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[LifeofEgypt]

As an American, we hardly hear anything about our military situation in Japan. The media controls what news we hear. I have heard of occasional crimes against the Japanese people but most Americans believe these are isolated cases. How badly has the situation gotten and why do you REALLY need the U.S. in your country?

[nurizeko]

The US should never be in anyones country and the military try hard to ensure their soldiers behave and that they dont inconvenience the locals (except iraq, the yankies over there are like...odd...) but the world isnt perfect like that.

[Mike Cash]

The US should never be in anyones country and the military try hard to ensure their soldiers behave and that they dont inconvenience the locals (except iraq, the yankies over there are like...odd...) but the world isnt perfect like that.

In some places (Scotland, for example) they behave so wonderfully that some of the natives don't even know they are there.

[nurizeko]

Indeed, interesting isnt it?.

[SortOf]

If your stationed in a country thats similar to your own, or at least speaks the same language and has a similar culture there wont be as many run in's. Most U.S. soldiers probably dont understand Japan, or its culture in general, this causes insecurity, insecurity causes problems and sometimes crime.

Scottland for example is pretty much entirely an English speaking region, and isnt to different from Britain, which is somewhat similar to the U.S. Soldiers there probably feel more at home because there around people they can relate to better.

My uncle for example, during vietnam war was stationed in South Korea, him and the other soldiers couldn't understand Korean, and sometimes mixed up intentions, or couldn't tell north and south koreans apart, which caused some accidental deaths.

[nurizeko]

Scotlans is part of britain, one and the same, two nations, one country in the eyes of the world.

I think thats part of the problem, Japan obviously isnt an english speaking nation.

Still its hardly a third world war-zone, but theres almost that attitude with some servicemen and women that it deserves as little respect as iraqis.

I spose the only reason they arent like the iraqi situation is because they dont expect the japanese to start bombing them.

I guess where-ever you find large numbers of US personel, your going to have issues with poor behaviour, and in combat zones it seems some troops dont have the character to hold it together to you know, behave like a civilized human being suppousedly liberating a people.

In scotland i could probably count the US personel in my hands, and if they have their own independent facilities, i would be impressed, chances are if not their just sharing with already estalbished british military locations.

I guess in the grand scheme of things an american occupation of bases being located in a foreign country is a light touch to previous occupations throughout history but, it probably still doesnt stop the odd banging of heads and people feeling bothered by the presence.