The commander of the U.S. forces in Japan vowed Monday the military will ensure that servicemen and women exhibit "unwavering professionalism" and "the highest-standards of behavior."
Lt. Gen. Edward Rice Jr., who took command in February, made the pledge before the media in Tokyo in the wake of high-profile alleged crimes by U.S. servicemen, including the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Okinawa and the March robbery-murder of a cabby in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
"The vast majority of tens of thousands of U.S. service members and their families who are stationed and live here in Japan conduct themselves in a way that we are proud of, and I know that," Rice said at Japan National Press Club.