Green Beret Sees Action In Naha

[Mulboyne]

[floatr][/floatr]Yomiuri: U.S. sergeant arrested over damaging property
NAHA--A U.S. soldier was arrested Saturday for allegedly smashing the glass of a door of a restaurant in Naha with a signboard at about 3:10 a.m. that day, causing 20,000 yen worth of damage, police said. Army Sgt. 2nd Class Anderson Scott, 21, apparently was drunk and became angry because the door did not open at first when he tried to leave the restaurant, the police said. Two soldiers who ate and drank with Scott told the police he is a Green Beret stationed at Torii Communication Station in Yomitanson, Okinawa Prefecture.

[Mike Oxlong]

Right on the heels of the illegal dumping incident.

Paint balls found on Fukuchi Dam
Posted: January 11, 2007

A military watchdog group is accusing the US Army of carelessly dumping unwanted paint balls down the side of a northern Okinawa dam.

Okubo, the Secretary-General of Okinawa Peace Committee, says the Army “may have thrown out the rest of its paint balls because it couldn’t manage them after training.” He said “it’s possible the were thrown into the dam”, Fukuchi Dam at Higashi Village, and said the military should be more careful “in managing gunpowder things. It’s unpardonable that careless unlawful dumping to the water” is allowed.

Government officials say they do not know, for fact, that the paint balls are of a military origin. The paint balls used by the military as part of its combat training are blue and pink color. Those discovered at Fukuchi Dam are in an area used by the U.S. for combat training exercises.

“If the American Army did it,” says Okinawa University President Sakurai, “we need to demand explanations and pursue responsibility.” Sakurai’s background is in environmental science.

Other protests are coming from the Peace Civic Group, where representative Taira says the issue is more than simply paint balls. “It is difficult to tolerate the training itself,” he says, “even though they hint the paint balls may have been lost or left by accident.” Taira says he feels strongly that there must be more than just words promising “official discipline”.

[kurohinge1]

Right on the heels of the illegal dumping incident.

A storm in a teacup, I think.



Those things bio-degrade with moisture and are pretty harmless - you can even eat them (not that I've tried).

Read about them here.

I want to know more about the Green Berets' training - instead of thrusting bayonets into dummies do they practice throwing signs at restaurant doors?

[Mike Oxlong]

I was enjoying the irony of the Japanese complaining about illegal dumping. Gotta love those hikes, in the forest filled with rusting abandoned cars, half burned TVs, construction waste...

[Mike Oxlong]

I guess it was that green beret involved in both the window bustin' and the paintball incidents. He appears to have left some of his other toys along with the ammo...

Okinawa dams checked for dangerous objects
Date Posted: 2007-01-18

Okinawa and mainland Japanese officials are conducting detailed inspections on eight local dams to be sure they’re safe.

The move comes only weeks after approximately 500 paintballs were discovered on Fukuchi Dam. Local officials say the paintballs are used by American military personnel in training exercises. The discoveries December 5th at Fukuchi Dam also included flares and grenades.

The prefecture is checking seven additional dams in areas used by the U.S. military for training. Thorough searches of the shorelines are being conducted to be sure no dangerous objects are lying around. Kin Dam and Yamashiro Dam in Uruma City have already been checked and given a green-light as nothing bad was found.

Kurashiki Dam was being inspected this week.

Okinawa Prefecture and Higashi Village are protesting the discoveries to American military authorities, expressing concerns about water pollution from the paintballs.

Okinawa police and Japanese Self Defense Forces are now checking the dams and training sites to be sure everything meets safety standards.

via Japan Update