US Sailors in Japan Barred From Drinking, Navy Says
The ban is temporary, the Navy said in a statement.
— -- The U.S. Navy has issued a drinking ban on all sailors stationed in Japan after a car accident this weekend where a U.S. sailor was suspected of drunk driving.
The sailor, Petty Officer 2nd Class Aimee Mejia, 21, was arrested Sunday on Japan’s Okinawa Island after her vehicle caused a three-car accident Saturday night.
While Mejia was not hurt, two others were injured, said police spokesman Takashi Shirado. According to Shirado, Mejia's vehicle was driving the wrong way on a freeway when the accident occurred.
Now, the Navy has banned drinking on and off base for all 18,600 of its sailors stationed across Japan “due to a recent trend of alcohol-related incidents detrimental to the U.S.-Japan alliance,” according to a press release issued by the Navy.
It also placed a “liberty curtailment” for activities off base.
“These measures are not taken lightly,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Carter, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Japan. “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 drinking ban is temporary, according to the release. Off-base liberties will not be fully restored “until face-to-face training has been conducted” by Navy leadership.
A State Department spokesman told ABC News that Secretary John Kerry is aware of the accident and is “confident that Ambassador Kennedy and the U.S. military will work as appropriate with local authorities moving forward.”
“We are deeply concerned about accident victims. We wish them a fast and full recovery. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to them and their families,” the spokesman said.
Saturday’s car accident comes just weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confronted President Barack Obama publicly about an incident in which a former U.S. Marine was accused of killing a young Japanese woman on Okinawa.
Obama expressed his “sincerest condolences and deepest regrets” before adding, “the United States will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation to ensure that justice is done under the Japanese legal system.”
U.S. service members on Okinawa are currently observing modified liberty regulations for 30 days to “grieve collectively” over the woman’s death, according to U.S. Forces Japan.