U.S. troops in Okinawa, Japan, will be permitted to drink alcohol during the U.S. military’s upcoming 30-day “period of reflection,” a move that follows a ban on active-duty imbibing in the wake of the death of a Japanese woman authorities allege was strangled by a U.S. Marine.
Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, was arrested Sunday in connection with the death of Anna Yagi, 39. Authorities there say Ballard strangled Yagi in a Naha hotel room Saturday and stole her personal items, The Associated Press reported.
Ballard had been based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma at the time of the alleged crimes, according to local outlets. He’s denied the allegations.
Earlier this week, the U.S. military instituted a 48-hour alcohol ban for all active-duty personnel as part of a “period of rraining,” as the military put it, which began on Wednesday and will run through Friday. The ban applies to private residences but not to civilian employees, contractors, family members or dependents.
Trending
A III Marine Expeditionary Force spokesperson, 1st Lt. Tyler Thomas, confirmed the drinking development to Stars and Stripes on Thursday.
“Standard off-duty regulations and responsible-use policies will remain in effect outside of curfew hours,” he said.
The training period includes an operational pause and mandatory discussions on off-duty behavior, enforcement mechanisms, alcohol awareness, Okinawan culture and alliance responsibilities, according to a memo written by Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, the Okinawa area coordinator and commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force.
Following the training period, a 30-day “period of reflection” will commence. It was previously unknown whether soldiers would be allowed to drink during that time.
During the monthlong stretch, troops must adhere to a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. Watson said the restrictions are to remind soldiers that “liberty is a privilege and a collective responsibility.”
The U.S. military will also undertake a review of off-duty behavior, policies and procedures as part of the reflection period. Officials will provide recommendations to the Okinawa Area Coordinating Committee for potential implementation.
In an FAQ page, the U.S. military said it is implementing force-wide measures because “incidents of this nature demand a pause for reflection. Every interaction with the people of Okinawa either builds or undermines the trust essential to our alliance.”
The U.S. military has had a presence in Okinawa since 1945. About 70% of the nation’s military presence in Japan is in the region. A bilateral agreement allows more than 50,000 American troops to be based in Japan.
However, the recent death has raised concerns regarding relations between the two countries.
In a meeting between Genta Koja, the governor of the Okinawa prefecture, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Koja asked the Japanese government to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. troops on the island, the AP reported.
According to the Okinawan newspaper Ryukyu Shimpo, between 1972 and 2023, 6,124 U.S. military members were arrested for criminal offenses — 759 of those for crimes such as murder, robbery and sexual assault, according to a 2024 police report obtained by the outlet.
“Okinawa has requested preventive measures every time similar crimes were repeated in past, and now we have this case again,” Koja told Takaichi in front of reporters.
Author
