Late night off-base drinking curtailed for US troops in Japan

| October 5, 2024

A series of alleged sexual assaults by US military members in Japan this year led to an edict prohibiting late-night drinking. This prohibition applies to off-base drinking from 1 a.m. through 5 a.m. in the morning. Noncompliance with service specific and Department of Defense directives related to sexual assault prevention and response may result in liberty not being granted.

From Military Times:

The memorandum calls upon military personnel to police both their own and other service member’s conduct, and report any lawlessness immediately to their superiors.

“Acts of indiscipline or misbehavior by U.S. military personnel adversely impact international relations, tarnish the image of the United States military, and affect our military readiness,” the order states.

Commanders retain the right to strengthen the policy when appropriate, as well as provide exemptions to the curfew, according to the order.

The restrictions come after several service members were arrested for sexual assault in the Okinawa region of Japan over the last six months.

The order also calls on commanders to refrain from granting liberty to service members “not in compliance with Service-specific and DoD directives regarding sexual assault prevention and response training.”

Additional Reading:

Ceder, R. (2024, October 2). No more late-night off-base drinking for US troops in Japan. Military Times. Link.

 

Category: Military issues

39 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Fyrfighter

As Ron White says, “ya can’t fix stupid”… I’m sure this has NOTHING to do with lower standards for recruiting / retention..

KoB

Nothing at all to do with it, Fyr. After all, most of the new recruits of late have been not only stunning…but brave also.

Green Thumb

Word.

Sapper3307

Is day drinking still OK.

pete_87f094.jpg_attachment_cache_bust4804610quality85stripinfo
Green Thumb

How can one drink at night if one does not begin in the day?

jeff LPH 3 63-66

Do they still serve 3.2 beer if a Sailor isn’t 21 years old??? The bars in shit city Norfolk did back in my day.

Anonymous

Nope. 21 and over, only, for such p*sswater now. Not really worth it.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

That is so dumb.
If you are old enough to join the military and be trusted with weapons and explosives, you are old enough to enjoy a few cold ones.(Not in a Dahmer way)
Of course this means self control is required and keeping your buddies from doing something stupid is always a good idea.

Roh-Dog

Do you fqers want Death by PowerPoint?! Because this is how you get….

I owe my DDtwofourteen a; back rub, foot massage, trip to that stinky candle store with the knickknacks, fancy dinner at the place with the wall of wine storage that you never see anyone take a bottle from….

Dennis - not chevy

Once upon a once; there was a beer garden close to a USAF near Tokyo. The place was clean, comfortable, and the owner was a friend of the base. The few times I saw trouble there, it was caused by tourists and American ex-pats. Of course, one night at another bar in downtown Tokyo, an American GI was praising the atomic bombings and bad mouthing the Emperor. He and his buddies were lucky to survive. So I can’t say GI’s were pure.

Now things have changed in the 40+ years since I was there. The Commander US Forces Japan (at the time) decreed that if one was the senior ranking member at any scene of trouble you were in charge until relieved by the local authorities. That meant, for example, if you were a SFC and saw a PO2 acting stupid, you were to put an end to it; likewise, a SrA would have to stop an AMN for being stupid, a CPO would have to tell a TSgt to put a lid on it, etc. Maybe that’s why the beer garden had no problems with GI’s.

Major Tuddy

Technically, those hours are morning drinking.

Odie

Something to fill the time before the chow halls open.

A Proud Infidel®™

The time for final drinks before morning PT!

rgr1480

Okinawa. Again.

Odie

BC street and whisper alley take a financial hit.

ChipNASA

Ba-NAN-Ahhhhhhh

Jimbojszz

I wonder if some of these assaults are the result of not paying the bill. Not suggesting in all cases. But I remember some incidents from around Thai military bases with GI’s coming for some R&R. If you don’t pay the ladies they can make life difficult for customers. My suggestion is to not play that game. Easier to say than do with young men and women in their 20’s

Slow Joe

Nothing good happens after 0100.

Grunt

Depends on how fat she is.

Odie

And can you get her in and out of your room without your buddies seeing her.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

The really good shit starts at 0300

AT1 ret

They forgot to put “Again” in the headline.

Nucsnipe

I’ll be off to Yokosuka in Dec, spent a few nights out on the balcony of my hotel watching SP herd the sailors out of the Honch at midnight.

Anonymous

Ah, Courtesy Patrol rounding-up our unit folk in Songtan… ain’t changed:

Last edited 2 months ago by Anonymous
NHSparky

From what I’ve seen, the Honch is a pale shadow of its former glory.
Hoist one for me at the Buffalo bar, if it still exists.

Anonymous

Meanwhile, all three (3) of China’s carriers are at sea in the western Pacific. We have 2 x ARGs in vic. of Korea and Japan, and 1 x CSG out by Wake Island.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-wants-taiwan-mistakes-looking-123512124.html

Anonymous

Taiwanese president defiant at Chicoms surrounding island:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/impossible-peoples-republic-china-motherland-134135516.html

Anonymous

Oh, hey, we have no CSGs in the western Pacific now…
https://news.usni.org/2024/10/07/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-oct-7-2024
the Chicoms still have all three (3) of their carriers out around Taiwan and, after the defiant Taiwan president makes an important speech on Oct 10th, they’ll likely begin “drills”…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-likely-launch-military-drills-062155213.html
while we’re focused on the Mideast and the next hurricane about to hit us.

Prepare. Got all my CTA-50 located.

Quartermaster

Including your rubber maiden?

Anonymous

Not Natick’s “best” sleeping mat eva– that thing can stay unopened (and undamaged) for CIF.

Jimbojszz

these Chinese ships are built to the same standards as their submarine’s. so the Taiwanese need to be careful there to not be blamed for any ships that sink.

Anonymous

Taiwanese pres vows to “resist annexation” in his speech, but doesn’t give Beijing enough reason to attack. Chicom carriers back to port.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/taiwan-president-vows-resist-annexation-095907917.html

Last edited 2 months ago by Anonymous
Anonymous

Ah, now, the Chicoms begin drills harassing Taiwan again… they waited a couple of days:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-holds-military-drills-around-063810227.html

Anonymous

Drills over, Chicoms declare them a success, talk sh*t (say more to come) and go home.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-starts-round-war-games-222553849.html

Anonymous
Last edited 2 months ago by Anonymous
Anonymous

Chicoms sent two of their three carriers home, kept one for the hassling on Taiwan. Heard they may’ve all gone back, then thr delay was one specifically going back out again to do this.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/warning-china-sent-warplanes-warships-181404607.html

Anonymous

Chicoms talk more sh*t after Taiwan gripes about it:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/stern-warning-china-starts-war-054807155.html

Green Thumb

Sobriety sucks.

ChipNASA

It beats jail, The regional hospital and the state prison, Even if it was just overnight. 😬🫣🥹