The transfer of US Marine Corps members to Guam has just been implemented, with plans to move more than 4,000 personnel in phases.
US Marines board a plane at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa
Kyodo News on December 14 quoted a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Defense saying that the transfer of US Marine Corps members from bases in Okinawa (Japan) to Guam (US) has just begun, according to an agreement reached more than a decade ago.
About 100 logistics personnel will be transferred to Guam by 2025, part of a plan to move more than 4,000 members to reduce the burden on communities on the southern Japanese island province.
In addition, the US also plans to transfer 5,000 Marines from Okinawa to other places such as Hawaii, the number of members in Okinawa will be reduced to about 10,000.
"A major milestone has been achieved since the relocation of the US Marine Corps from Okinawa to Guam was stipulated in the Roadmap for the Restructuring of US-Japan Relations in May 2006," according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Meanwhile, the US military said Washington and Tokyo would "continue to work together to enhance the deterrence and response capabilities of the US-Japan alliance, while minimizing impacts to local communities, including those in Okinawa".
The timing of the second wave of personnel relocation is unclear. The Japanese Ministry of Defense said the cost of moving forces to Guam is estimated at about $8.6 billion, of which the Japanese government will pay $2.8 billion.
Japan's Okinawa prefecture has 70% of the facilities used by the US military, despite occupying only 0.6% of the country's total area.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-bat-dau-qua-trinh-chuyen-4000-thuy-quan-luc-chien-den-dao-guam-185241214201915174.htm
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