The U.S. military in Okinawa, Japan, is imposing a 48-hour operational pause that bans off-base liberty and requires additional training after a Marine was arrested on suspicion of killing and robbing a woman.
Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, the Okinawa area coordinator and commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, said in a letter Tuesday that the incident “demand[s] we pause for reflection.” He added that serving on the island “comes with responsibility.”
“We speak often about standards and discipline. Standards are what we expect, and my standards are clear: be accountable for your actions; do the right thing, especially when no one is looking; and always be guided by our core values that govern our conduct at every rank,” Watson wrote.
“We live, work, and socialize alongside the people of Okinawa; their home is our home. Every interaction with our neighbors either builds or undermines the trust that is essential to our team. When that trust is damaged, it affects the strength of our alliance and the security of this region. Accordingly, we will take time to think hard about discipline, standards and our alliance responsibilities,” Watson added.
U.S. MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft are parked at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, on the main island of the Okinawa archipelago, southern Japan, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
The Marine’s arrest has fueled protests over the extensive U.S. military presence on the southern Japanese island and renewed concerns about crimes involving military personnel.
Japanese officials have formally protested to the U.S. government. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned U.S. Ambassador George Glass, seeking cooperation with the investigation, tougher discipline for U.S. personnel and steps to prevent similar incidents.
The killing could complicate Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s efforts to strengthen Japan’s military presence in Okinawa while deepening cooperation with the U.S. military to deter China.
The operational pause will run from Wednesday through Friday. During that time, service members will be barred from off-base liberty and alcohol use. Military leaders commonly impose such restrictions after serious crimes, limiting troops’ movement away from bases and contact with the surrounding community.
Watson said service members will undergo instruction on standards, discipline and “our responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community.”
“This Period of Training will include discussions on liberty policy, enforcement mechanisms, alcohol awareness, Okinawan culture, and alliance responsibilities. Every member of this force must understand that individual conduct has consequences,” he said.
The training will begin Friday, followed by a 30-day “Period of Reflection,” Watson said.
Devin Jacob Ballard, a U.S. Marine who has been in custody in connection with the alleged robbery and murder of a woman on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, is sent to the Naha prosecutors’ office in Japan, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Kotaro Ueda/Kyodo News via AP)
During the reflection period, military personnel will face “restrictions on liberty” intended to reinforce that “liberty is a privilege and a collective responsibility.” The measures will include a curfew and closer supervision, Watson said.
“Liberty is a mission, and like any other mission it requires discipline, trust and teamwork to complete it successfully,” he said. “Take care of your teammates. Hold one another accountable. Live up to the high standards that come with the uniform you wear.”
Okinawa prefectural police said they arrested Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station. He is suspected of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha, the island’s capital, early Saturday and taking her wallet and backpack.
Ballard has denied the allegations.
Security camera footage showed a man entering the hotel with Yagi and later leaving by himself.
A person looking out at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Kakazutakadai Park in Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture. (PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)
Ballard was arrested later Saturday after a patrolling officer saw him walking through an entertainment district in Okinawa City, about 15 miles northeast of Naha. Kyodo News reported that his shaved head and arm tattoos matched those of the man captured in the security footage.
People in Okinawa have long opposed the heavy U.S. military presence on the island, although some have acknowledged its strategic benefit due to what is seen as a growing threat from China.
Okinawa was under U.S. occupation from World War II until 1972. Now, the U.S. population on the island is nearly 80,000, with nearly 30,000 being active duty troops from all four branches of the armed forces. The Marines make up most of the service members on the island.
A rise in crime linked to U.S. military-related personnel has led to renewed protests on the island. The number of criminal cases involving U.S. military-related personnel rose from about 40 in 2020 to 101 in 2025, according to Okinawa prefectural police.
After three U.S. service members raped a 12-year-old girl in 1995, huge crowds protested the U.S. military presence on Okinawa. There was also frustration over a U.S. service member’s rape of a teenage girl in 2024 and the delayed disclosure of the case.