31 Comments

Agree with this synopsis from your prior reporting ...

“No one is at fault for an unexpected medical condition.”

Altitude sickness symptoms & treatment are explained here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness?wprov=sfti1

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Leave No One Behind (LNOB) ethos extends beyond USMC/USN mission, vision & values ...

https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/universal-values/leave-no-one-behind

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We stand for nothing. We have no values. Except one: Me first.

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The Leave no man behind died in Vietnam aftermath.

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Helping Lt Alkonis might alienate Biden from his political base. Lt Alkonis is a straight white male.

For that reason, Biden's base probably thinks Alkonis deserves whatever happens. Why would Mr. Biden go along with that? Cooperation is a two-way street. If the Japanese want our help vis a vis China, maybe they should rethink their interpretation of the Status of Forces agreement. Maybe we should reconsider our interpretation.

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I lived and worked in Japan for over eight years (employed by Japanese companies), and the Japanese police and legal system are backwards and barbaric. Japanese prisons are no joke, as the Japanese see incarceration as a place of punishment and not reform. There is a segment of the Japanese population who would find what happened to LT Alkonis to be wrong, but the Japanese political elites, the police and the judiciary want to make examples of US service people. Personally, I am angry that our Navy and our Government have washed their hands of this matter. Am I surprised? No. We have been squandering our moral capital for generations - systems are not infinitely elastic. Eventually the rot and decay will bring us to total ruin. We need to do the right thing here.

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Did some googling. It doesn't look good.

Anyone can read the tea leaves here.

Mrs. Alkonis' hair has been sniffed.

That'll be the extent of his involvement.

https://www.stripes.com/incoming/im3wwp-090223biden-alkonisphoto02.jpg/alternates/LANDSCAPE_910/090223BIDEN-ALKONISphoto02.jpg

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Japan has already dug their in their heels. To release the LT now would be a loss of face.

https://www.deseret.com/2023/3/3/23624758/japanese-official-denies-lee-statement-on-release-of-ridge-alkonis

In fact they complained.

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Such is the sin of empires it cares not for those that it stands on to maintain its power.

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founding

What a terrible mess. Sure hope that a way can be found to bring this man home.

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author

What is a burr in my saddle is this; Japan will do what Japan will do - but none of that should influence what his chain of command does. In the letter it appears that they not only are going to let this clear miscarriage of justice impact his career promotion potential ... but they may admin sep him for this? That is 100% in Navy senior leadership's messaging control.

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founding

I very much fear that you may well be right. I also fear that though the Navy Senior leadership may technically control the admin separation process, they take orders from above in detail, and this show is being run by State/White House.

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"See, your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who've cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you're at your weakest and most in need of their help." - Henry Hill

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Wonder if it even came up. A tragic accident. Hard to see the amount of restitution demanded and the 3 year sentence.

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Did 4 years at Atsugi. Had several run-ins with local police dealing with sailors that "crossed the line". Police were the 2nd coming of the Samurai, or so they thought. 10,000 Gomen'nasai's were not nearly enough, even on local TV stations. But the kicker was the Navy SEAL det that did a COD practice jump for the weekend airshow, a flight that wasn't supposed to go since we were battening down for a Friday night hurricane. They were blown off course and we had one in a old lady's glass greenhouse, another through a home roof, another on a car in the street, and another near a school. As the airshow director I was "responsible" even though we hadn't approved the flight. Fortunately we owned the golf course while JMSDF owned the runway. So we traded away 12 months of Saturday tee times for local bigwigs to be able to play. That taught me everything I needed to know about the Japanese mind-set. EVERYTHING will cost you.

Lt Alkonis is simply the wrong sex and color to be of value to Biden and his ilk.

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we need to put pressure on Biden and Blinken. This is cruel and unusual punishment.

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Disgusting situation. Apparently, the U.S. Government just washed its hands of this young officer!

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Nothing like quickly going from sea level to 8000ft. I started getting a splitting headache at 9000ft on Mt Fuji. I feel for the LT, but one of the things they brief you on is never sign anything until after you get help from the base.

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