Lt. Gen. James Bierman Jr., commander of Marine Forces Japan, has ordered a liberty policy update following a rise in misconduct by U.S. military personnel in the island nation. (Israel Chincio/U.S. Marine Corps)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The commander of Marine forces in Japan has ordered a liberty policy update following a rise in misconduct by U.S. military personnel in the island nation.

The revamp was drafted Monday by Lt. Gen. James Bierman Jr., commander of Marine Forces Japan, and released on the III Marine Expeditionary Force website the next day.

It requires sergeants and below to carry tiered liberty cards while enjoying free time in Japan. Corporals and below must have a liberty buddy with them if they plan to consume alcohol anywhere other than a U.S. military base.

A liberty buddy can be any active-duty service member, Defense Department civilian, accompanied or older family member, including a Japanese spouse, the policy states. The accompanying party is required to always remain in the immediate vicinity until the service member returns home, to the base or temporary lodging.

Marines must “take care of one another and should make every reasonable effort to prevent inappropriate or illegal activities by other service members,” the policy said. “If service members are aware of such misconduct, they must directly report the information to their chain of command or other appropriate organization/office as soon as possible.”

The new order restates the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for all Marines and sailors under age 20. All personnel are still required to refrain from drinking alcohol publicly during those hours.

The regulations replaced a previous version released by Bierman in December of last year.

Bierman’s instruction arrives as off-base misconduct by U.S. military personnel is on the rise.

Lance Cpl. Manuel Gomez, 21, a motor vehicle operator at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni near Hiroshima, was indicted Nov. 24 on charges he punched and injured an elderly Japanese woman earlier that month in Iwakuni city. Another U.S. service member was reportedly involved in a fight with a 67-year-old man following a break-in at a store in Iwakuni on Nov. 18.

In response, base commander Col. Richard Rusnok added uniformed patrols last month of the Kawashimo and Marifu nightlife areas. He told Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda by phone Nov. 18 that a policy update was also being considered.

On Okinawa, home to more than 18,000 Marines, sailors and their families, the number of U.S. service members arrested for criminal offenses, not including drunken driving or drugs, increased from 15 in 2018 to 37 in 2023, as of Nov. 1, according to the Okinawa Prefectural Police website.

In the three-tiered liberty system, tier one is the most relaxed, with no off-base curfew; tier two allows the consumption of alcohol in quarters but requires Marines to return to their home installation by 11 p.m.; tier three affords no off-base liberty, prohibits alcohol consumption and requires Marines to return to their home installations by 10 p.m.

Marines carrying liberty cards are also required to produce them and their base ID cards upon request to any command representative, regardless of rank, including courtesy patrols and gate guards, the policy states. Officers are required to produce their military issued Common Access Cards.