Navy bans drinking by Sailors and Marines in Japan
According to Reuters, the commander of U.S. naval forces in Japan, Rear Admiral Matthew Carter, forbade the eighteen thousand sailors in Japan from consuming alcohol because one sailor is suspected of drunk driving which caused an accident in which two Japanese citizens were injured.
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 [M]arines 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.
The ban exempts dependents and civilian employees. So, good luck enforcing this thing, Navy.
Category: Navy
Nice to see the Navy still believes in mass punishment!
The whole military you mean.
We just got back from Afghanistan in 2011 and went to Ft Dix. We were briefed by some battalion commander from 1st Army there about how we were restricted to base, no alcohol and no civilian clothes until we signed out. Why? Because the previous rotation there was a Captain who got a DUI and missed movement with his unit.
So, those of us who just came back, couldn’t have a beer at a baseball game, or relax in civvies because of Captain DUI. Good times.
Yeah, that policy was still in place January 2013. I was ready to go back to Afghanistan. The food, housing, and weather was better over there.
And they made that STUPID SHYT an admiral?
Typical leadership response. “One guy might have done something wrong, so you’re all in trouble now! You should’ve stopped him from allegedly doing something wrong!”
I’m not sure what that sort of response is, but it sure as all hell ain’t anything resembling leadership.
This is all about CYA on a mass scale. CYAists should be rooted out and burned at the stake.
next time I’ll put “Leadership” in quotes. I did the air quotes thing, but no one saw I take it.
Oh, drat! Missed those.
Holy F***. Sailor gets drunk does something bad and stupid. WOW that is news, could have never seen that coming. When is the stand down for Admirals accepting bribes and hookers?
They are writing up a contract right now with the corporation they’ll be working for after they retire to study that very thing.
USCENTCOM General Order #1 makes its appearance in the Land of the Rising Sun; good luck with that…
P.S.: I assume this does not apply to the purchase and consumption of Japanese porn…
… or warm sake.
It gets worse. All personnel are also restricted to base, with only exceptions being commuting to/from base, picking up kids, etc.
This also includes mainland Japan; i.e., Yokosuka, Sasebo, Misawa, etc.
Man, talk about the Mega Blue Falcon. Her life is seriously effed right about now. And SIX TIMES the legal limit? Go big or go home, sweetheart!
Bear in mind that the legal BAC limit for DUI in Japan is about 0.03% (versus 0.08% in the U.S.). So “six times the legal limit” in Japan, while still pretty damn drunk, does not equate to six times the limit in the U.S., which would put you at nearly a surgical anesthesia level of intoxication.
pull out of Japan and let the little cocksuckers defend themselves, maybe the Chinese will forget Nanking…
Another fine example of Leadership from the risk adverse assholes in command.
(thumbs up)
If they don’t want our forces there, maybe they shouldn’t have started the war! And to the conspiracy jerkoffs who try to blame FDR, I have one simple answer: USS Panay, 1937. Look it up. You can find it under “Unprovoked Act of War.”
I blame Bush.
Damn it I hit the wrong button (again, my F up) I agree with ur post. I’m so damn glad I’m out of the Navy now. Ever since Tailhook, the Khaki Flap Alarm just gets louder and louder.
Its time to start doing shots of hand sanitizer. It works for the high school kids.
Can you imagine the economic impact of this over the longer term??
Remember when prostitutes protested FOR the military members when they were banned because of the lack of income?
Oh the mighty U.S. Dollar.
Prostitutes. Military members. Heh. I chuckled a little bit.
As Rocky said, it’s a livin’!
The many shall suffer for the sins of the few. so glad I made civvie.
Let’s just hope no Sailor or Marine ever farts in church while attending one in Japan.
“Members” is an excellent choice of words, considering the context, Chip.
How did this pass the JAG hippies? This is yanking privileges for everyone- it’s clearly a mass punishment drill.
If mass punishment is illegal then my whole military career was a crime. 😉
Ditto.
In Okinawa its banned. I am currently working and living in Japan right now. I also have a position that allows me to be first to get news when an incident occurs. I can tell you, Marines and Navy are a fucked up bunch in Okinawa. So far this year, multiple reports of DUIs, rape and murder via Contractor.
If I was a GS employee, stay away from Okinawa. Might be best to kick Marines out of that area.
Nah, its probably best to have the Marines just take it back. They paid for it in blood.
DUI’s, Rape, Murder sound like Liberty Call to me.
There is Curfew and Libery rules thats the crazy part. This last incident happen when basically the base was on lock down for military.
Crazy, Okinawa commanders sent out a memo stating “you are not allowed to drink off base”, what do you think happens next? 3 people get popped for DUIs ON BASE, just not the brightest generation going on here.
Its not just marines, I should apolgize, its the army down there are ADA 1-1. Now USFJ and Commanders are gathering to decide to get stricter policies.
Marines that took Okinawa are a different generation of Marines today.
Old Corps…New Corps Its all still the Marine Corps.
If a man is willing to take a bullet defending this country, he should know what its like to get drunk and laid before it happens.
Open up some good ole, Bang Bang love you long time palace and drop the drinking age to 18.
Not offended brother, you have a right to your opinion. Semper Fi
On a side note, a marine is a thing. As in a marine engine or marine animal.
A Marine is a killer, a trained killer, a person who is born again hard for the sole purpose of killing the enemy.
We die Marines, not ex-marine like was a water craft or used to be a bad ass.
If anyone thinks the problem is alcohol, force sobriety on Marines. Violence is a virtue, drunk or sober.
A Marine is a killer?
Oh, you mean the one out of five who is infantry, whatever that MOS is in the marines.
I have seen all the Marine pogs, and they are slightly better than Army pogs, but not by much.
I find it funny how they walk around milking all that combat value Marine infantry have accumulated, like if all Marines were actual shooters.
No need to thank me for my service.
Just a simple Semper Fi will do.
Nicely done. I see what you did there. You ain’t bitting flame bait.
Nah, not today. I have been moving and my ass itches.
Good bait though, probably catches some in the shallows of the web.
You should add something about the entire air wing of the Corps that skates their way through service.
You have to go after the MOS’s that dont think they are REMFs Admin Clerks and Supply are used to getting shit anyway.
Like Combat Engineers, is there really any combat involved in digging shitters…that kind of thing.
Glad to help, Semper Fi
All Marines ARE “shooters.” Some get to shoot, some don’t. But they’re all “shooters.” Just thought you should know that, because you don’t want to find out the hard way.
Someone did bite. So, the every 6 months qual for the clerks and supply guys count as a being a shooter? Plz.
You know, when civilians hear the word Marines, they automatically think of the hard charging infantry dude kicking doors and taking names.
But here between us, you know it is not true. If you are a support or combat support guy, the most you might do is pull outer security watching for squirters while the Real Marines clear the target and get their guy.
It is the way it is, and those that wanted to be door knockers should have volunteered for it, instead of stealing valor, that’s what it is when a support dude clame he is infantry.
And the military is the infantry and everyone else is support.
All Marines are “Provisional” (love that word).
Side Bar: None of that will work on the MAU guys. The postal clerk ends up in a bunker with a .50 cal
Well… Not to confirm that db Yef at all, but I was more scared RSO’ing Res units at Quantico and Ft Dix than I was in Ramadi in ’04. Just saying…
I can only imagine brother.
Obviously never met a Marine. Let me tell you POG there was no reason on earth for your slanderous diatribe against my Marines. But since you’re obviously illiterate towards the combat prowess of US Marines regardless of MOS I’m going to quit dating your Mother and wife.
I guess I’ll have to show solidarity with my Marine brethren and break up with his little sister. I’ll remember her every time I see a golf ball and a garden hose
DUIs gonna happen. Smart command burns the offender but doesn’t assume everyone else will offend the same.
Rapes could very well be local versions of Mattress Girl playing SJW games.
No,never! You seem a trifle cynical Grimmy.
Sooner or later an old timer had to jump in feet first. Ask around, ask within…there IS a difference between combat Marines and the standard issue. Out in civvie life, one will help the other without care as to former MOS. Yef is somewhat right in that most all who served will milk the title for what it’s worth, regardless as to MOS. There’s probably an equal percentage who are posers when it comes to war stories, using the Corps to convince. By that I mean ALL branches have a certain group who will discuss combat as if they knew what they were talking about. Keep in mind….at least in RVN, only 10% were actually involved in combat. That particular 10% is the crew not to be f___d with throughout life. They did their thing, paid the price other combat troops know the meaning, and seldom care to discuss it. Worse by far is when one of them (from ANY branch of service, combat-related) hears any obvious phony spreading his B. S. as if he had ever been in combat.
Some never get over the fuk-fuk games they endured and learned in boot camp. As a result, some are considered a__holes by their attitude for the remainder of their life because they don’t join in the reindeer games. Being considered said a__hole is a compliment to us. It’s a kind way of reminding us what we have been through.
Funny, on mainland Japan, a teacher got a DUI, he was back at work next day or something like that. They need to be tougher.
So, with the click of the keyboard, and the stroke of a signature, what was once a pleasant duty station, just became an intolerable hellhole.
Unfortunately, been there, done that. But not because of any service member’s fuckup. I served a year TDY in Saudi immediately after the Kohbar Towers bombing. Alcohol was already restricted (Muzzie territory), but immediately after, lah-dee dah-dee everybody was restricted to their outpost, except for business. No going downtown to the souks and restaurants. A fun year, couldn’t wait to leave. Had the “Short Timer’s Calendar” marked from the first day of arrival.
Which is bullshit since the Arabs drink heavier than Americans do. They just hide their drinking better than us.
They have Bahrain – the largest bar and whorehouse in the Arab World…
My unit was on deployment in 1977 and Subic Bay was our liberty port. We had a “What to do/What not to do” whilst in the Philippines briefing from a Chief Warrant. Don’t carry a wallet, money and ID in front pocket and avoid wearing a watch. Ok, normal stuff.
SOOOO, what does our company CO do? Yup, wore his aviator watch, which was cutoff his wrist and his wallet was pickpocketed. So, that meant we all had to be back at the Upper MAU Camp every morning at 0530 for formation. Our curfew did not end until 0500. Mad dash back to camp because some Jackass Officer did what most Lance Corporals would not do. We all had to suffer for his stupidity!
So, mass punishment because someone did something stupid, yeah, that always works. Can’t wait to see the discipline problems and the fights keeping that many Marines on base! Just move the 3rd Mardiv to Guam and be done with it! Leave Okinawa and the mainland. Okinawa will suffer, not the US Military.
Exactly, WTF is there if the bases close. Nuttin. Well, maybe they can keep the Air Force base.
I vote we push them pricks into the ocean again and start over.
Oki sober…ya thats going to happen. Marines are making homebrew as we speak.
I have a total 6 1/2 years stationed on Okinawa spanning 1984 up to 2000, and wverytime I was there, some Marine would fuck it up for everyone. The knee jerk reaction is to lock down everyone on base to placate the local outrage. Other than pudding off the Marines and pleasing the local agitators, it accomplished absolutely nothing. Then, after about 30 days, all the local restaurant and bar owners would DEMAND the restrictions be lifted.
They always have a politician running that will kick the military off of the island, and no need to worry, they will make up the money from tourism. Only problem is that the tourism is based on the military presence. Just look at all of those mainland Japanese tourists taking photos of aircraft landing and taking off at Kadena.
But if we move them to Guam, won’t the island get top-heavy and capsize?
I get that. Hard to believe the dingus actually said that. With a straight face even.
Thank god the japs never raped
anyone.
Imperial Japan’s SHARP program was the envy of the civilized world. Their EO NCOs were also very capable, leading by example.
So you never heard of those sex slaves that were labeled ‘comfort women’ by the Japs?
Denial is not a river in Egypt or anywhere else, toots.
You only have to hear about their porn to understand that they are the freakiest psychopaths when it comes to sexual relations. Hands down.
There ain’t enough /sarc tags in all of Christendom to cover that one!
ghey
Well, this is stupid. Banning alcohol won’t put a stop to sailors and Marines getting drunk on liberty. Carter ought to know that.
Restricting people to base won’t stop accidents from happening.
All I see here is piss-poor leadership and poor management, especially if a US civilian contractor is involved in a crime.
But if the Japanese want the US gone, then let’s leave.
It has stopped anything. They banned off base alcohol purchases and people got DUIs on base still.
What’s the difference between drunken frat parties and liberty ports?
The clothes you wear and the geography.
Well, there is the happy ending.
That’s why you have pig pushers with the sororities!!
Again, maybe the japs should’ve thought about that before they started the war.
Hoo boy! Gonna be a LOT of pissed off bar owners on the Honch!
I don’t know what it is about Okinawa. Seems that most of the incidents occur there. Perhaps CNFJ should start there and not punish everyone.
Years ago, I was stationed in Misawa, northern Japan. A new skipper checked into the NSGA and almost immediately the DUIs started happening in his command. He was beside himself wondering how to fix it. Finally, he grew some balls. A Sailor went out on a Saturday night and got busted for DUI on Sunday morning at about 0200.
At 1200 on Sunday, he was in front of the old man who proceeded to destroy him. Ended up finding a reason to kick him out.
The DUIs stopped that day.
Maybe CNFJ should have a public flogging. Will do more than punishing EVERYONE.
Just a thought.
We joke and say its the water. Not sure what makes people go stupid down there.
I once knew a PH1 who told me he spent one day drinking on liberty, and three more days completely drunk on board ship because every time he went to the scuttlebutt for a drink of water, it revived the alcohol in his system.
Well, that’s what he told me. It may or may not have been true.
Korea is the same way.
“How do you make E-5 when you get stationed in Korea?”
“Go there as an E-6.”
I knew a guy there who lost his E-4 3 times and his E-5 twice in the span of about 10 months. He left as an E-5, but I was fascinated by what happened each time.
I was fortunate. I arrived in Korea as an E5, left as an E6. I was a good troop. Or at least, I didn’t get caught. But I can see how easy it would be to ride the rank yo-yo.
Take it back, phuk em.
Well, this should increase attendance at Mass and result in many conversions to Catholicism, even if only temporary conversions. Yeah, I’m talking about wine at church. I figure it’s an excellent way to explain why one smells of alcohol.
Sounds to me like nothing much has changed since the 1960s. Sailors and Marines go on liberty, get drunk, do stupid things, maybe wind up in the brig or maybe not, but it embarrasses the moron who still lives in the White House.
Kuso dayo kore.
And that car accident? I saw her car. I’ve seen shopping carts do more damage. How would anyone like to be her about now? You get arrested for a DWI. The entire world learns about it. You’re slapped into jail–and the prosecutor is angling towards a charge that can get you 15 (!) years. Then, you have everyone at your base pissed and everyone from the Pentagon to the State Dept knows your name. Holy mackerel.
But – but – she EMBARRASSED THE ONE.
She’ll never live it down. She’ll have to change her name and her sex and go live in the desert, harvesting cactus leaves and peccaries.
Changing her name might be advisable anyway. It’s Aimee Mejia.
Google will not be her friend. Welcome to a lifetime of people asking if you are the person mentioned. Yeah, that name changing sounds to be a good idea.
I have been to Japan twice for a total of about a week; that means I don’t know squat about anything. If the US military pulled out of Japan altogether, would it matter to regional security?
I am specifically asking about the Dork from the Nork and the mainland chinese. I don’t care about the effect on the Japanese economy – or their politics – that would be their problem. After all, we removed most of our military people from Germany and now it is, once again, the shining country on the Rhine and a beacon for all.
If the US military pulls out of Japan, maybe we can require that Japanese tourists stop being such dicks in the States. I can hope.
Maybe they can lift the prohibition on punching out Japanese tourists who act like assholes at the USS Arizona Memorial.
TOW, I find it is possible to bump them “accidentally” and knock them off their feet.
Granted I’m larger than most, but it’s still a lot of fucking fun….I enjoyed bumping the little bastards into slot machines In Vegas as well. A ruder group of people in a crowd I’ve never met…the little motherfuckers push around your elbows all the time…a little “accidental” bumping and a nice “fuck you” smile while apologizing usually makes it clear you’d be just as happy to kill the little bastards….
This is what happens when the only tool that leaders have seen is GO #1. Suddenly everything becomes a drinking problem that can be solved by banning everything.
Very true. GO#1 has become the crutch that commanders rely on, not so much to prevent misconduct (which it does not do) but to get themselves off the hook when misconduct occurs.
You know, after WWII, the Army of Occupation in Japan did not have the same kind of anti-fraternization laws that were imposed on Constabulary troops in Germany. You know why? Because MacArthur, as much of an arrogant fool as he was on some occasions, had a genuine understanding of how soldiers think and act and he knew that if he gave such an order, it would be ignored.
It’s too bad that kind of thinking seems to have been excised from modern flag officers.
“Any army that can’t fuck can’t fight!”
–General George S. Patton Jr.
“It’s too bad that kind of thinking seems to have been excised from modern flag officers.”
I’m sure you meant to say, “excised from troops of modern flag officers, since modern flag officers do whatever they want.”
WHen your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
Pussy military response.
Bend over backwards for a country which profits from your presence financially and security wise. We hold all the cards, yet the Japanese make the demands.
Chump America loses again.
Don’t get me started on GO#1. It’s one of the many examples of how the military treats soldiers, sailors airmen and marines like children and then gets astonished when they act like children.
It’s also a joke. When I was deployed to Afghanistan, we almost always had a case of beer in the tent. And I wasn’t at some remote outpost, either, I was at Bagram. The presence of international troops (who of course don’t have the ridiculous GO#1) made the presence of alcohol “deniable”: as in “Oh, that’s not ours, it belongs to the German troops. You know how the Germans like their beer!” 😀
When I was stationed in Germany not a week went by without some drunken GI robbing a taxi driver or some other offense. It was so bad that all the taxis I ever saw there had armored seats and bulletproof partitions between back seat and driver. Surprisingly little legroom for a Mercedes. If the EUSAREUR commander had tried to do what the commander in Japan did even the Germans would have complained, and the troops would probably have rioted.
This should do wonders for morale and reenlistments.
The next step is to go to a “code red” system, a la Colonel Jessup.
Stop buying Japanese cars and TVs.
…but not Nikons.
Can you even purchase an American manufactured television these days?
My grandmother has one if you want to buy it.
It weighs more than your car though….
Just bought a new 2016 Honda Accord LX. Made in Ohio.
What does that have anything to do with what happened in this incident (or how japs raped women during WW2)?
It’s not the Japanese politicians or citizens that banned alcohol consumption. It’s the military head honchos that put this restriction in place. And, as pointed out by the numerous examples in this thread, mass punishment for the sins of the few is hardly unique to the military in Okinawa.
I bet you’d be pretty pissed if some foreigners started causing petty crimes and rape and murder or American women in your neck of the woods.
Yep and I am even more pissed when they are here illegaly.
You say that as if hundreds of illegal aliens aren’t already getting DUIs, killing American citizens in the process, and killing them in other ways as well?
The good news is that there is still plenty to do in Japan while sober. botanical gardens, goldfish park, tea houses, Little Lou’s steak house floor show.
All of which are a bit difficult to visit when confined to base.
So, for those of you who have been to Okinawa and walked among the hills and flats where our forces fought, is there stuff still to be found and hardware still to be seen or is it mostly gone now?
Last time I was there was 94. Rusted M1 clips infest some of the training areas.
Plenty of metal fragments on both Okinawa (70-71) and Guam (81-84). Also literally hundreds of caves dug into sides of mountains with metal fragments inside. There were persistent rumors/stories/lies on both islands that many caves were undiscovered, having been covered over during bombings. Both islands are huge tourist traps for Japanese from mainland Japan who are there to see where their relatives died. I’m talking about huge planes from Japan, several a day, each with hundreds of tourists. While on Okinawa, military members were as crude and rude as, apparently, they are today. Rapes, fights, whacking taxi drivers, and just generally treating the Okinawans as trash. The majority of troops didn’t act that way, but enough of them did so as to make it an issue. Really, ONE rape, murder, robbery, etc. is enough to make it an issue.
And now we know that there are no incidents of either rape, or drunk driving among the Japanese in Japan.
….Or we know they have a bunch of howling hypocrites fit to match our own.
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-the-rape-statistics-for-Japan-so-low
http://www.accessj.com/2013/04/drunk-driving-in-japan-alcohol-levels.html
Looks like they have both, but they suppress rape reports.
Oops, I hit the wrong button.
You’d think that Japan being a first world country would be passed that, long ago. But, even feminist types don’t seem to notice.
If any of those feminist types spent a day in other countries, like Japan, their heads would explode from the blatant secondary citizen status women have.
Granted, they’ll never travel there and just “accept” that other countries treat women like shit, but want to destroy any American for the smallest glance, nod, remark, etc.
Sounds like the Japanese are up to the 40s-50s-60s, as far as their attitude towards rape and sexual harassment.
The complaint about drinking is just the latest attempt to run us off. I don’t know why we don’t pack up our toys and come home. Why keep a base where we’re no longer wanted?
Touche’!
My 4 yr old great nephew says he will go to Costco off base and get the affordable diapers for his little brother.
Geez, the Commissary on their base is routinely out of necessay food and supplies causing them to have to shop off base. Knuckle head leadership
Was on “the Rock” in ’49 (as a kid)- a paradise for a kid in 1949. A lot of war shit layin’ around- knew a youth who had a finger (hand, arm?) blown off–I believe it’s a tradition among dependent children-same thing happened in Greece in ’53. Served on Okinawa in the Marine Corps in ’63- ’64- passed through there in ’66, ’67, ’68’, ’69. At that time it was run by an American Commissioner. Americans paid for that place. I urinate from a high place on the little slant-eyed ingrates. I’ll save some for these “leaders” that couldn’t lead a 3 man fire team to the shitter. OUT
“Americans paid for that place.” I’d say so. Some 18,900 US sailors, soldiers, and Marines KIA/MIA, with some 53,000 wounded. That is tough to imagine. It would be like filling an NFL stadium and saying, “Everyone here represents an American casualty in one battle: Okinawa.”
Been to Japan/Okinawa three times during my career (Yokosuka from 92-95, UDP with 2/7 to Camp Schwab in 96 and one year with 3rd Med in 01-02). Had no problems on the mainland, the Indy was homeported then and after a cruise the crew had major problems in the Honcho area (IIRC, one of the incidents was taped and used as part of the orientation brief to give all an idea of how “tolerant” the local police is – dude got cracked with a baton at least a dozen times in about 30 seconds for pushing a cop). CNFJ pulled some strings and had Indy put in the middle of Tokyo Bay for a couple of weeks to get their act together before they were allowed to dock again… pissed a lot of Indy families off. Locals always said “Midway GOOD ship, Indy BAD, BAD ship”.
Oki was another world – when I went with 2/7 on their UDP, the 3rd MARDIV CG (BGen Ayers from Brooklyn, NY) personally did the brief to all UDP units. He started it off with, “IF YOU FUCK UP ON MY ISLAND, I WILL HAMMER THE DOG SHIT OUT OF YOU” and said that at least 20 times during a 30 minutes brief… but it got the message home to us (no alcohol related incidents during the UDP). Not much better when I went back to be with 3rd MED… they had O’s and SNCO’s do patrols at the local hot spots on and off base to make sure things were OK on Friday and Saturday nights.
The military mindset is all fucked up… HAMMER THE DOG SHIT out of the fuck ups and let everyone know what happened to the idiots, that’ll send a real clear message to everyone.
Is this like requiring more stringent “don’t rape anyone” training for the entire force because one of the “don’t rape anyone” instructors committed sexual misconduct?
Nope, its the young E-4s and dumb 32 year old contractors doing the bidding this time.
Hell, even dependents are going buck wild.
Well, now that rum is banned, I guess Navy/USMC personnel in Japan will just have to make do with sodomy and the lash for recreation. (smile)
This IMO is a seriously stupid policy. But the Army’s done the same at times as well, so it’s not really a shock to see the Navy do it.
Ovum led needs to go over and apologize.
Obumbles needs to… (friggin autocorrect!)
Ovum works. Shouldn’t have corrected it.
Oh, it isn’t just the USofA that annoys the Japanese. The Chinese are getting their fair share of whacks from Nippon.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-china-islands-idUSKCN0YV01U
I guess that ‘OURS, OURS, OURS!’ message isn’t just for Westerners any more.