U.S. Military Forward Presence in Okinawa, Japan

Abstract

The U.S. military maintains a strong forward presence in the Asia-Pacific Region with roughly 35,000 personnel in Korea and 48,000 in the Japanese Islands. Of the 48,000 stationed in Japan, over 26,000 are in Okinawa. What makes that figure 50 significant? Okinawa comprises roughly 1% of the total land area of Japan, yet it plays host to the largest percentage of U.S. forces. Okinawa's geographic location, host nation support, and infrastructure make it vitally important for U.S. forward presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The purpose of this paper is to review the strategic importance of our bases in Okinawa, briefly discuss the current policy under the 1996 SACO accords, analyze the current courses of action that are available, and finally make recommendations on future U.S. policy towards Okinawa.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 07, 2003
Accession Number
ADA415741

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  • John C. Wiilhelm

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  • United States Army War College

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