Following a fatal traffic accident in Okinawa, the U.S. military in Japan has restricted all U.S. service members on Okinawa to base and their residences.

In addition, the U.S. military said in a statement Monday that service members on Okinawa and mainland Japan are prohibited from “purchasing or consuming alcohol, on or off base.”

Police in Okinawa are investigating a fatal traffic accident, involving a U.S. Marine.

The U.S. military said in the statement that “alcohol may have been a factor” in the accident.

Police say a 61-year-old man died when his vehicle and the serviceman’s truck collided.

Kazuhiko Miyagi of the Okinawa police confirmed Sunday that the Marine’s breath test indicated an alcohol level three times the legal limit.

The Marines have expressed their “sincere condolences” to the victim’s family and have promised to cooperate with the investigation.

The names of the two drivers have not been released.

The U.S. has a number of military bases in Japan with tens of thousands of U.S. troops. Many of the troops are stationed on Okinawa, where there has been longstanding opposition to their presence.

According to the military statement, all U.S. service members and government civilians in Japan will be required to attend “mandatory training to address responsible alcohol use, risk management and acceptable behavior.”

“When our service members fail to live up to the high standards we set for them, it damages the bonds between bases and local communities and makes it harder for us to accomplish our mission,” the statement said.

The U.S. military is in Japan as part of a joint security treaty. [Read More]

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Source: VOA News: Education