U.S. military commanders on Okinawa extended a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew for junior enlisted troops and a ban on alcohol during the same period for all personnel outside their homes, officials said this week.
The restrictions were scheduled to be lifted on Sunday but will now run through Dec. 7 and cover military personnel under the rank of sergeant. They were implemented following the Oct. 3 death of Anna Yagai, a 39-year-old resident of Naha, Okinawa.
The investigation led to the arrest of Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old U.S. Marine stationed at Marine Corps Air Base Futenma. Police in Japan said security footage and evidence at the scene linked him to the hotel room where the woman’s body was discovered.
People were interested in these podcasts
Japanese prosecutors indicted Lance Cpl. Ballard on murder and robbery charges. He has maintained his innocence.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force and the Okinawa Area Coordinator for U.S. Forces Japan, initially ordered 30 days of reflection on the island beginning on Oct. 9.
“Commanders retain the ability to establish more restrictive liberty policies within their respective commands when conditions warrant and are encouraged to clearly communicate those decisions to the force,” Gen. Watson said in a statement.
He plans to forward the results of the broader assessment and recommendations developed during the period of reflection to U.S. Forces Japan to decide whether the curfew should be relaxed after Dec. 7.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.