US forces in Okinawa impose 48-hour pause after Marine arrested on suspicion of murder
US forces in Okinawa, Japan have imposed a 48-hour operational pause, a complete alcohol ban, restrictions on off-base liberty and a midnight-to-5 am curfew for one month following the arrest of a US Marine on suspicion of murder.
cumhuriyet.com.trLt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, Okinawa Area Coordinator and commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, said Tuesday that service members' conduct affects trust with Okinawa's residents and ultimately the strength of the alliance and regional security.
The announcement came after Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha’s Wakasa district early Saturday.
Police said Yagi died of asphyxiation after Ballard allegedly pressed on her neck. Ballard has denied the allegations, and the case was forwarded to prosecutors Monday.
Residents held an emergency protest rally in Okinawa City on Sunday evening, where participants observed a moment of silence for Yagi and criticized the US military's repeated pledges to enforce discipline.
Japan summoned the US envoy over the incident.
During the 48-hour period, commanders and senior enlisted leaders will lead training with all service members on standards, discipline and their responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community, he said.
"Every member of this force must understand that individual conduct has consequences," he said.
During the 30-day curfew beginning Friday, all personnel will be required to return to base by midnight and remain there until 5 am, with increased gate supervision at all Okinawa installations.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday that some aircraft training at the US Air Force’s Kadena Air Base will be transferred to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Tsuiki Air Base from Oct. 19-29 to reduce the burden on Okinawa while emphasizing that Tokyo takes seriously the significant burden borne by Okinawa’s residents.
Okinawa hosts the majority of US military facilities in Japan.
Approximately 50,000 to 55,000 US military personnel are currently stationed in Japan under the US-Japan Security Treaty, which was originally signed in 1951 and revised in 1960.