US troops involved in Keen Sword exercise can’t drink alcohol, Japan says

American troops taking part the large-scale Keen Sword exercise across Japan cannot drink alcohol and face limits on outings, following the arrest of a Marine suspected of killing an Okinawa woman.

U.S. service members participating in the Keen Sword exercise cannot drink alcohol and face limits on outings, regardless of where they are in Japan. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. George Rowell, deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Command, speaks during the Keen Sword opening ceremony on Ishigaki Island, Japan, on Oct. 19, 2026. (Gerardo Mendez/U.S. Marine Corps) TOKYO — American troops taking part in large-scale drills across Japan cannot drink alcohol and face limits on outings, following the arrest of a Marine suspected of killing an Okinawa woman. The rules apply to U.S. service members participating in the Keen Sword exercise regardless of where they are in Japan, according to an Oct.

22 notice from the North Kanto Defense Bureau, an arm of the country’s Ministry of Defense. The drills, which began Oct. 19 and run through Oct. 29, bring together about 56,000 U.S. and Japanese personnel, along with forces from seven partner nations, training to defend Japan. Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, was arrested Oct. 4 on suspicion of killing and robbing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa’s capital. He has denied the allegations, according to police, and had not been formally indicted as of Saturday morning. The bureau’s notice said Japanese defense officials had repeatedly asked U.S. commanders to keep off-duty outings to a minimum during