U.S. Marines at Camp Blaz during the opening ceremony at Asan Beach in Guam, on Jan. 26, 2023. File photo courtesy of USMC
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Approximately 100 logistics support Marines from Okinawa have arrived on Guam, launching the first phase of the troop realignment plan under a security treaty between the United States and Japan.
“Relocations will take place in a phased approach, and no unit headquarters will be moving during this iteration,” states a press release from the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters.
The lead-off detachment from III Marine Expeditionary Force, which formed part of the 5,000 troops who will relocate to Guam, is tasked with laying the groundwork on Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz to “ensure facilities are prepared for the eventual arrival of follow-on forces at a later date,” a spokesperson for the Marine Corps said earlier.
Officials said the first deployment aligned with the July 28 Joint Statement of the Security Consultative Committee, also known as "2+2", which stressed “the importance of optimizing alliance force posture to address increasing security challenges in the region.”
“Forward presence and routine engagement with allies and partners are essential to the United States’ ability to deter attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion and respond to crises in the region, to include providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief when necessary,” the USMC said.
The relocation strategy is based on a 2012 revision to the 2006 Roadmap for Realignment, which will entail the transfer of 5,000 Marines and 1,300 dependents to Guam.
Approximately 9,000 Marines will move out of Okinawa. The original agreement called for deploying all 9,000 to Guam, but a subsequent review prompted a plan amendment, requiring troop redistribution to other areas.
“Ultimately, the Marine Corps will maintain a forward presence in the Indo-Pacific through a combination of stationing and rotating Marines in Japan, Guam and Hawaii,” the USMC said.
The revised plan will send 2,700 Marines to Hawaii, 1,300 to Australia on a rotational basis, and 800 to locations in the continental United States.
“The U.S. and Japan will continue to work together to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, while mitigating the impact on local communities, including those in Okinawa,” the headquarters said.
The agreement required Japan to contribute $2.8 billion in cash to fund some of the infrastructure projects on Naval Base Guam, Andersen Air Force Base and the Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, which will be home to the relocating troops.
Japan’s share of the relocation costs also covers the construction of training sites on Guam and the Northern Marianas, which will be used for joint exercises between the U.S. Marines and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
“The U.S. government will fund any remaining costs while both governments continue to collaborate on the development of Camp Blaz, which will serve as the main installation for Marines stationed in Guam,” the USMC said.
Subscribe to
our digital
monthly edition