Guam’s US Military Buildup
August 25th, 2007 . by JetmanGuam - The Next Subic Bay / Clark AFB?
I think this concept is a winning idea. Having a superbase on Guam brings forward deployed reaction forces into the Pacific Rim much closer to potential 21st Century conflicts.
Adding deep water port capability and a shipyard to repair damage would bring the Navy into the picture like it hasn’t had since Subic was closed fifteen years ago. Damaged warship repair capability would be critical in a China / US conflict.
Quoted from Guam hosts talks on military buildup:
The U.S. and Japanese governments plan to spend a combined $10 billion moving 8,000 Marines to Guam from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa by 2012.
The Navy and Air Force also plan infrastructure upgrades on Guam that are expected to cost about $5 billion.
The buildup comes as the U.S. military looks to Guam to play a bigger role in U.S. defense strategy, given the isle’s proximity to potential security flashpoints in Taiwan and the Korean peninsula.
Over the past few years, Guam has slowly become more of a center of US military operations. Why not - it’s closer to Korea, the Philippines and China / Taiwan, and the Japanese are probably much happier without US servicemen on their soil.
Get Some
I recall the recent Ted Koppel GWOT / Iraq documentary which mentioned that Guamanian National Guardsmen were involved heavily in the Ethiopian Army training just prior to the Ethiopia / Somalia conflict that kicked the Islamists out of Mogadishu. Get some, Guardsmen.
Additionally, check out this Stars and Stripes article, enhanced by the US Pacific Command’s sidebar:
Details on military’s plan for Guam expansion coming soon:
The Guam Integrated Military Development Plan will set the stage for military buildup, strategies and lifestyle on the island for years to come, according to Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Leaf, deputy commander of Pacific Command.
Once approved by commander Adm. William J. Fallon, the plan will serve as a blueprint on how U.S. Air Force and Navy forces are to grow to complement the arrival of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa, Leaf said.
…The development plan will include more information about sites for operational units, estimates of military housing and infrastructure needs. Leaf said it also will include an introduction of “joint-basing” on Guam in which different branches of the military will share such support services as health care and family services to save money.
Great supplemental analysis from Military Thoughts:
Consider the scope of this expansion IN ADDITION to the Marine brigade:* “the Navy might station as many as six additional nuclear submarines at the island, already home to three subs.”
* “the Air Force plans to station some of its F/A-22 fighter jets on the island”
* “three massive Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles”
* [an] “aircraft carrier, which would bring with it roughly 5,000 sailors on the carrier and an associated air wing.”
Bottom line, Guam is going to figure large into our forward strategy.
