By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – U.S. and Japanese officials announced
yesterday the two nations have agreed on a plan to relocate U.S. Marines from
Okinawa to Guam.
The joint statement of the U.S.-Japan
Security Consultative Committee spells out unit moves, land and facilities on
Okinawa the United States will return to the Japanese government, and the costs
each government will pay for the relocation.
The joint statement is the latest result
of negotiations between the two countries dating to the 2006 Realignment
Roadmap and the 2009 Guam International Agreement. The two nations issued a
joint defense posture statement in February that “delinked” the two agreements
so parts of the relocation plan could move forward more quickly.
“I am very pleased that, after many
years, we have reached this important agreement and plan of action,” Defense
Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in a statement yesterday. He praised Japanese Defense
Minister Naoki Tanaka for “spearheading discussions” leading to the joint
statement.
“We will work closely with our partners
in the Japanese Self Defense Force to implement these decisions and to further
improve this vital alliance of ours,” the secretary added.
Panetta said he looks forward to
strengthening the two nations’ partnership “as, together, we address security
challenges in the region.”
During a Pentagon background briefing to
reporters yesterday, senior State and Defense Department officials outlined the
agreement.
About 9,000 Marines will relocate from
Okinawa, with about 5,000 moving to Guam and the rest transferring to other
locations in the Pacific such as Hawaii and Australia, the defense official
said.
The Marines will be organized in
air-ground task forces, which combine command, ground, air and logistics
elements that can deploy and operate as a unit.
“This new posture that we've created
results in a more operationally effective presence across the region,” the
defense official said.
“In the end, we are sustaining the same
presence in the Western Pacific that we've intended for some time,” the
official added.
About 10,000 Marines will remain on
Okinawa when the relocation is complete, the official said.
The agreement also sets Japan’s funding
for the move to Guam at $3.1 billion of the overall $8.6 billion estimated
cost, the defense official added.
“We're particularly appreciative of this
commitment in the context of Japan's fiscal challenges, which we fully
recognize,” the official added.
One element of the agreement involves
possible development of joint training ranges in Guam and the commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands as shared-use facilities for U.S. and Japanese
forces, the official said.
The State Department official said the
plan will result in a stronger, more sustainable and more flexible alliance.
“This is really a key component of our
strategic rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region,” the official said. “As
you know, one of the key aspects of that is strengthening partnerships with
regional allies, and of course Japan is a very important alliance partner.”
The official said the agreement
reaffirms both nations’ commitment to relocate Marine Corps Air Station
Futenma, now in the center of Okinawa’s Ginowan City, to a more remote area of
the island. Until the Futenma relocation happens, both governments will share
the cost of maintaining the existing facility, the official added.
The Japanese government will determine
the timeline for the Futenma move, the State Department official said, noting
the U.S. focus for Okinawa is sustaining an operationally effective Marine
Corps presence there.
The defense official said U.S.
representatives are “delighted” at the agreement.
“We think it's a significant achievement
that demonstrates that the U.S.-Japan alliance is still capable of big things,”
the official said.
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