Okinawa Command Announces Restrictions After Marine Arrest

The U.S. military command in Okinawa announced a 48-hour operational pause beginning Wednesday at noon, followed by 30 days of restrictions on personnel, after Okinawa prefectural police arrested a Marine on suspicion of killing a local woman. The pause bars service members from leaving their bases and consuming alcohol, and includes training on discipline and responsibilities in the Okinawan community. Okinawa Area Coordinator Benjamin Watson’s directive sets the pause to run until noon Friday, local time. It applies to U.S. military personnel on the island. The subsequent 30-day period includes a midnight curfew. A detailed account of the directive says personnel must remain in assigned quarters, either on base or at their off-base homes, between midnight and 5 a.m. The training is to address standards, discipline, liberty policies, alcohol awareness, Okinawan culture and alliance responsibilities. The directive also calls for enhanced supervision at installation gates and a review of liberty policies and procedures. Recommendations from that review are to go to the Okinawa Area Coordinating Committee for a decision; the outcome has not been reported.