Yokosuka sailors in training, reflection period after arrest of U.S. seaman

[unhappycamper]

Yokosuka sailors in training, reflection period after arrest of U.S. seaman
By Chris Fowler and Hana Kusumoto, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, April 7, 2008

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Navy leaders said Saturday that Yokosuka sailors are undergoing a period of intense training and reflection in the wake of the arrest of the USS Cowpens Seaman Olatunbosun Ugbogu in the killing of a taxi driver.

The military needs “to think about what we need to do to assure this type of thing never happens again,” Rear Adm. James Kelly, the commander of Naval Forces Japan, said during a news conference Saturday.

On Friday, Kelly and Rear Adm. Richard Wren — commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 — visited the ward office in Shinagawa where taxi driver Masaaki Takahashi lived and worked to offer apologies. The admirals promised to make further efforts in conducting stricter training, education and preventative measures.

Shinagawa ward leader Takeshi Hamano said Saturday that the Navy should apologize and pay sufficient compensation to Takahashi’s family, the ward office said.

Wren — addressing comments by Ugbogu’s attorney that the sailor said voices told him to stab the 61-year-old Takahashi — said the Navy “would certainly examine a person if we thought he had a problem.”


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53881



uhc comment: Someone please help me out here. Exactly what are the sailors reflecting on?