Small Unit Moves from Okinawa to Guam

Minister of Defense, Gen Nakatani, told the mayor of Nago city, Okinawa, that the United States Marine Corp began to relocate its part of unit to Guam, according to the agreement between governments of Japan and the U.S. It was, however, only one hundred personnel out of planned nine thousand. It is just beginning of relocation plan for reducing burden of Okinawa where seventy percent of U.S. forces in Japan is concentrated.

The sentiment of anti-U.S. forces in Okinawa reached a tipping point in 1995 when twelve-year-old girl was raped by three members of U.S. Marine or Navy. The government of Japan started negotiation with U.S. to relocate Futenma Air Base, and they agreed on building alternative facility in Henoko, Nago, and relocate eight thousand personnel out of Japan. They reviewed the plan in 2012 to remove nine thousand, out of which four thousand would be going to Guam.

 

The relocation plan has been delayed due to underfunding which was decided by U.S. Congress with concern about immaturity of the plan. It took twelve years for U.S. force to start implementing the plan with one hundred personnel out of nine thousand leaving Okinawa.

 

Uneasiness of the people in Okinawa against U.S. force was not reduced during the period. An MV-22 Osprey, the aircraft about which safety concern is argued, fell down offshore Nago in 2016. In the same year, a woman was raped and killed by former employee of U.S. Marine.

 

The relocation of Futenma is also in delay. The prefectural government of Okinawa has been opposing to the landfill for building new U.S. base in Henoko, filing lawsuits against Japanese national government to halt the construction.

 

Okinawa embraces fundamental distrust against Tokyo, having a sentiment of being “sacrificed stone” by Japan. Okinawa is only land in Japan where ground battle was waged in the World War II and laid under control of U.S. for decades after the war.

 

There is no announcement about when next unit leave Okinawa. U.S. has not secured enough labor for construction of new facilities in Guam for accepting the units from Okinawa. Some residents in Guam protest to building new training ground. It is unpredictable when the move of four thousand troops to Guam will be finished.

 

Japan has financially been supporting for the relocation plan. It already funded for the cost of relocation, which amounted to 2.75 billion dollars, or 373 billion yen. According to the agreement of both governments, the share of the cost for the relocation is 5.8 billion dollar for the U.S. and 2.8 billion dollar for Japan. Japan has paid 98 percent of its mandate. In other words, Japan has paid 2.75 billion dollar for relocation of one hundred members from Okinawa to Guam.

 

Tokyo has been failing in achieving fundamental consent from Okinawa on its policy and keeps on following the global security strategy of the U.S. Problems are stemming from its incapability.