MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- After three weeks of liberty restriction, Marine Corps Air Station Order 1050.5 was rescinded Wednesday. All service members aboard the Station are now allowed off-base between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Orders regarding liberty buddies, off-duty attire and liberty limits are still in place.
"In November of 2003 the word was passed through your leadership aboard MCAS Iwakuni that another incident involving Japanese persons or property would force me to place limits on liberty," said Col. Dave Darrah, Station commanding officer.
"For almost two months, MCAS Iwakuni was incident free. However, poor judgment exhibited by one of our servicemen compelled me to impose restrictions on off-base liberty."
During the restriction, not a single incident occurred.
"I hope that it stays that way," said Sgt. Maj. David Allison, Station sergeant major. "We needed a wake up call, and hopefully this has given people time to reflect."
Darrah also noted that with the lifted restrictions comes a responsibility shared by every service member.
As individual ambassadors to Japan, each person's behavior reflects not only the United States military, but the country itself.
"You have to look at yourself as a guest," said Allison. "Treat these people as you would if you were a guest in someone's house, and you will get treated fairly in return."
Alcoholism was a factor in nearly every incident during the past year.
"If you exhibit poor judgment when you drink, then stop drinking," said Darrah. "Being drunk is no excuse for disruptive, violent behavior. If you see a fellow Marine, Sailor, Soldier, or Airman starting to cause problems, don't ignore the situation, but take charge and defuse it before it could escalate into an international incident."
According to Darrah, whether or not these restrictions are reimposed depends on the actions of every individual aboard the Station.
"If these incidents continue to occur, we stand a chance of losing even more off-base privileges," said Allison. "We have a mission here, and we can't forget it.
From the colonel to the private, every Marine shared the consequences of irresponsible actions. Likewise, every Marine now shares a responsibility to keep each other accountable.
"The majority of our service members know how to conduct themselves," said Allison. "But we can't predict who the next knucklehead will be. This has hopefully opened up everybody's eyes."