U.S. marines' move to Guam might be delayed

[FarCenter]

Satoshi Ogawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent - http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081109TDY01303.htm

WASHINGTON--The completion of the transfer of 8,000 U.S. marines in Okinawa Prefecture to Guam likely will be delayed from the initially scheduled 2014 to sometime after 2015, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The transfer, one of the core measures for the relocation of U.S. forces in Japan, also will cost more than initially expected, sources said.

According to the sources, the U.S. defense budget likely will be cut because of the financial crisis, making it difficult for the United States to allocate sufficient funds for fiscal 2010, which starts in October 2009, to complete the transfer as initially scheduled.

The U.S. government has unofficially informed Japan of the circumstances, the sources said.

Relocating the U.S. marines is currently estimated to cost about 10.27 billion dollars.

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Move them to Afghanistan instead?

[frogcycle]

1. Woah!

"Relocating the U.S. marines is currently estimated to cost about 10.27 billion dollars. "

Geez! What the heck costs so much? I'd think they'd just pick up all their stuff and go to Guam!

[Recursion]

2. You have to build a small town

Building the facilities for 8000 people and their tanks, airplanes, guns, cars, families, hobbies, etc. isn't a very cheap or fast thing to do.

[frogcycle]

7. I lived on the base at Twentynine Palms

in the 50's. When they occupied it, there was nothing. Nada. They built a few simple barracks, a PX about as big as a doublewide, two chapels, a parade ground...

When the officers and their dependents came, they built more - some really sparse quarters, a movie theater, and a swimming pool. The airstrip was that perforated metal temporary stuff from WWII. A plane landed every couple of days.

Hard to get my head around $10B

[Johnyawl]

9. docks, docking facilities, airfields...

...I was stationed on Okinawa in 1970, the infrastructure nesecary to support, and deploy, 8,000 Marines is huge.

[Recursion]

13. I was there in 2000

It's pretty built up. The military is better about meeting creature comforts nowadays -- not that I would ever call 29 Stumps "comfortable".

[neverforget]

3. They have to build the infrastructure for the Marines on Guam. I visited

Guam earlier this year and it sounds like the Marines are going to take over the uninhabited northwestern part of Andersen Air Force Base. That will cost a lot of money to build....

[FarCenter]

4. Why Guam?

Wouldn't California be cheaper?

[charlie]

6. Proximity to China

N Korea, etc. Projection of a rapid response force into the Pacific rim theater.

[FarCenter]

11. So how long would it take to move 8000 marines from Guam to China?

Compared with moving them from San Diego to China?

Presumably you airlift them?

Besides, invading China with 8000 Marines is not credible.

And in Guam, they have no value as a tripwire, i.e. they won't necessarily get killed in the first hours of a conflict and thus justify going nuclear.

[charlie]

12. I don't think

anyone has entertained the notion of invading China with 8000 Marines :)

Besides, they're not alone. There's still 100,000+ soldiers smeared all over Japan and S Korea.

If there's shenanigans in the Korean DMZ or a brouhaha erupts between China and Taiwan, I imagine the US military will want the option of a rapidly deployed presence in the area. Among other scenarios defense propellerheads are paid to think up.

Plus, it's not just the soldiers that are important to them, it's also the logistical chain. The supply chain becomes pretty thin and susceptible to disruption when it's as far away as San Diego, instead of on the Asian coast.

[Recursion]

14. The Marines' job is to take and hold advanced naval bases

Think World War II kind of stuff; a war with China (God forbid) would involve taking a lot of little islands.

[FarCenter]

15. By May 1942 the Japanese had pretty much overrun all the little islands

Including Guam on December 10, 1941.

[Recursion]

16. The point is the Marine Corps would not invade China

They'd clear the islands for the Navy.

[FarCenter]

17. But China doesn't occupy any islands except immediately adjacent to the mainland

An moving US surface ships within a few hundred miles of the Chinese coast would be suicidal in case of hostilities.

[Recursion]

18. Neither did Japan before the war

Maybe I'm missing your point; the hypothetical here is a shooting war between us and China; controlling the pacific islands would be crucial.

[virgdem]

5. We were stationed there from 91-93

and from what I can remember, they were in the process of closing down many facilities on Guam due to BRAC. I'm sure that they would have to build new facilities to house the Marines. I don't know if Camp Pendleton is still there, but it is not a large base. I would love to know if Guam has changed much in the years since we were there. I heard that they finally finished Marine Drive (the never ending road improvement project). Maybe some day, I'll be able get back to visit.

[frogcycle]

8. I was born there in '47

I expect its changed a good deal since then!

Agana was still in ruins, Japanese soldiers still living in caves...

[ben_meyers]

10. How about bring the troops home? Didn't Japan surrender

a while back, let them take care of themselves. Germany and Korea too! I understand the need for a military, but Why not spend the money here?