NAHA, Okinawa — A Navy Seabee convicted on charges of hit and run involving injuries and driving while intoxicated was sentenced in Naha district court Friday to 20 months in prison, suspended for three years if she maintains good behavior.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Wendy Foster, 26, a member of a Gulfport, Miss., unit deployed to Camp Shields on Okinawa, pleaded guilty during a previous session last month.
She admitted to unauthorized driving of a military humvee while under the influence of alcohol March 16 and rear-ending an Okinawa man’s compact car on Highway 329 in the village of Henoko, near Camp Schwab, and then speeding away.
The 45-year-old man’s two sons, age 2 and 10, were treated at a local hospital for broken bones and bruises.
Foster fought back tears throughout her 20-minute sentencing session. Judge Hiroyuki Funato said her prison time was being suspended because she showed remorse and had promised not to make the same mistakes.
The crash was among a series of incidents involving U.S. servicemembers on Okinawa that received intense media coverage and resulted in strong restrictions on alcohol use for active-duty servicemembers. In June, Marine Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, the senior U.S. military commander on Okinawa, issued an order that placed a midnight to 5 a.m. curfew on off-base bars for all servicemembers, which remains in effect.
The restrictions were ramped up for all active-duty airmen Tuesday after continued DUI incidents involving airmen and the Sept. 19 arrest of an Air Force captain who punched an Okinawa police officer at the Sunabe Seawall. The officer was released Tuesday afternoon after paying a 300,000 yen ($3,500) fine. As a result of the incidents involving airmen, Brig. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, 18th Wing commander, issued an order restricting alcohol consumption for all airmen on Okinawa to their homes. The ban does not cover civilians, but the sale of alcohol at all Kadena clubs and restaurants has also been suspended for all customers.
