Apr 29 01:08 PM US/EasternTOKYO, April 30 (AP) - (Kyodo) — The U.S. Navy in Japan will start conducting a survey on the life attitude and mental state of about 20,000 of its military and civilian personnel in May, following a spate of crimes including the murder of a taxi driver allegedly by a Navy seaman in March, U.S. military sources said Tuesday.
Such a background check will be the first conducted by the U.S. military in Japan. After analyzing the effectiveness of the survey, the U.S. Forces Japan will examine the possibility of conducting similar surveys on members of the Air Force and Army as well as Marines, the sources said.
The move apparently reflects the U.S. Navy's bid to rein in public backlash that is expected to grow ahead of the planned deployment in August of the George Washington nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
The survey is part of the soldier management program that has been implemented by the U.S. military as a crime prevention measure and aimed at sorting out those who misbehave or have violent personality traits.
Subject to the survey will be a total of 20,000 people -- all military and civilian personnel belonging to the U.S. Navy Forces Japan as well as those of the 7th Fleet who are stationed in Japan.
Any member perceived to have a problem will be obliged to undergo counseling and other special education programs. Should no improvement be made, the person will be transferred back to the United States.
A military official has expressed expectations that the survey will help eliminate the potential cause for violent crimes.
However, another official has said the effect will be limited since hundreds of military personnel are replaced every month under a rotation deployment system.
In the survey, the Navy members will be asked via a questionnaire about their associations with friends and others in and out of their own teams, off-duty lifestyles and drinking habits, as well as experiences of illegal drugs. Psychological tests will also be conducted to examine their personalities and satisfaction about their lives.
Some questions may violate the right to privacy, but the U.S. Navy has determined that the survey is necessary as an effective step to prevent a recurrence of serious crimes, according to the sources.
The move has come after Japanese prosecutors last Thursday indicted Olatunboson Ugbogu, a 22-year-old seaman on the 7th Fleet cruiser Cowpens, for fatally stabbing the taxi driver on March 19.
Article also printed as "U.S. sailors to undergo mental check" in Japan Times, Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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