Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments

Abstract

Since 2000, the U.S. military has been building up forward-deployed forces on the westernmost U.S. territory of Guam to increase U.S. operational presence, deterrence, and power projection for potential responses to crises and disasters, counterterrorism, and contingencies in support of South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, or elsewhere in Asia. Since 2006, joint exercises based at Guam called Valiant Shield have boosted U.S. military readiness in the Pacific. The defense buildup on Guam has been moderate. China has concerns about Guam s buildup, suspecting it to be directed against China. There has been concern that China and North Korea could target Guam with missiles. The People s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has increased activities in waters around Guam. Still, Guam s role increased in engaging with the PLA. In 2006, the United States and Japan agreed on a Realignment Roadmap to strengthen their alliance, including a buildup on Guam to cost $10.3 billion, with Japan contributing 60%. Goals were to start the related construction on Guam by 2010 and to complete relocation of about 8,000 marines from Okinawa to Guam by 2014. In Tokyo on February 17, 2009, the Secretary of State signed the bilateral Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan Concerning the Implementation of the Relocation of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Personnel and Their Dependents From Okinawa to Guam that reaffirmed the Roadmap of May 1, 2006. However, the marines relocation will not occur by 2014. The original realignment actually would have involved more than moving 8,000 marines to Guam. Japan s dispute over the location on Okinawa of the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) to replace the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma raised implications for the relocation of marines from Okinawa to Guam. Nonetheless, despite the dispute over the FRF, Japan has budgeted for its contributions to the marines relocation to Guam.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 15, 2013
Accession Number
ADA589626

Entities

People

  • Shirley Kan

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Boats
  • Defense Planning
  • Department Of State
  • Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles
  • Marine Transportation
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Navies (Foreign)
  • Navy
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • Treaties
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Cognitive Aging in the Guam and Border Populations Affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Tau-Associated Dementias.