Yokota personnel busted for 'Bar Row' curfew violations

[unhappycamper]

"Bar Row" in Fussa, Japan, is deserted at about 10:30 p.m. on a recent Friday night. It’s been almost four years since Yokota Air Base imposed a 1-6 a.m. restriction for the nearby entertainment district that’s been a popular hangout for U.S. servicemembers and civilians for decades. While Yokota and Fussa officials praise the curfew's effectiveness in eliminating problems linked to base community members that have persisted for years, bar owners and some airmen say it’s punishing the majority for the actions of a few bad seeds.


Yokota personnel busted for 'Bar Row' curfew violations
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, January 18, 2009

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — More than three dozen Yokota community members were found in violation of the nightly 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. “Bar Row” restriction during a random sweep of the area last weekend by senior base leaders, 374th Airlift Wing officials said Friday.

Forty-two people were discovered in the area during the curfew, according to Master Sgt. Julie Briggs, a wing spokeswoman. She said most were junior enlisted servicemembers but the group also included civilians, contractors and dependents. No one was identified.

The random check was conducted after 1 a.m. last Saturday, she added. Col. Jeff Newell, Yokota’s commander, and Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Linus Jordan were among the high-ranking officials who took part.

On Thursday, during his biweekly radio show on Eagle 810, Jordan said a “disproportionate” number of the individuals caught were noncommissioned officers. He also suggested it would damage some careers.

“The Bar Row policy is in place for the safety of our community, and violations of that standing order will not be tolerated,” he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60072