Lieutenant General Benjamin Watson, commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and the highest-ranking U.S. military official in Okinawa, ordered a series of disciplinary measures following the death of a Japanese citizen, 39, allegedly at the hands of 20-year-old Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard at a hotel in Naha.
Watson announced a total ban on alcohol consumption both on and off the bases for 48 hours, a period of “operational pause” to train all personnel on “standards, discipline, and our responsibilities as members of the Okinawa community.” Military operations were suspended, and personnel were not permitted to leave the bases. Starting Friday, a 30-day curfew will be enforced, requiring personnel to return to their quarters between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
Local police reported that the victim, identified as Anna Yagi, died of asphyxiation after her neck was compressed. Ballard, stationed at Futenma Air Station, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and murder and has denied the charges. Japanese authorities lodged a formal protest with U.S. Ambassador George Glass, and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the incident “unacceptable.”
