U.S. Marines Begin RelocationOkinawa to Guam After Years of Negotiations
The transfer aims to reduce Okinawa's burden while maintaining regional security, with 100 Marines starting the first phase of a broader Pacific realignment.
- The initial relocation involves 100 logistics Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force moving to Guam, as part of a broader plan to transfer 9,000 Marines from Okinawa.
- The agreement, first reached in 2005 and finalized in 2012, seeks to alleviate Okinawa's disproportionate hosting of U.S. military personnel, which has long been a source of local grievances.
- Okinawa hosts over half of the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan, despite making up only 0.6% of the country's land area, leading to complaints about noise, pollution, and incidents involving American servicemembers.
- Japan has contributed $2.8 billion to the development of infrastructure at U.S. bases in Guam, with the U.S. government covering the remaining costs, including Camp Blaz, the new Marine Corps facility.
- The relocation comes as tensions in the Indo-Pacific region rise, particularly over Taiwan, with the U.S. maintaining its commitment to a free and open Pacific through a mix of stationed and rotating forces.
Associated Press 
The Japan Times 
CNA 