US Military Halts Okinawa Ops, Bans Alcohol After Marine Arrest
Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, Okinawa Area Coordinator and commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, announced the measures Tuesday. He said troop behavior directly shapes trust among Okinawa's residents, and with it the strength of the alliance and regional security.
The crackdown follows the arrest of Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in the early-Saturday death of Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha's Wakasa district. Police said Yagi died of asphyxiation after Ballard allegedly pressed on her neck. Ballard denies the allegations. Prosecutors received the case Monday.
Anger spilled into the streets Sunday evening, when residents gathered in Okinawa City for an emergency rally. Participants observed a moment of silence for Yagi and condemned what they described as the US military's repeated pledges to enforce discipline. Tokyo has summoned the US envoy over the incident.
During the 48-hour pause, commanders and senior enlisted leaders will train every service member on standards, discipline and their responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community, Watson said.
"Every member of this force must understand that individual conduct has consequences," he said.
The 30-day curfew takes effect Friday. All personnel must be back on base by midnight and stay until 5 am, and gate supervision will be tightened at every US installation on Okinawa.
Separately, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday that some aircraft training at the US Air Force's Kadena Air Base will move to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Tsuiki Air Base from Oct. 19-29. The shift is meant to ease the load on Okinawa, he said, stressing that Tokyo takes seriously the heavy burden its residents bear.
Okinawa hosts most of the US military facilities in Japan. Roughly 50,000 to 55,000 US troops are stationed in the country under the US-Japan Security Treaty, signed in 1951 and revised in 1960.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
