NIn 2021, while stationed in Japan, Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis was driving down a mountain road with his wife, Brittany, and their three children. As he was driving, Ridge suffered a terrible case of altitude sickness that caused him to lose consciousness at the wheel, resulting in a tragic and unfortunate accidental car crash that left two Japanese citizens dead.
Japanese authorities failed to provide Ridge with the appropriate medical treatment following the crash and denied him access to a translator or legal counsel. In October 2021, Ridge was sentenced to prison with a sentence much longer than if this incident had happened in the U.S. This, despite his family’s commitment to pay the largest private gomenasai (a customary condolence payment with high value in the Japanese justice system) settlement by a U.S. service member in Japan’s history.
I learned of Ridge’s story from my friend, Jon Eubanks, whom I served alongside in the Arkansas General Assembly. His son Andrew was Ridge’s classmate at the Naval Academy and worked closely with Brittany Alkonis and many of Ridge’s supporters in the fight to bring him home. While Ridge was imprisoned, Brittany advocated every day for his return, and her commitment caught the attention of myself and that of many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Members of Congress who typically would not agree on much found ourselves rooting for the Alkonis family – a testament to the power individuals can have in making a difference.
This time last year, I hosted Brittany as my guest at the State of the Union, where she had the chance to speak directly to President Biden and urge him to help bring Ridge home. After 507 days in prison, Ridge was released and reunited with his family on January 12th, much to the credit of the work that Brittany, Ridge’s family, and others did to advocate on his behalf.
I had the opportunity to catch up with Brittany and Ridge this week while they were visiting D.C. Ridge shared that over those 507 days, he spent his time reading, learning, and finding ways to find good in the circumstances. It was incredibly inspiring that Ridge always retained sight of what was important in the face of such adversity. The Alkonis family has shown nothing but strength and resilience through this, and I’m grateful to support and know them as they continue to advocate for other military families in similar circumstances. I will be working with Ridge, Brittany, and members of Congress to force policy changes within the Department of Defense and State to make sure our federal government is advocating, with its full strength and leverage, should another service member ever find themselves in a similar situation.
