# Status of Forces Agreement
Latest news and articles about Status of Forces Agreement
Total: 2 articles found
Three US Service Members in Japan Arrested in Theft Cases, Raising Local Tensions Over Base Conduct
Three US service members stationed in Japan have been arrested on suspicion of theft, including two Marines from Iwakuni suspected of a series of thefts possibly exceeding ¥10 million and a Marine in Okinawa accused of taking a patron's bag worth about ¥780,000. The incidents revive local tensions over US bases, spotlight questions of troop discipline, jurisdiction, and local accountability under the Status of Forces framework.
US Helicopter Display in Okinawa Broke Safety Rules, Killed Teacher, Military Report Finds
A US military probe found a helicopter display at Kadena Air Base in April 2025 violated safety rules and caused rotor wash that fatally injured a 60-year-old Japanese teacher. The aircraft was far closer to spectators than both the event plan and US Air Force guidance allowed, prompting admissions of planning and supervision failures and intensifying long-running local grievances in Okinawa.