Posted on 06/05/2016 9:39:51 PM PDT by Ronin
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) – Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet (C7F) and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ) announced temporary liberty curtailment and restrictions on alcohol consumption for all Sailors in Japan as a response to a recent trend of alcohol-related incidents detrimental to the U.S.-Japan Alliance.
Effective immediately, Sailors are prohibited from drinking alcohol, on and off base. Additionally, all off-base liberty will be curtailed.
Sailors who live off base will be permitted to travel to and from work and engage in official actions such as childcare drop-off and pickup, trips to the grocery store, gas stations or the gym.
The liberty curtailment will remain in effect until face-to-face training has been conducted by unit commanding officers, executive officers and command master chiefs with all personnel.
The alcohol restriction will remain in effect until C7F and CNFJ are comfortable that all personnel understand the impact of responsible behavior on the U.S.-Japan Alliance and the United States’ ability to provide security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.
“These measures are not taken lightly,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Carter, CNFJ. “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.
The order extends to all Sailors assigned or forward deployed to Japan, as well as transient Sailors and units in Japan for temporary duty.
“The overwhelming majority of our Sailors are doing an outstanding job every single day,” said Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, C7F. “But that same majority—at every paygrade--is also responsible for providing leadership on all levels. We will not condone misconduct that impacts our ability to conduct our mission or which jeopardizes our critical alliance with Japan.”
In the Middle East, drinking alcohol would be a grave insult to the muslims.
Of course, we are fighting muslims...
Just sayin'...
Every child should have a nanny. /s
This will drive recruitment. /s
Petty Officer Aimee Mejia, 21, was involved in a three-car accident on the island on Saturday, injuring two people, said police http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36457448
“including private residences”???
Bureaucracy gone mad.
As a young sailor I made my transformation from boy to man passing through this base on my way to Viet Nam.
I find it so difficult to think our present day PC military would be worth spit in a real conflict.
I also can’t believe that the bar owners and professional ladies would not be screaming to end this crap.
Obummer has so destroyed our fighting personnel.
Isn’t the US military also against bringing Christian Bibles into the middle east?
wonder what the locals think of tranny sergeants.
It's also a grave insult to stop a muslim man from raping a small screaming boy...
Damn how I enjoyed my three years in Japan (Yokota AB up near Tachikawa). I did have a friend who made quite a few visits down to Yokosuka during Desert Storm aND all the deploymemt.
Mass punishment...what a wonderful thing...for the enlisted...not the officers.
I was stationed while in the Air Force at Lakenheath AFB in 1968 when one our enlisted buddies ran into the back of a lorry while he was drunk. We all lost the right to use our vehicles for a month due to this accident. I mean ALL Enlisted... for the special elite people (officers) did not. That incident established my “mind-set” about why would anyone want to live in a society where you give up your rights under the Constitution and live under a dictatorship with rights only granted by the UCMJ and the whim of higher officers.
Cant find anything at all on FB this am. 7th fleet/Yokosuka FB page is GONE. Only a note from AFN on the restrictions.
Glad to see they are still on top of things.
It was amazing how few of these bad apple incidents occurred in the few years following that conviction.
Your typical jailbird in Japan works 14 hour days, 6 days per week. They do not get state of the art body building facilities, law libraries or television access. If they exhibit good behavior, they might get access to a shared lounge with a television showing approved programming, a library with a limited selection of books (mostly text books, donations and castoffs), board games such as Shogi (Japanese chess) or Go and the opportunity to attend a generic Buddhist, Shinto or Christian service on Sunday conducted by a rotating group of volunteer clergy. If you are a Muslim or a Jew they will suggest you attend the Christian service because that's the closest thing they have available, so sorry!
It sounds quite harsh, but there are no rapes, beatings or murders in Japanese prisons.
As you know, Yokota is close to a major city, so plenty of opportunities for the locals to find employment elsewhere. At Misawa, up in the rural NE of the country, not so much. The locals were far more friendly and receptive at Misawa as a result.
Obama’s plan to destroy the US military is moving full steam ahead. Here he is trying to DEMORALIZE it.
Yes, but is that really a place to find quality, good pedigree, fine Japanese ladies? I don’t THINK so!
My late father in law-FIL was in the air force in the mid-1950’s and stationed in the Azores. He was a sergeant at the time and hated being away from the states and when off duty would drink at the NCO club and from what he told me if he decided to drink he would get plastered but in general stagger back to his barracks sleep it off and leave people alone. His other hobby according to him was chasing the Brit nurses about.
One night he was in the NCO club and was working on humdinger of a drunk and a brand new strutting peacock of a second Lt. walked in with his wife and started throwing rank around on all the NCO’s, in general being a total ahole. My FIL already drunk as a boiled owl decided he had heard enough and staggered up to the Lt. and let him know of his disgust for his presence and behavior in the NCO club.
The Lt. said something which sent my FIL over the edge and he cut loose with a right hook and in a scene right out of the movies the Lt. ducked and my father in law ended up knocking the Lt’s wife on her butt! The other NCO’s broke it up and the Lt. and his wife exited post haste and my FIL’s buddies told him get out of here now and go sleep it off you are already in deep crap without fighting the AP’s.
The next morning the base commander summoned my father in law to his office. He was fully expecting a court martial and prison time as he stood before full bird colonel. The colonel tore into him for his drunken behavior and swinging at an officer and hitting his wife even if it was an accident. Then the old bird then said the second lieutenants behavior was abhorrent as well and he was out of line. He then told my FIL you have a good record and about six months left on base. I am reducing your rank for the remainder of your time on base to airman first class. When you leave for your next assignment you will pick up your sergeants rank, dismissed. My FIL said thank you sir, snapped a salute and got the hell out of dodge. That night was the last night he took a drink of alcohol.
This measure is not really aimed at punishing sailors, although it does that. What it is aimed at is calming increasingly restive Japanese political and civilian anger regarding the incidents in question.
It’s draconian, but as I mentioned earlier, far less so than appears at first notice. The restrictions target USN personnel — it does NOT target USMC, Air Force, or Army. The USS Reagan battle group is already at sea, which means that most of the uniformed Navy enlisted types and junior officers are unaffected.
The measure is being widely reported in the Japanese press, the briefings will be held, sailors will be admonished to be careful, but it will all be relaxed before the 15th. Too many local businesses depend on military clientele and would suffer if the restriction stayed in place past payday.
Yes it is.
In fact, it should beg the questions
1. Why are we there?
2. Whose side are we on?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.