Once again, young military men are being stupid…
A new liberty order, promised two months ago by the top U.S. commander in Japan following alleged cases of sexual assault and attempted sexual assault by U.S. troops, takes effect Tuesday.
The order from U.S. Forces Japan bans early morning drinking in off-base establishments for all service members and spreads responsibility to every service member for policing one another’s conduct, according to a copy of the order obtained Monday by Stars and Stripes.
“Servicemembers should make every reasonable effort to prevent inappropriate or illegal activities by other Servicemembers,” the order states. “If Servicemembers are aware of such misconduct, they are to directly report such misconduct to their chain of command or other appropriate organization/office as soon as possible to do so.”
Full article, HERE from Stars and Stripes.
Two things about this concern me. One is the order to report misconduct to the COC. This is effectively making Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Soldiers subject to punishment if they DON’T report things, and also puts young enlisteds in the position of trying to determine what is and what isn’t misconduct…
The second, and more troubling, is “Commanders shall practice proactive, intrusive leadership and develop programs that foster positive behavior and accountability,” the order states. Bold is mine… There isn’t a definition of what intrusive leadership is, and trust me, THAT can very from commander to commander…and officers within commands.
This has been an ongoing issue in Japan and elsewhere for years, anytime you put young military men in an environment where young women are trying to make money off them in bars, etc. I don’t have a good answer, other than for the kids to get their s**t together and STOP doing stupid stuff!
Sigh…
Trying to get enlisted men to not do stupid things is kind of like trying to hold the tide back with a push broom. Good luck with that.
So the military is holding all enlisted in the group if one goes off with a person and gets in trouble. I do not see how that flies. If they are going to try to pin the rest of the enlisted group then they might as well nail their Chain of Command since none of them were there either.
Hey Old NFO;
This isn’t good, with this kinda environment, with group punishments, I will soon see group excursions only off base with an NCO or higher in charge, with the lower enlisted tightly corralled, this will crater morale and not foster reenlistment due to the resentment. I recall my times in the barracks as a Sp4(p) Couldn’t get promoted because of my promotion points being unobtainium in my MOS, being single and being treated like a kid at 24 years old and having joe snuffy e-1 married, living off base getting separate rats OHA and being treated like a grownup…this was crap. I will see a lot of contract marriages, or a lot of “B” girls losing a lot of business and a lot of hootch shops losing the GI money because of this edict.
Hell, back in 68 when I was in Nam if this had been the rules every officer and enlisted guy would have been reported on under these rules. Hookers and whore houses were everywhere and beer was sold on the streets by little kids in every town from Saigon to DaNang!
Okinawa…never been there , but it seems to have recurring sexual assault problems going back a few years , I’ve only been to Yokuska , not impressed , many bars had signs up saying “no Americans” . The stars and stripes article says the local population is upset, as well they should be I suppose .
I agree with the above posters, and the application of what I call the “shotgun principle/style of leadership” , wherein a shotgun is fired into the group , and the guilty get hit but so do innocent bystanders , a real morale killer , especially concerning liberty.
Liberty is the bit of time you have to use as you wish , even from 1am to 5am as this new liberty restriction applies . The majority of personnel don’t get in trouble , sometimes a meat cleaver is used when a scalpel is more appropriate for the task at hand.
I’ve never liked the “shotgun principle” style of leadership . Once I was given a good dressing down after morning quarters as an E5 (with a slight case of morning flu) after expressing myself and standing up for my guys who were being pelted with buckshot. After listening to our LPO E6 drone on and on and on about the necessity of being on time for morning quarters , I pointed out, in Naval vernacular , through my morning fog , “we are all here present and accounted for , we were here early in fact, the MF’Rs that need to hear this shit aren’t here and aren’t us ” with a few more naval expressives thrown in for good measure . Our Chief being an astute Boatswainsmate knew my comments might lead to something more, and were out of line , especially in front of e1s – e3s. He pulled me aside and away to go up the foc’sle and have a chat and a smoke . I was right in what I said and my reasons behind it , but the hangover let it come out when I should’ve buttoned my lips . It was a mild ass chewing from Chief , and later an offer from the BM1 to kick my ass , “undermine my authority” blah blah bullshit . But I felt good inside and vowed never to use the “shotgun principle” nor use use a meat cleaver when a scalpel is more appropriate . And I never did.
“This has been an ongoing issue in Japan and elsewhere for years, anytime you put young military men in an environment where young women are trying to make money off them in bars, etc.”
I suspect is has been an issue everywhere the Navy has had liberty ports since it’s formation. And I’d imagine the other branches have had similar issues from time to time.
Ah, collective punishment – how Marxist. We must make America Marxist free from sea to shining sea. It won’t solve all of America’s, but it will solve many, and make solving others easier.
All- Thanks, and I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks this won’t end well.
All part of candy ass officers and senior NCO’s ducking the unpleasant parts of being responsible for their commands. Good leaders will find a way. Though it has been 60 years or so, I remember being a semi-permanent member of our 1st Sargent’s “voluntary after duty work details”. The alternative was an Article 15.
As for the locals being offended, what is their responsibility for policing their businesses?
if they don’t want us there, don’t be. take our money elsewhere, let the chinese have them, see how they like them apples. as to em’s, i think the problem comes from no home training b4 they enlisted. we drank, we screwed up, we got busted, we learned, long before we were enlisted so very few problems.
Another nail in the coffin to destroy the military from without and within. Part of the agenda.
Fortunately, as an officer and gentleman by an act of Congress, I was never tempted to fraternize with the local females (beaver hunts). My nobility (and humility) is an endless source of wonder.
I was in Japan, we were warned the Japanese police could arrest us and there was no such thing as excessive force. Later, I was on a nuke sub back in the 80’s and we had 3 guys that were constantly on the liberty risk program, all young and all with way more testosterone than sense. Every crew will have one or more of “Those guys.” Young enlisted tend to be poor disciplinarians ashore, although blanket parties and falling down ladders tend to happen aboard. There was a time when you held your guys accountable for their stupidity. Some learn and grow up, some don’t. Most don’t even resent getting in trouble, it’s part of the price of having fun. This has been a consistent problem since the US has had bases in Japan, or anywhere. Some problems can’t be eliminated, only mitigated. In this case, leadership should hold the individual accountable.
Seriously, when has group punishment for an individual ever solved individual behavior?
Nothing new. Back about 12 or 15 so years ago I was witnessing meter tests with another Gas Company. He told me bout a guy with his company that got fired for not reporting another guys accident.
“kids to get their s**t together and STOP doing stupid stuff”
To dream, the impossible dream …
I spent a year on the Rock.
I don’t drink, and wanted nothing to do with sampling the local assortment of STDs. And I was due to get married upon my return.
So I walked from Camp Butler to Kadena on the weekends for the better PX facilities, and that was about it.
Never had any problems.
10% of any military unit belongs in the brig most days.
Some of them are officers.
Nothing new under the sun here.
As for Japan, they’ve been agitating for us to get out since the end of the Cold War. Now that we’re not protecting them from the Soviet Union, they’d rather we left.
Trouble is, between China, and Krazy Kim, they’d change their constitution and go nuclear in about 15 minutes the day after we pulled out for good.
And the rest of Asia, with long memories, wants no part of nuclear-armed Japan.
So we stay.
SOFA takes care of the idiots. The all-service SOFA in-briefing could have been entitled “Dumb squids who didn’t listen to the SOFA in-briefing”. If you want to die in prison in under 5 years for smuggling in weed or petty theft, Japan is the best place for a gaijin to do that. No one important gives a damn about the press, the optics, or Japanese public opinion. Anyone who didn’t figure out in 0.2 seconds not to eff up in Japan, unless they wanted to die there in prison is too stupid to worry about to begin with.
And if Japan gets too lippy about incidents, suddenly NPR will start hyping another book about the Rape Of Nanking, or using most of Korea as a Japanese brothel from 1935-1945, and Japan gets all quiet again.
Nothing to see here. PR boob bait for the Bubbas.