The 2-Belo wrote:
> CL totally sneezed all over fj.life.in-japan with a withering cloud of snot:
> 
>> Kevin Wayne Williams wrote:
>>> The 2-Belo wrote:
>>>> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080222/ap_on_re_as/japan_us_military_1
>>>>
>>>> "The U.S. this week imposed tight new restrictions on troops, their 
>>>> families and
>>>> *civilian expatriates* [emphasis mine] in Okinawa and *elsewhere* 
>>>> [emphasis
>>>> mine], limiting them to bases, workplaces and off-base housing. The 
>>>> military
>>>> held a 'day of reflection' Friday to urge troops not to commit crimes."
>>>>
>>> It's not clear in the article if these restrictions are temporary or 
>>> permanent. If they're permanent, I feel sorry for everyone involved. 
>>> Pretty boring being restricted to base.
>> If you've never been in the military, the difference between being 
>> restricted and unrestricted is that you get to be bored in English. 
>> Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot of difference.
> 
> I'm curious to know what those guys did on their "day of reflection". I
> seriously doubt anyone was sitting seiza and getting whacked on the shoulder
> with bamboo sticks. Rather, I imagined guys in their bunks going
> fapfapfapfapfapfappityfap.

Entirely likely, but the commanders usually get the bright idea that 
cleaning the base concentrates the mind -- the old "Arbeit Macht Frei" 
gig -- so all the lower ranks get to go out and push brooms, man rakes, 
buckets, and sponges.  The lower and mid-rank officers get to man lawn 
chairs and point.  No doubt, the fast food places at the base exchanges 
made out like the bandits they are.  And, a bunch of low ranks also 
probably found out that you can get too drunk to walk for far less money 
on base but you can't get laid.

-- 
CL