decision to tighten down on the Soldiers. The personnel and base being there has a major impact on the surronding areas, and you want that to be a positive one, or at the very least, just tolerated, without a negative impact.

I don't think there's a lot of friction between the US and the Japanese government over anything that happens as a result of the base. The bases are in Okinawa, and especially given the Japanese turn to the right once again, the Japanese don't really care about what occurs in Okinawa.

[Theinquisition]

who is invading japan?

The Japanese government has asked us to keep a military presence there.

They are a democracy, if they wanted us gone, we would be gone.

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I mean....America aren't sending their best. You know, they send their rapists......their murderers....Ok? I mean I guess some of the are ok, ....yeh?

Well considering you have to have a clean record to join, with a couple of exceptions, thats not really the case.

Service members are still humans. Anytime You have thousands of 20 year old men toghter somewhere, some shit will happen.

Unless our colleges and universities are all crime free

[Biomega]

Well considering you have to have a clean record to join, with a couple of exceptions, thats not really the case.

Service members are still humans. Anytime You have thousands of 20 year old men toghter somewhere, some shit will happen.

Unless our colleges and universities are all crime free

True, but you don't run colleges or universities on a doctrine of rigorous discipline and adherence to orders. These are people trained in ways respective of them having guns and shooting other people. That is a VERY different group than some other random bunch of young adults. You expect service members to live up to a higher standard because they are trained to. They have to be.

Also, this is by no means an isolated oops-it-happened incident. For decades there's been regular problems, with quite a few quite serious ones (rape, manslaughter, etc.). It's not a pub brawl that got out of hand here or something along those lines.

[Skroe]

Well considering you have to have a clean record to join, with a couple of exceptions, thats not really the case.

Service members are still humans. Anytime You have thousands of 20 year old men toghter somewhere, some shit will happen.

Unless our colleges and universities are all crime free

Any time you have thousands of people. My favorite statistic is that if there were 1 million priests in the world, and 1% of them were pedophiles, that's 10,000 pedophile priests. In actuality statistically speaking about 4% of the population has Pedophilic urges and Priests are believed to be at about 6%.

There's always going to be a large number of rotten apples in an absolutely massive crop of apples, especially one that is filled with young men.

[Theinquisition]

Any time you have thousands of people. My favorite statistic is that if there were 1 million priests in the world, and 1% of them were pedophiles, that's 10,000 pedophile priests. In actuality statistically speaking about 4% of the population has Pedophilic urges and Priests are believed to be at about 6%.

There's always going to be a large number of rotten apples in an absolutely massive crop of apples, especially one that is filled with young men.

Pretty much.

I when it comes to many of the anti-us military folks on mmocot I chalk it up to one sentence.

Haters gonna hate.

[Dellis0991]

Why are Americans in Japan in the first place? Go home you're drunk.

Two answers....answer number one to keep North Korea, China and Japan from killing each other. Answer number two because America does underhand shit.

[Theinquisition]

True, but you don't run colleges or universities on a doctrine of rigorous discipline and adherence to orders. These are people trained in ways respective of them having guns and shooting other people. That is a VERY different group than some other random bunch of young adults. You expect service members to live up to a higher standard because they are trained to. They have to be.

Also, this is by no means an isolated oops-it-happened incident. For decades there's been regular problems, with quite a few quite serious ones (rape, manslaughter, etc.). It's not a pub brawl that got out of hand here or something along those lines.

Think of the hundreds of thousands of troops that have rotated to and from Japan since the 50s.....Hell millions.

The number of incidents compared to that is Pretty fucking small.

Not only that, but we prosecute troops that commit crimes.

[Skroe]

Pretty much.

I when it comes to many of the anti-us military folks on mmocot I chalk it up to one sentence.

Haters gonna hate.

Most of the wannabe socialists are just mad that we spend money on weapons and not on wellfare. It's pretty simple really. Haters gonna hate.