US troops relocating to Guam but scepticism in Okinawa lingers. And even some in the US military are unconvinced
- The move is part of a broader realignment of Washington’s military assets in the region that dates back more than 20 years but has been repeatedly delayed
The long-delayed relocation of US troops from Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture to the Pacific island of Guam could commence in October 2024 and be completed within 18 months, although the transfer has been criticised by opponents of US bases in the region and even questioned by the US military itself.
A spokesman for the US Marine Corps in Guam told Japan’s Kyodo News that about 5,000 troops based in Japan’s most southerly prefecture will be moving, with about 1,700 to be based permanently in Guam and the remainder rotating through the territory from bases in Hawaii, South Korea and Australia.
The move is part of a broader realignment of Washington’s military assets in the region that dates back more than 20 years but has been repeatedly delayed, primarily due to local opposition to the enlargement of the US Marine Corps’ Camp Schwab at Henoko, in northeast Okinawa.
A new military base is being built near Andersen Air Force Base in the northern part of Guam. The new facility is due to be completed in 2026 and will be home to 5,000 Marines and an estimated 2,400 dependents.
The local government in Guam has welcomed the timeline for the transfer.
“We have been preparing and planning for this for some time and we are working very closely with the military and our federal partners on Guam,” a spokeswoman for Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said. “That work has been underway for at least 15 years now and we are working towards the 2024 deadline.”
In an address in April, Guerrero said the military build-up would have a positive economic impact on the island and its residents, adding: “Our administration is determined to see that it is done responsibly and at a pace that will benefit and respect our local people, culture and environment.”