Peeling decals usher in tougher ID
checks at Japan, Okinawa base gates
By Wayne Specht, Misawa
bureau chief
By Wayne Specht / Stars and Stripes
Senior Airman Scott Hansen, 35th Civil Engineering Squadron, tries to press his 2001 U.S.
Forces-Japan decal to his windshield at Misawa Air Base, Japan. A problem with the
adhesive on the face of the decals is causing the decals to prematurely peel off
windshields of many vehicles at the base. |
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Decals peeling off windshields of vehicles with base
access in Japan could fall into unauthorized hands and be used illegally, officials say.
As a result, servicemembers and civilian base workers can expect more random
identification card checks at base gates in Japan and Okinawa.
"We’re taking this pretty seriously," said Col. Albert Riggle, provost
marshal for U.S. Forces Japan at Yokota Air Base. "Clearly we’re looking at a
force-protection issue. We don’t know if it is or not, but we have to come up with a
good set of options to fix it."
"We know of no immediate solution to the problem," said Master Sgt. Eudith
Rodney, a U.S. Forces Japan spokeswomen. "It might be necessary to re-issue
them."
Riggle said word has been sent to provost marshal offices at Japan and Okinawa bases to
consider using supplementary ways to ensure only authorized personnel are allowed on base.
"We’re telling them to increase ID checks if something does not look
right," he said. "We are not recommending 100 percent ID checks; that’s up
to the discretion of commanders at each base."
Decals are issued to motorists each April when annual Japanese road taxes are paid.
Each decal carries an accountable serial number.
The decals are designed to be affixed to windshields on a virtually permanent basis, at
least for a one-year period. In previous years, a straight-edge razor blade was necessary
to remove one.
"It looks like something is wrong with the adhesive," Riggle said.
"We’re doing an assessment at what we have at this point."
"It appears to be a problem throughout the USFJ theater," said Master Sgt.
Dennis Farrell, superintendent of law enforcement for U.S. Forces Japan.
He said it is being determined if the problem is a specification issue with
Yokota’s base contracting office who placed the order for the year 2001 red decals,
or a contractual problem with the Japanese vendor who made them.
Farrell cautioned motorists to keep a close eye on the decals.
"Don’t lose them — they are accountable items," Farrell said.
"That’s by design to compare registrations with local pass and ID offices."
Motorists at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan reported decals peeling off windshields
shortly after they were issued in April.
"I was surprised it [started] to come off so quickly," said Senior Airman
Scott Hansen who is assigned to the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron. He applied his decal in
April.
"It’s supposed to last a year," he said.
He doesn’t like the idea of having to keep it on his windshield using cellophane
tape, either.
"That would make for a sticky mess," he said. "I’ll leave it as it
is, unless it falls off, then I have the paperwork showing I was issued the decal."
Riggle says he noticed a problem with the decal on his vehicle this year, too.
"I thought I got a bad one or I didn’t clean the windshield well
enough," he said.
A Misawa official said there is a security concern at the northern Honshu base.
"The problem is considered a force-protection issue because of the possibility of
transfer of decals to unauthorized vehicles," Misawa spokesman Senior Airman Todd
Lopez said.
A glance at cars and vans parked in base parking lots here confirms it isn’t an
isolated problem. Dozens of motorists are driving vehicles with the bright red decals
showing signs of peeling from the corners.
Security forces specialists at Misawa’s pass and registration section are telling
motorists to keep decals in place with cellophane tape, or heavy duty duct tape. Base
officials are studying the problem hoping to come up with a more permanent fix.
The blue year 2000 decals also had an apparent adhesive problem.
"They sure did come off easy. I discovered you could take the entire decal off
intact last year," said Farrell.
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