Servicemembers were ordered to stay away from two nightclubs in Sicily following several fights.
Late last month, Capt. Tim Davison, Naval Air Station Sigonella base commander, declared Macintosh in Catania and Banachers in Acitrezza off-limits to military personnel until further notice, said Lt. Steve Curry, base spokesman.
A couple of sailors’ cars were set on fire, and there was repeated fighting among sailors and Italians. None of the incidents resulted in serious injuries or arrests, Curry said.
The base asked the club owners to help with security, but incidents continued to occur, Curry said.
Sailors caught in the vicinity of the clubs, which are patrolled by base security, will face disciplinary action, Curry said.
Other Navy bases in Europe have taken similar steps.
The Havana Club in Pozzuoli, outside Naples, Italy, was ordered off-limits because of robberies and assaults in May.
The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board, which reviews off-limits orders, is meeting Monday and could decide whether to lift the ban or hold another hearing to look into the issue further, said Lt. Cmdr. Lisa Braun, spokeswoman for Naval Support Activity Naples.
In March, personnel in Rota, Spain, were ordered to stay away from La Meca.
Capt. John Orem, Naval Station Rota U.S. commander, made the waterfront nightclub off-limits to U.S. servicemembers and Defense Department employees because of “dangerous conditions” at the bar.
A memo to base personnel noted that the club had been the site of violence, drug use and underage drinking. La Meca has since changed its name to the Black Cats club, and the base lifted the restriction.
