The Marine Corps is banning alcohol for 48 hours and implementing a curfew for the next month for Marines on Okinawa after a lance corporal was arrested in connection with the death of a local woman.
From Wednesday to Friday, the Marine Corps is banning alcohol consumption on or off base and limiting liberty. For those 48 hours, the service will institute a pause in all operations on the island while senior leaders conduct training on standards and discipline, liberty policies, alcohol awareness, and “our responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community,” Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, the commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, wrote in an Oct. 6 memo confirmed by Task & Purpose.
Then, starting on Friday, the Marine Corps will have a 30-day “Period of Reflection,” which will extend liberty restrictions with a curfew that requires Marines to be at home, either on or off base, between midnight and 5 a.m.
“Serving on Okinawa comes with responsibility. We live, work, and socialize alongside the people of Okinawa; their home is our home,” Watson wrote. “Every interaction with our neighbors either builds or undermines the trust that is essential to our team. When that trust is damaged, it affects the strength of our alliance and the security of this region. Accordingly, we will take time to think hard about discipline, standards, and our alliance responsibilities.”
The new restrictions come after Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard was arrested by Japanese authorities Sunday on suspicion of robbing and murdering Yagi Anna, a Japanese woman in Okinawa. Ballard is assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is located in the northeast part of Naha, the capital of Okinawa.
According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the 39-year-old woman was killed by suffocation in a hotel on Saturday, and her wallet and backpack were stolen. Ballard, 20, was arrested Sunday after Japanese police said security camera footage showed a man entering the hotel with Anna and leaving alone.
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will continue to ensure full cooperation with Japanese authorities throughout the investigation,” Watson wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends. Incidents like this demand we pause for reflection.”
The service is also reviewing its liberty policies and making recommendations to the local committee that coordinates policies for U.S. forces stationed on Okinawa. Watson said the service will also have enhanced supervision at gates across its Okinawan installations.
“Take care of your teammates. Hold one another accountable,” Watson wrote. “Live up to the high standards that come with the uniform you wear. That is what I expect — and what our Nation and our Allies rightly expect of us.”
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