U.S. gov't to pay compensation to family of slain Okinawan woman

According to the Defense Ministry, Washington asserts that Shinzato does not qualify as an employee of the U.S. armed forces as stipulated in the agreement, thus it is making payment in place of him on a "voluntary and humanitarian" basis.

No but you have to step up and do the right thing as he was under the SOFA.

Folks who work on base under SOFA should never be given visa status off base, they want the best of both worlds, and the US government is doing the right thing by agreeing to pay compensation to this woman's family.

@Yubaru...You nailed it mate! The visa status for all who work on the base should definitely be re-examined.

@ yubaru - he's not under sofa that's the whole point they only paid because they didn't want the bad press not everyone who goes on the base is under sofa

"Folks work on based under SOFA should never be given Visa status off base" so thousands of people and their dependents should effectively be under house arrest for their entire tour? All because of this one guy?

"They want the best of both worlds" how do you know what thousands of people want?

This is nice to hear. Even better would be if the U.S. gets out of Okinawa and the rest of Japan altogether.

Folks who work on base under SOFA should never be given visa status off base, they want the best of both worlds, and the US government is doing the right thing by agreeing to pay compensation to this woman's family.

People on base are mostly SOFA and don't get visa status. I'm not sure what you're talking about. There is no best of both worlds. SOFA status is better than a normal visa as it come with a number benefits and tax breaks. A visa is only good if you want permanent residence at some point.

As they well should, and then some.

This is nice to hear. Even better would be if the U.S. gets out of Okinawa and the rest of Japan altogether.

Yep Let this country that has a lot of prejudices agains the USA, fend for its self! Its time to relocate the troops back to the Phillipines!

Michael Jackson,

The SOFA status should be afforded only to uniformed personnel (active, reserve), civilian government employees (GS, NAF), and their families, and to contractors who fulfill emergency or mission essential roles. A contractor who provides non-essential customer service like Shizato should not be covered by the SOFA and should have to arrange their own visa status, driver's licensing, etc. Since this crime the DoD has pulled back SOFA status for many contractors who previously had it. I'm pretty sure that's what Yubaru was talking about above.

"The SOFA status should be afforded only to uniformed personnel (active, reserve), civilian government employees (GS, NAF), and their families, and to contractors who fulfill emergency or mission essential roles. A contractor who provides non-essential customer service like Shizato should not be covered by the SOFA and should have to arrange their own visa status, driver's licensing, etc. Since this crime the DoD has pulled back SOFA status for many contractors who previously had it. I'm pretty sure that's what Yubaru was talking about above" .

LOL....LOL....LOL...ROFL...then you would have to SHUT DOWN every AAFES Store in Japan, because HALF the people working in them, are SUB-Minimum wage paid US Citizens.

Basially, you'd put AAFES out of business around the world, bacause they USE that SOFA status as a way of having what amounts to a SLAVE Labor force (hence, the Sub-Minimum wage pay as opposed to Japanese citizens living in the same area(s) ) to run their business and make a MASSIVE profit.

Japanese are paid a Minimum wage according to their "Ku"...which does NOT APPLY to a US Citizen working on base....take a guess how that affects THAT person.

WA4TKG

That's valid. AAFES isn't mission essential. The low level employees shouldn't be covered by the SOFA which is meant for operational forces. Let them staff their stores with locally hired Japanese employees and dependents who are already SOFA status.

"Let them staff their stores with locally hired Japanese employees and dependents who are already SOFA status"

They already DO that...and the Japanese are paid a LIVING Wage, according to LOCAL Law, the other jobs pay so LITTLE, Dependents won't TAKE them.

Certainly sounds like AAFES has a problem with matching their HR/accounting with the available workforce, but you're irrational if you are suggesting that the SOFA should be the solution to their business problems. Bottom line, they are not mission essential. The SOFA is there to enable our military forces to operate, not ensure the same extent of shopping selections as back home.

Ar least it's a good news to Okinawa people, they still suffer of unpredictable crimes and the vast territory of American bases presence also affect their daily life.

@ yubaru - he's not under sofa that's the whole point they only paid because they didn't want the bad press not everyone who goes on the base is under sofa

Yes he was at the time of the crime, not now, as he had it removed after the murder.

"Folks work on based under SOFA should never be given Visa status off base" so thousands of people and their dependents should effectively be under house arrest for their entire tour? All because of this one guy?

You have no idea what you are talking about. T

he Status of Forces Agreement allows the military, their dependents, civilian contractors etc etc, the right to come to Japan without a visa. They are free to move about, and are covered under the sofa when incidents occur.

People on base are mostly SOFA and don't get visa status. I'm not sure what you're talking about. There is no best of both worlds. SOFA status is better than a normal visa as it come with a number benefits and tax breaks. A visa is only good if you want permanent residence at some point.

Sofa status is NOT a visa! There certainly IS a best of both worlds, as sofa allows those living off base the use of base facilities, including the commissary, medical, mail services, etc etc etc.

Franklin had a spouse visa, to live in Japan he is required to have a visa, to live here legally. When he took sofa, it was supposed to have been posted/stamped in his passport and he would lose his spouse visa status, by law they are NOT supposed to have both. But that loophole was overlooked for at least a generation.

An American who lives in Okinawa does not have those privileges. Also, there are plenty of sofa status people living here that have or had permanent residence status in Japan, are American citizens, and also live under the sofa as well.

If you live in Japan, you will understand the "best of both worlds" statement and what that means.

"The SOFA status should be afforded only to uniformed personnel (active, reserve), civilian government employees (GS, NAF), and their families, and to contractors who fulfill emergency or mission essential roles. A contractor who provides non-essential customer service like Shizato should not be covered by the SOFA and should have to arrange their own visa status, driver's licensing, etc.

Since this crime the DoD has pulled back SOFA status for many contractors who previously had it. I'm pretty sure that's what Yubaru was talking about above" .

Yes I was, and it appears that folks dont know the difference between sofa, and what a Japanese visa status is as well.

>

The Japanese Govt. pays the salaries of Japanese Citizens who work for AAFES even though they are a business.

Certainly sounds like AAFES has a problem with matching their HR/accounting with the available workforce, but you're irrational if you are suggesting that the SOFA should be the solution to their business problems. Bottom line, they are not mission essential. The SOFA is there to enable our military forces to operate, not ensure the same extent of shopping selections as back home.

Those services aren't just for military. They are for families as well. Do you want families to leave? Consider the moral factor. If moral is essential for a productive service member then services that improve moral are essential.

Sofa status is NOT a visa! There certainly IS a best of both worlds, as sofa allows those living off base the use of base facilities, including the commissary, medical, mail services, etc etc etc.

Your right. SOFA is NOT a visa. That was my point. If you are SOFA, you don't get a visa. You cannot have both. I live in Japan and there is no best of both worlds with regards to having a visa and SOFA. Unless your going a permanent residency, SOFA is the better deal, period.

Consider the moral factor. If moral is essential for a productive service member then services that improve moral are essential. 

Please let's consider it, folks have pretty damn poor moral's if they are keeping both their sofa status and Japanese visa status.

Now if you are talking about moral, that's another story. I would advise you not to use that argument with any anti-base folks, as the morale situation of the military is not their concern, especially when the military has too many as it is already. What's the need for Okuma, Chibana Golf, Kadena golf course, Kadena Marina, etc etc etc.

our right. SOFA is NOT a visa. That was my point. If you are SOFA, you don't get a visa. 

And you totally missed the point, Franklin had both, and there are plenty of others here on Okinawa with it too.

Ridiculous - US gov't did not commit the crime.

Ridiculous - US gov't did not commit the crime

No they didn't but they are by default responsible for all the men and women here in Okinawa and Japan under sofa.

The defendant was a civilian working for an internet company on the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture at the time of the crime.

He was not a US gov't employee and not here under SOFA status.

He was not a US gov't employee and not here under SOFA status.

One; He is not a defendant, he is a CONVICTED murderer.

Two; Get your facts straight, he WAS under SOFA status as a civilian working for an internet provider!

Why do people like you here, keep on insisting on passing along false information?

He was not a US gov't employee and not here under SOFA status.

One other thing, you don't have to be a government employee to have sofa status.

This is as aside question... but how is SOFA status documented for a person?  Is it stamped in their passport much like a visa?  Or is it a separate document/ID card or such?  Anyone know?