Tag: USFJ

I wonder how USFK would treat a similar case of theft by a civilian in a situation like this?:

On March 6, a large sum of cash was stolen from a slot machine room at the Navy’s largest base in Asia.

This wasn’t the first time money had gone missing from a Navy entertainment facility in Japan. In 2010, $67,000 went missing from a Naval Air Facility Atsugi club. Only a few civilians had access to the cash, but no one was ever arrested.

Navy officials in Japan say that while they can make it hard to steal and even harder to go unidentified, a determined thief is going to have opportunities at entertainment facilities, which are primarily operated by civilians who, unlike servicemembers, do not fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

When crime prevention among civilians fails, the question then becomes whether federal officials will prosecute them. Unless the crime is violent or particularly noteworthy, the answer is probably not.

When criminal suspects fall under the UCMJ, custody and prosecution become straightforward legal matters. If the suspect is a civilian, custody may become subject to international accords and possibly extradition agreements, which can take months or years to find their way through the courts.

Sources familiar with the March theft at Yokosuka told Stars and Stripes that a suspect is a third-country national admitted to Japan. If the suspect is still in Japan and off-base, the U.S. has no jurisdiction to make the arrest and would need assistance from Japanese authorities.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link, but if the military lacks legal jurisdiction than why was this person allowed on base in the first place?

Anyway speaking of slot machine scams, does anyone remember this case of the Korean woman who made $1.2 million signing people on to post to gamble on Yongsan Garrison?  As far as I can tell nothing happened to her either other than losing pass privileges.

There has been some pretty dramatic images coming out of Japan from the eruption of Mt. Ontake in Japan in recent days and now the US military is warning servicemembers stationed at Yokota Airbase to take precautions in case the ash falls on the base:

Military officials are warning personnel at Yokota Air Base, the headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan, to be prepared for ash fallout from an erupting volcano.

Central Japan’s Mount Ontake erupted shortly before noon Saturday, stunning more than 200 hikers who were on the popular 10,062-foot peak at the time. At least seven are listed as missing and another 40 people were injured.

The eruption spewed large white plumes of ash high into the sky. Two Jetstar flights headed to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport diverted to Kansai International Airport in western Japan as a precaution, The Associated Press reported.

Watch video of hikers overtaken by ash cloud

Yokota resdents were advised Saturday by base officials to remain indoors with pets to avoid breathing any ash that might fall.

They also were told to minimize vehicle use during periods of heavy ash fall because of reduced visibility and potential damage to air intakes. People should wear protective equipment when handling and cleaning ash fallout, officials said.

By Sunday afternoon, no ash appeared to have fallen on the base, and a number of people were outside on a warm and sunny fall day. There also was no immediate impact on Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Yokosuka Naval Base, Misawa Air Base or 7th Fleet installations, Navy officials said shortly after the eruption. (Stars & Stripes)

You can read more at the link.

I wonder which US military installation we will see closed first, Futenma in Japan or Yongsan Garrison in Seoul?

Japan will make every effort to achieve the “earliest possible” relocation of the Futenma base to the proposed site further north on the island of Okinawa, new Defense Minister Akinori Eto said Monday.

“We have to avoid keeping the (U.S. Marine Corps) Air Station Futenma in the center of Ginowan, which is densely packed with houses and schools,” Eto, 58, said in a group interview at the Defense Ministry. “Though we are fully aware of the various opinions among the local public, the only solution to avoid continuous use of the Futenma air station is its relocation to (the shores of) Camp Schwab” in the city of Nago.

Eto stressed that the ministry will be tenacious in explaining the significance and benefits of the relocation to Okinawa’s residents.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link.