June 25 & 27, 2016
Okinawa Police on June 26 arrested a U.S. military civilian employee on the spot for causing a drunk-driving accident in Okinawa City. The crash occurred just two days after the U.S. military announced the easing of restrictions imposed on its personnel and families.
The U.S. Forces in Okinawa put its military personnel and military civilian employees as well as their family members, who are subject to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), on a midnight curfew and prohibited them from drinking outside their bases or homes from May 27 until June 28. These restrictions were applied following the rape and murder of an Okinawan woman by a former U.S. marine.
According to the police, the 24-year-old civilian employee working at the U.S. Kadena Air Base, drove under the influence of alcohol and collided with a vehicle driven by a Japanese man at around 4:30 a.m. on a city road. The man was immediately taken to hospital and confirmed to be not seriously injured. The police said they detected four times the permissible level of alcohol on the suspect’s breath.
The accident took place while the U.S. military in Okinawa was imposing the rule limiting drinking outside bases and nighttime curfew for one month. The incident again brought to light the U.S. military’s lack of legal compliance and lack of a sense of responsibility over repeated crimes and accidents.
The suspect violated both drinking and curfew restrictions. However, he is highly likely to be free from any punishment because U.S. civilian personnel do not face court-martials in times of peace.
* * *
Lawrence Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Okinawa, on June 24 announced that the one-month restrictions will end on the morning of June 28. With this, the lifting of the drinking and curfew restrictions will become only voluntary efforts by U.S. military civilian employees and their families, and they will not be subject to any penalties.
Past related articles:
> US Navy in Japan lifts drinking ban imposed on sailors [June 20, 2016]
> Drunken US sailor causes car accidents despite ‘tightened official discipline’ [June 1 & 6, 2016]
> US sailor arrested for drunken driving despite US military’s promise to tighten discipline [May 23, 2016]
> Okinawans protest alleged murder of Japanese woman by ex-US marine [May 21, 2016]
The U.S. Forces in Okinawa put its military personnel and military civilian employees as well as their family members, who are subject to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), on a midnight curfew and prohibited them from drinking outside their bases or homes from May 27 until June 28. These restrictions were applied following the rape and murder of an Okinawan woman by a former U.S. marine.
According to the police, the 24-year-old civilian employee working at the U.S. Kadena Air Base, drove under the influence of alcohol and collided with a vehicle driven by a Japanese man at around 4:30 a.m. on a city road. The man was immediately taken to hospital and confirmed to be not seriously injured. The police said they detected four times the permissible level of alcohol on the suspect’s breath.
The accident took place while the U.S. military in Okinawa was imposing the rule limiting drinking outside bases and nighttime curfew for one month. The incident again brought to light the U.S. military’s lack of legal compliance and lack of a sense of responsibility over repeated crimes and accidents.
The suspect violated both drinking and curfew restrictions. However, he is highly likely to be free from any punishment because U.S. civilian personnel do not face court-martials in times of peace.
* * *
Lawrence Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Okinawa, on June 24 announced that the one-month restrictions will end on the morning of June 28. With this, the lifting of the drinking and curfew restrictions will become only voluntary efforts by U.S. military civilian employees and their families, and they will not be subject to any penalties.
Past related articles:
> US Navy in Japan lifts drinking ban imposed on sailors [June 20, 2016]
> Drunken US sailor causes car accidents despite ‘tightened official discipline’ [June 1 & 6, 2016]
> US sailor arrested for drunken driving despite US military’s promise to tighten discipline [May 23, 2016]
> Okinawans protest alleged murder of Japanese woman by ex-US marine [May 21, 2016]
