Marine Corps bases in Japan ramp up sobriety checks after incidents

The Marine Corps announced sobriety checks at its Pacific installations following a pair of alleged offenses by U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

Marine bases on Okinawa, Japan, on July 12 and 13 had “100% outbound personnel and vehicle inspections along with increased inbound vehicle inspections,” a statement by Marine Corps Installations Pacific said.

“Ensure you have your ID, Tier Card and liberty buddy (as applicable), and driver’s license on hand, and be prepared for sobriety tests,” it continued.

Increased sobriety checks at Marine Corps gates started July 6 and 7, a Marine Corps Installations Pacific spokesperson told Stars & Stripes, which first reported about the inspections. It is unclear at this time, however, how long the inspections will continue.

The move came after backlash over two cases of sexual assault allegedly committed by American military personnel on Okinawa.

In an op-ed written by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Lt. Gen. Roger Turner — and shared July 11 on III MEF’s social media — the leaders expressed regret over the alleged incidents and outlined steps being taken to make improvements.

“It is clear that our current precautions and procedures do not meet the standards we have set for ourselves,” they said.

“We’re going to introduce a uniform liberty system across all branches of the military so that all soldiers, regardless of their branch, follow the same code of conduct,” they continued, making note of the strengthened sobriety checks for drivers leaving military installations on Okinawa.

No additional details about liberty changes or restrictions were available as of June 12, a U.S. Forces Japan spokesperson told Stars & Stripes. An 18th Wing spokesperson told the outlet that Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, had not instituted 100% gate checks, but was “upholding the highest standards of conduct including sobriety checks at gates.”

Marine Corps Installations Pacific, U.S. Forces Japan and the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.