When I was a grunt on Okinawa in the 80's the Marines went out of their way to make it as difficult as possible for us to leave the base. In the 90's I was a civilian dependent so I enjoyed myself.
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 in an earlier thread, 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.
What Gives?? I don’t remember any BANS on ALcohol after Ted Kennedy Killed his Mistress while Drunk, or while 2 DRUNK Secret Service Agents caused a Lock Down recently???
Why do we have military in Japan?
Does Japan pay us?
Bet this place takes a hit... is a tiny little the hole in the wall on a third floor in Tokyo and I had a blast there
http://www.geronimoshotbar.com/
That’s pretty rough. I do recall being wanded at the gate coming and going for quite some time. If it were a Japanese driving, he/she would lose that license for life.
And on top of a belly full of good sushi.
My last meal request.
I’m with the Japanese on this. American service people are there as representatives of the U.S. government. If they can’t behave themselves, Japan has full right to insist that they no be allowed to drink off base and have their rights restricted.
Just because some minority chick couldn’t hold her liquor?
Dam you think they would be a little nicer to us after Obama apologized and all
Ah, Cinderella Liberty. The good old days....was when they did away with liberty cards under orders of Adm Zumwalt.
Years of being occupied by foreign forces can have an effect on the locals.. some memories die harder than others.
I was stationed there early 70s,, not sure how well a booze ban would have gone over back then.. it was a different time, I reckun..
I remember in Korea (1991), the base commander decreed that beer prices would be doubled from $1 a bottle to $2. His logic: most soldiers spent all of their money on booze, so this way they’d get less drunk, less often.
Admittedly, Saturday nights were a mess, and surely the Norks know that the time to invade is Saturday night.
What I found odd was that this decree was for beer sold off base...and it was obeyed by the Korean vendors.
well, there goes the Japan economy. No one to spend like drunken sailors.
A big market just opened up in these areas for this new product!
Classic Sodastream gadget can now instantly turn water into beer
UK Daily Star ^ | June 6, 2016 | Dave Snelling
Posted on 6/6/2016, 3:15:21 PM by PJ-Comix
If you love an ice-cold pint of beer all of your dreams may have just come true.
You can now forget heading to the local for an overpriced ale by simply turning your tap water into beer.
The classic Sodastream has just been transformed into a mini brewery thanks to the launch of a new Beer Bar kit.
The Beer Bar enables you to create crafted beer in seconds by simply adding a unique Blondie concentrate to Sparkling Water.
And the best part is, you can brew three litres of lager for around £2.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3437516/posts
So, 19,000 US military personnel must be perfect in every way, every day, or it will cause serious problems in the relationship with Japan?
Not making light of incidents that injure people, but a policy where any such incident will cause a major problem is totally unrealistic.
Is Japan ready to assume full responsibility for its defense now in view of the continuing behavior of China?
Stuff like this is sensitive in Okinawa.
They were once an independent kingdom, only “recently” were they taken over by Japan.
They’re poorer than almost any prefecture, yet they host over 50% of the American military —they see this as unfair, or at least as a form leverage over the rest of Japan.
They’re not happy about this, but you can REST ASSURED that they’re going to make a really, really big deal about it.
I’d say especially cuz US politics now features a lot of talk about Making Japan Pay, Japan will make very great hay out of this.
Dating reputation ruined last month by that drunk black navy guy (stabbed and strangled Japanese GF).
Driving reputation now ruined by this drunk Mexican.
Thanks!
Hey, we just defend freedom ! We don’t get any for ourselves.
Aimee Mejia=blanket party.
I could be wrong...
5.56mm
There is a widespread misperception that Japan pays us nothing.
They pay NOTHING DIRECTLY to our troops, of course, however it’s true that Home Base Support from Japan is higher than almost any other country.
They pay about HALF of all US expenditures.
I Looooooooove Trump, but here is a warning:
Japanese faith in the truth of US promises about protection is maybe lower than it has ever been, for pretty good reasons.
It is my very wild guess, but I’d say if Trump suddenly commands Japan to pay ALL..?
There might be a good chance they’d ask the US to leave completely. NOT as punishment, but simply cuz they’d want to have *TOTAL* faith in whatever defenses that followed.
Japan does not DESERVE armed US defense —I absolutely don’t view it as a RIGHT of any non-US country— but I don’t think they appreciate the view, repeated VERY often recently, that they PAY NOTHING.
They do not pay nothing, and for some reason our people DO periodically rape and kill theirs.
We’d be super pissed, too and we NEED to get through this cuz I think a shooting war in the Pacific with China is somewhat likely in the next 5 or so years.
Without US help Japan miiiight lose that war, and without Japan’s help there is little reason for such an active USN patrolling presence so close to China.