JGPO: No secrets
But official admits to withholding information
Friday, 22 May 2009 03:19
by Jude Lizama
Variety News Staff
CAPTAIN Ulysses O. Zalamea, deputy director of the Joint Guam Program Office, admitted yesterday that there are components of the master plan for the military buildup that are being withheld from the public but he was quick to clarify that such decision has nothing to do with national security or secrecy.
“We have this massive plan that we are developing, as we are doing the environmental impact statement. We have not fully released the massive plan to the public,” Zalamea said during his presentation on “Guam Strategic Military Realignment Program Update” before the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort yesterday.
Zalamea said the JGPO has identified the items that have not been released to the public, but he stressed that “It’s not because of national security, but because our plan is not complete.”
He said JGPO wants to be cautious with releasing information but “not because we are keeping secrets.”
“If we release a plan that is not complete then we will lead the public to make wrong conclusions and wrong assumptions. We just want to make sure that whatever we release is accurate and correct. At this point, most of the things we’re doing are still in the planning stages,” Zalamea said.
Master plan
JGPO’s “Guam Joint Military Master Plan” involves details of the relocation of Marines and their family members from Okinawa to Guam. It also provides for the establishment of a pier for transient [nuclear powered aircraft carriers], and the positioning of an Army Air and Missile Defense Task Force on Guam.
The plan is to continue to establish an intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance hub on island, and to continue other Department of Defense programs to improve force readiness and quality of life.
Over $1 billion is projected for fiscal year 2010 buildup.
“We want the community to understand what we are doing because if they don’t know what we are doing, they will be questioning our intent and purposes. If they are informed, then they can make better decisions for their lives,” Zalamea added.
“For us, it’s very important that the people of Guam are aware what we’re doing and what we’re planning to do. When the Marines show up, we’ll be part of the community. We want to be good neighbors,” he added.
Zalamea began his presentation by stating that “careful analysis of assets, capabilities and requirements,” helped the U.S. military to choose Guam as the “preferred location to relocate Marines from Japan.”
Stragetic location
GHRA members also listened to Zalamea’s emphasis on the island’s strategic importance.
“It would take a ship from San Diego traveling at 16kn [knots], 16 days to get to Taiwan, from Hawaii, 12 days, But from Guam, only four days,” he said.
“It would take a C-17 aircraft 13 hours to fly from the west coast to Taiwan, from Hawaii, almost eight hours, but from Guam, three hours and 20 minutes. The strategic location of Guam is very important,” he added.
The island is less than 2,000 nautical miles from locations like Seoul, Korea; Manila, Philippines and Taiwan, whereas it would take approximately 3,778NM to reach Seoul from Alaska, and 5,682NM to reach Japan from San Diego.
By 2014, JGPO forecasts a dramatic increase in active duty members and their dependents from 14,000 to 38,000.
New influxes of active duty members will come by way of 8,000 Marines, a U.S. Army Battalion consisting of 630 AD members, and 240 AD members from the U.S. Coast Guard. A combined total of 10,130 Marines, Army and USCG dependents will add to the island’s population.
“We have monthly meetings with the governor. We brief the senators on a regular basis. We talk to the mayors on a regular basis. On our plan, we are doing something to reach out to the government of Guam and the community in general,” said Zalamea on JGPO’s community outreach efforts.
“I think it has produced a good healthy dialogue, especially with the mayors because they are in touch with what’s going on with the community. They have given us advice on how to proceed. For me, that has been the most beneficial,” he added.
Showing posts with label Planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Planning. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Expansion Planes Outlined for Military on Guam
Official outlines Guam expansion plans
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Navy communications base at the northern end of Guam will be the new headquarters for 8,000 U.S. Marines headed for the island in coming years, according to the retired general in charge of directing the military expansion.
The base — Naval and Communications Station Guam — will eventually be home for much of the housing, administration and operations buildings for the III Marine Expeditionary Force, scheduled to move from Okinawa starting in 2012, according to retired Marine Maj. Gen. David Bice.
“We would expect the first elements could arrive in 2012,” said Bice, the executive director of the Joint Project Office. “The goal is to have the full operational ability in 2014.”
Bice was on the island last week to meet with local leaders and to narrow down a list of “preferred alternative” sites for the future homes, schools, training areas and other facilities needed for the nearly 40,000 new military personnel and family members planned for Guam.
The overall plan, still awaiting budget approval from Congress, includes the Marines from Okinawa as well as expanded Army and Navy units on the island.
Army officials also were on Guam last week to look for a future home for an air defense station, Bice said during a telephone interview.
It’s still uncertain whether the military can complete the total expansion within its existing footprint on the island, Bice said. The Marines’ training ground will likely be on “Anderson South” a part of Andersen Air Force Base on the northern end of Guam.
But other needs could fall outside current fence lines, he said.
“We’re still evaluating what, if any, additional functions that might not necessarily fit on DOD properties,” Bice said. “It’s kind of like a puzzle.”
For example, the military may need additional land to create more ranges, which require a buffer zone between the firing area and civilian property.
Military officials are also working to determine larger training sites throughout the Marianas, Bice said. Training areas on the nearby islands will support the Marines on Guam, but will also be training sites for troops from Okinawa, Alaska, Hawaii and other countries, Bice said.
Bice’s office will offer a draft master plan in March, followed by a working-level plan next summer.
The goal is to have engineering plans firm by February 2009, the beginning of budget planning for fiscal year 2010, he said.
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Navy communications base at the northern end of Guam will be the new headquarters for 8,000 U.S. Marines headed for the island in coming years, according to the retired general in charge of directing the military expansion.
The base — Naval and Communications Station Guam — will eventually be home for much of the housing, administration and operations buildings for the III Marine Expeditionary Force, scheduled to move from Okinawa starting in 2012, according to retired Marine Maj. Gen. David Bice.
“We would expect the first elements could arrive in 2012,” said Bice, the executive director of the Joint Project Office. “The goal is to have the full operational ability in 2014.”
Bice was on the island last week to meet with local leaders and to narrow down a list of “preferred alternative” sites for the future homes, schools, training areas and other facilities needed for the nearly 40,000 new military personnel and family members planned for Guam.
The overall plan, still awaiting budget approval from Congress, includes the Marines from Okinawa as well as expanded Army and Navy units on the island.
Army officials also were on Guam last week to look for a future home for an air defense station, Bice said during a telephone interview.
It’s still uncertain whether the military can complete the total expansion within its existing footprint on the island, Bice said. The Marines’ training ground will likely be on “Anderson South” a part of Andersen Air Force Base on the northern end of Guam.
But other needs could fall outside current fence lines, he said.
“We’re still evaluating what, if any, additional functions that might not necessarily fit on DOD properties,” Bice said. “It’s kind of like a puzzle.”
For example, the military may need additional land to create more ranges, which require a buffer zone between the firing area and civilian property.
Military officials are also working to determine larger training sites throughout the Marianas, Bice said. Training areas on the nearby islands will support the Marines on Guam, but will also be training sites for troops from Okinawa, Alaska, Hawaii and other countries, Bice said.
Bice’s office will offer a draft master plan in March, followed by a working-level plan next summer.
The goal is to have engineering plans firm by February 2009, the beginning of budget planning for fiscal year 2010, he said.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Feds on Island to Evaluate Military Infrastructure
Feds on island to evaluate future military infrastructure
By Steve Limtiaco
Pacific Daily News
slimtiaco@guampdn.com
12/6/07
Federal officials coordinating the military buildup on Guam are meeting this week to discuss various options for the location of barracks and other new military buildings on the island.
Marine Maj. Gen. David F. Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, is on island to meet with engineers as part of the military's master planning process.
The military has announced plans to transfer 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam and to expand Air Force and Navy operations here, resulting in about $15 billion in projects.
The NCTAMS area of Dededo has been identified as the site of a new Marine Corps base.
"We're doing our preferred alternatives/footprint analysis," Bice said yesterday. "This is basically, 'Where do certain buildings go? Where do functional areas go within the locations here on Guam?'"
Bice said the master planning process started during the summer, and master planning engineers have received information from scoping sessions and ongoing environmental studies. They are deciding where to place military housing, training areas and aircraft, among other things.
Bice said several alternative sites were being considered, and have been narrowed to "preferred alternatives."
"Now, we will be doing site-specific analysis of those preferred alternatives," Bice said. "Where do you put the hangar? Where do you put administrative buildings? Where do you put barracks?"
A draft master plan will be complete by next March, and a working-level master plan will be complete by July, Bice said. He said all of the plans will remain "working level" until the environmental studies are completed.
By Steve Limtiaco
Pacific Daily News
slimtiaco@guampdn.com
12/6/07
Federal officials coordinating the military buildup on Guam are meeting this week to discuss various options for the location of barracks and other new military buildings on the island.
Marine Maj. Gen. David F. Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, is on island to meet with engineers as part of the military's master planning process.
The military has announced plans to transfer 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam and to expand Air Force and Navy operations here, resulting in about $15 billion in projects.
The NCTAMS area of Dededo has been identified as the site of a new Marine Corps base.
"We're doing our preferred alternatives/footprint analysis," Bice said yesterday. "This is basically, 'Where do certain buildings go? Where do functional areas go within the locations here on Guam?'"
Bice said the master planning process started during the summer, and master planning engineers have received information from scoping sessions and ongoing environmental studies. They are deciding where to place military housing, training areas and aircraft, among other things.
Bice said several alternative sites were being considered, and have been narrowed to "preferred alternatives."
"Now, we will be doing site-specific analysis of those preferred alternatives," Bice said. "Where do you put the hangar? Where do you put administrative buildings? Where do you put barracks?"
A draft master plan will be complete by next March, and a working-level master plan will be complete by July, Bice said. He said all of the plans will remain "working level" until the environmental studies are completed.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
KPMG Report on the Military Buildup
KPMG’s military buildup study details challenges, recommendations
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
11/21/07
KPMG, the government of Guam’s consultant on the military buildup, has released the results of its study, detailing the challenges that GovGuam faces. It also recommends courses of action for the government to take.
The comprehensive 150-page study made preliminary assessments of the military buildup impact on Guam infrastructure, the economy and social issues facing the island.
The study, which GovGuam will use in its unified approach to the U.S. Congress and military buildup authorities, was presented by KPMG with a governance strategy and public information program for GovGuam.
KPMG was chosen in May this year to assist GovGuam in preparing a strategic plan for military growth and integration.
The governance plan outlines two recommendations for the implementation of Guam’s governance principles and strategies to address the military buildup.
The first involves executive action by the governor through a Directorate for the Transition of Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
In the second recommendation, KPMG drafted legislation for the creation of a Guam Central Commission for Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
KPMG suggested that the governor’s executive action could set the foundation for the legislative approach.
After analyzing information provided by GovGuam and private industry officials, KPMG concluded that it does “not appear that the military can succeed on its own, and that the military, federal agencies, and the people and government of Guam must succeed together.”
KPMG said the cornerstone challenges are physical infrastructure, health and human services, labor, environment, economic development, and master planning.
The consultancy firm also put together nine point papers identifying challenges, and recommends courses of action to make the military expansion work for the benefit of both the military and civilian communities.
Some of the highlights of the point papers are:
• Port — The commercial port may need to double its capacity to sustain the buildup. There may be over-capacity once the buildup is over. The expansion could cost as much as $100 million. KPMG recommends enhanced budgetary support, a government debt program and private sector participation;
• Power — Some $665 million would be needed to complete several projects aimed at improving power generation, transmission, distribution system reliability, investigating fuel diversification, and renewable energy. The Department of Defense is the Guam Power Authority’s largest customer. If DOD develops its own power system, power rates for the civilian community could increase. KPMG recommends an integrated DOD/GPA approach for power generation and distribution;
• Water and wastewater — The Guam Waterworks Authority has made significant capital improvements. The anticipated influx of new residents will place a tremendous strain on water and wastewater resources. KPMG recommends GWA evaluate impacts carefully, update its Master Plan and develop funding alternatives;
• Solid waste — Both civilian and military solid waste facilities are nearing end of use life. There are several inefficiencies in solid waste collection and disposal. KPMG recommends increased private sector involvement, recycling options and assessment of funding;
• Labor — Guam’s existing labor shortage may be exacerbated by the military expansion in as little as two years. The Guam Department of Labor is addressing workforce development issues. KPMG recommends determining more specific labor demands from the buildup and how the buildup can increase sustainable employment opportunities.
• Transport and housing — Guam’s roadway system, which was built after World War II and is difficult to maintain, is undergoing a series of repairs that began in 2006. A major highway between Apra Harbor and Andersen Air Force Base is proposed. The Department of Public Works has a three-point plan to address military expansion roadways requirements. Property values are increasing because of the anticipation of the military influx. Current housing construction rates will not keep pace with demand, while finite land resources will impact development and housing inventory. KPMG recommends a comprehensive housing needs analysis, a review of regulations to eliminate barriers to affordable housing, a land use plan, a review of possible approaches to rent control, the investigation of investment opportunities, and potential funding approaches;
* IT and telecommunications - Guam is the telecommunications hub of the Pacific. However, the physical infrastructure is outdated. There will be a substantial increase in demand for information and communications systems. Guam needs a sustainable technical skills base. KPMG recommends GovGuam play a leading role in encouraging development on the island of fourth generation technologies for convergence of wireless voice, video and data services;
* Economic development - Guam is going through a prolonged expansion due to increased tourism and construction activity. Military buildup presents unprecedented opportunity for long-term development. KPMG recommends GovGuam and private sector develop an Economic Development Master Plan;
* Environment - Guam faces serious environmental challenges including groundwater contamination, negative ecological impact and scarcity of regulatory agency resources. KPMG recommends sustainable development and appropriate environmental management practices to maintain Guam’s natural environment; and
* Health and social services - Healthcare and education in Guam are divided along military and civilian lines. Civilian healthcare infrastructure should be expanded and modernized, along with the workforce capacity. The influx of construction workers and off-island investors will cause healthcare concerns. There are crowding, under-funding, infrastructure and transportation issues in the civilian education system. Guam education system at all levels needs more information from the military in order to properly plan.
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
11/21/07
KPMG, the government of Guam’s consultant on the military buildup, has released the results of its study, detailing the challenges that GovGuam faces. It also recommends courses of action for the government to take.
The comprehensive 150-page study made preliminary assessments of the military buildup impact on Guam infrastructure, the economy and social issues facing the island.
The study, which GovGuam will use in its unified approach to the U.S. Congress and military buildup authorities, was presented by KPMG with a governance strategy and public information program for GovGuam.
KPMG was chosen in May this year to assist GovGuam in preparing a strategic plan for military growth and integration.
The governance plan outlines two recommendations for the implementation of Guam’s governance principles and strategies to address the military buildup.
The first involves executive action by the governor through a Directorate for the Transition of Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
In the second recommendation, KPMG drafted legislation for the creation of a Guam Central Commission for Military Expansion and Integration Activities.
KPMG suggested that the governor’s executive action could set the foundation for the legislative approach.
After analyzing information provided by GovGuam and private industry officials, KPMG concluded that it does “not appear that the military can succeed on its own, and that the military, federal agencies, and the people and government of Guam must succeed together.”
KPMG said the cornerstone challenges are physical infrastructure, health and human services, labor, environment, economic development, and master planning.
The consultancy firm also put together nine point papers identifying challenges, and recommends courses of action to make the military expansion work for the benefit of both the military and civilian communities.
Some of the highlights of the point papers are:
• Port — The commercial port may need to double its capacity to sustain the buildup. There may be over-capacity once the buildup is over. The expansion could cost as much as $100 million. KPMG recommends enhanced budgetary support, a government debt program and private sector participation;
• Power — Some $665 million would be needed to complete several projects aimed at improving power generation, transmission, distribution system reliability, investigating fuel diversification, and renewable energy. The Department of Defense is the Guam Power Authority’s largest customer. If DOD develops its own power system, power rates for the civilian community could increase. KPMG recommends an integrated DOD/GPA approach for power generation and distribution;
• Water and wastewater — The Guam Waterworks Authority has made significant capital improvements. The anticipated influx of new residents will place a tremendous strain on water and wastewater resources. KPMG recommends GWA evaluate impacts carefully, update its Master Plan and develop funding alternatives;
• Solid waste — Both civilian and military solid waste facilities are nearing end of use life. There are several inefficiencies in solid waste collection and disposal. KPMG recommends increased private sector involvement, recycling options and assessment of funding;
• Labor — Guam’s existing labor shortage may be exacerbated by the military expansion in as little as two years. The Guam Department of Labor is addressing workforce development issues. KPMG recommends determining more specific labor demands from the buildup and how the buildup can increase sustainable employment opportunities.
• Transport and housing — Guam’s roadway system, which was built after World War II and is difficult to maintain, is undergoing a series of repairs that began in 2006. A major highway between Apra Harbor and Andersen Air Force Base is proposed. The Department of Public Works has a three-point plan to address military expansion roadways requirements. Property values are increasing because of the anticipation of the military influx. Current housing construction rates will not keep pace with demand, while finite land resources will impact development and housing inventory. KPMG recommends a comprehensive housing needs analysis, a review of regulations to eliminate barriers to affordable housing, a land use plan, a review of possible approaches to rent control, the investigation of investment opportunities, and potential funding approaches;
* IT and telecommunications - Guam is the telecommunications hub of the Pacific. However, the physical infrastructure is outdated. There will be a substantial increase in demand for information and communications systems. Guam needs a sustainable technical skills base. KPMG recommends GovGuam play a leading role in encouraging development on the island of fourth generation technologies for convergence of wireless voice, video and data services;
* Economic development - Guam is going through a prolonged expansion due to increased tourism and construction activity. Military buildup presents unprecedented opportunity for long-term development. KPMG recommends GovGuam and private sector develop an Economic Development Master Plan;
* Environment - Guam faces serious environmental challenges including groundwater contamination, negative ecological impact and scarcity of regulatory agency resources. KPMG recommends sustainable development and appropriate environmental management practices to maintain Guam’s natural environment; and
* Health and social services - Healthcare and education in Guam are divided along military and civilian lines. Civilian healthcare infrastructure should be expanded and modernized, along with the workforce capacity. The influx of construction workers and off-island investors will cause healthcare concerns. There are crowding, under-funding, infrastructure and transportation issues in the civilian education system. Guam education system at all levels needs more information from the military in order to properly plan.
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Dot on the Map Regains Large Strategic Stature
Dot on the Map Regains Large Strategic Stature
By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
January 28, 2003 in print edition A-5
TUMON BAY, Guam – In 1898, an intrepid Navy captain named Henry Glass boldly sailed his warship to this tropical isle and announced to the startled Spanish governor that the United States was taking control. The U.S. and Spain were at war, and the Navy needed Guam as a coaling station to support its fleet.
More than a century later, as the Bush administration threatens war with Iraq, Guam is once again a key factor in America’s ability to project military power in Asia and beyond. If there is an air war, B-52 and B-1 heavy bombers will probably be refueled in midair by planes loaded with jet fuel from three enormous tank farms run by the Air Force here.
And if those planes need more bombs, Guam’s cache of air-to-ground munitions is the largest in the region.
“Lots of things change in this world – weather, politics, economics – but geography doesn’t change,” said Adm. Walter Doran, commander of the Pacific Fleet. “Guam is where it is, and it will always be important to the security of the United States.”
Although the military downplays them, signs of a buildup are everywhere. For months, ships loaded with all the necessities of war – food, fuel, gear and ammunition – have been arriving at the Navy’s turquoise deep-water harbor. From here, beans and bullets are transferred to ships headed for the Persian Gulf.
Marines have trained here for street fighting at the new urban combat center, a complex of 200 buildings where troops learn the skills that may be needed if the U.S. offensive takes to the streets. Pilots from aircraft carriers have done numerous bombing runs on desolate Farallon de Medinilla island 188 miles to the north, the Navy’s only live-fire range in the western Pacific.
Still, for all of Guam’s centrality to the business of war, life appears calm on this self-governing, palm-tree-lined American territory 3,400 miles southwest of Hawaii. There is more talk about the aftermath of Typhoon Pongsona, which hit the island with 180-mph winds on Dec. 8, than there is of an impending war. Questions about a possible war are answered in confident, matter-of-fact tones.
“If the balloon goes up, we’re going to be ready to support a large number of aircraft and people flowing through here,” said Col. Joe Mudd, commander of the Air Force wing on Guam. “That’s what we do here.” That Guam remains central to U.S. military strategy shows how rapidly events have changed from what was anticipated after the Soviet Union disintegrated.
In 1993, the civilian-run Base Realignment and Closure Commission, assigned by Congress to downsize the military for the post-Cold War era, targeted facilities on Guam for a series of reductions and closures.
To many, Guam was seen as a relic of the days when the U.S. needed to be ready to engage the Soviet navy on the high seas. But even as the downsizing was being implemented, a cross-current in military thinking rediscovered Guam’s strategic position – just hours by air from most major Asian capitals – and the value of forward-deployed forces.
The result was that even as some facilities were being closed and the number of military personnel dropped by half, construction of new facilities was approved and new military units were assigned to the island. Guam, for example, will soon become home to a 250-person unit assigned to protect U.S. ships and personnel in foreign ports, a reaction to the attack on the destroyer Cole in Yemen, which left 17 sailors dead.
Since 2000, military construction on Guam has topped more than $300 million, with much more to come. Although nearly all of the projects were approved before Sept. 11, the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center confirmed the significance of Guam as a logistic hub, a way to reduce what the military calls the “tyranny of distance” from U.S. bases to the front lines of conflict.
Guam may never again reach the Cold War level when B-52s, ballistic-missile submarines and 10,000 sailors were stationed on this 212-square-mile island. But the idea of Guam as a backwater whose significance is waning has vanished.
“In my mind, Guam is going to be more important in the 21st century than it was at the latter part of the 20th,” said Doran, the fleet commander.
Talk like that is music to the ears of the officials on Guam, where a population of 160,000 is mired in double-digit unemployment. Devoid of manufacturing or agriculture, the local economy is dependent on the U.S. military and on Japanese tourists – for whom Guam is a low-budget alternative to Hawaii.
The U.S. cutbacks and the long slump of the Japanese economy have hit Guam like a punch to the gut.
Much of the island has a tumbledown look that ill fits the lushly green environment and sparkling beaches. Guamanian officials have encouraged the military to consider the island as a perfect spot to stage troops for the nation’s war on terrorism and possible conflict on the Korean peninsula, less than 2,000 miles away. A poll shows that 80% of the public agrees.
“All eyes should be on Guam after 9/11,” said the territory’s new U.S. congresswoman, Madeleine Bordallo. “Guam is not just the past. It is America’s future.” Bordallo has made military expansion her top priority. As Guam’s only representative, Bordallo has a vote in committee but not in the full House.
Support for the military may be higher in Guam than anywhere in the world where the U.S. has a base. Each year, Guam celebrates Liberation Day to commemorate the landing on Asan Beach by Marines in 1944 that ended a brutal occupation by Japanese forces.
Only after weeks of some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II were the Japanese routed and the native Chamorros freed from concentration camps and hiding places in the densely forested mountains. After the liberation, Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz made Guam his headquarters for the final year of war.
In a report circulated in Congress, the Guam Chamber of Commerce noted that Guam is “a slice of America in the Western Pacific
The Navy has stationed two attack submarines at Guam, with a third on its way. The Marines say that the urban warfare center is superior to those at Camp Pendleton and at Camp Lejeune, N.C. And at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base, the 66-million-gallon fuel tank system is the largest the Air Force runs anywhere in the world.
The system, still not complete, has already paid dividends. During the first two months of the U.S. offensive against the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the base provided 21 million gallons of fuel for warplanes.
“We did a year’s worth of fuel in two months,” said Maj. Robert Gibson.
Not all the military investment in Guam involves planes and ships. In 1997, with the approval of Congress, the Department of Defense opted to begin its own school system for the children of 4,000 sailors and 2,000 Air Force personnel.
Dissatisfaction with the local schools had long been a major complaint of personnel assigned here. And so with a massive airlift of materials and manpower by Air Force C-5 cargo planes, the military set about renovating buildings for its system, which now has two elementary and two middle schools and one high school.
At Guam South Elementary-Middle School, students seem untouched by their parents’ preparations for war. But their young lives have been changed in ways they cannot see. Since Sept. 11, the school has adopted a code-word system to warn teachers of potential trouble. Navy police are on alert to respond. As the most remote piece of America, Guam lives with a daily sense of vulnerability.
“Sept. 11 left a deep mark on this island, no doubt about it,” said school principal William Hall.
By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
January 28, 2003 in print edition A-5
TUMON BAY, Guam – In 1898, an intrepid Navy captain named Henry Glass boldly sailed his warship to this tropical isle and announced to the startled Spanish governor that the United States was taking control. The U.S. and Spain were at war, and the Navy needed Guam as a coaling station to support its fleet.
More than a century later, as the Bush administration threatens war with Iraq, Guam is once again a key factor in America’s ability to project military power in Asia and beyond. If there is an air war, B-52 and B-1 heavy bombers will probably be refueled in midair by planes loaded with jet fuel from three enormous tank farms run by the Air Force here.
And if those planes need more bombs, Guam’s cache of air-to-ground munitions is the largest in the region.
“Lots of things change in this world – weather, politics, economics – but geography doesn’t change,” said Adm. Walter Doran, commander of the Pacific Fleet. “Guam is where it is, and it will always be important to the security of the United States.”
Although the military downplays them, signs of a buildup are everywhere. For months, ships loaded with all the necessities of war – food, fuel, gear and ammunition – have been arriving at the Navy’s turquoise deep-water harbor. From here, beans and bullets are transferred to ships headed for the Persian Gulf.
Marines have trained here for street fighting at the new urban combat center, a complex of 200 buildings where troops learn the skills that may be needed if the U.S. offensive takes to the streets. Pilots from aircraft carriers have done numerous bombing runs on desolate Farallon de Medinilla island 188 miles to the north, the Navy’s only live-fire range in the western Pacific.
Still, for all of Guam’s centrality to the business of war, life appears calm on this self-governing, palm-tree-lined American territory 3,400 miles southwest of Hawaii. There is more talk about the aftermath of Typhoon Pongsona, which hit the island with 180-mph winds on Dec. 8, than there is of an impending war. Questions about a possible war are answered in confident, matter-of-fact tones.
“If the balloon goes up, we’re going to be ready to support a large number of aircraft and people flowing through here,” said Col. Joe Mudd, commander of the Air Force wing on Guam. “That’s what we do here.” That Guam remains central to U.S. military strategy shows how rapidly events have changed from what was anticipated after the Soviet Union disintegrated.
In 1993, the civilian-run Base Realignment and Closure Commission, assigned by Congress to downsize the military for the post-Cold War era, targeted facilities on Guam for a series of reductions and closures.
To many, Guam was seen as a relic of the days when the U.S. needed to be ready to engage the Soviet navy on the high seas. But even as the downsizing was being implemented, a cross-current in military thinking rediscovered Guam’s strategic position – just hours by air from most major Asian capitals – and the value of forward-deployed forces.
The result was that even as some facilities were being closed and the number of military personnel dropped by half, construction of new facilities was approved and new military units were assigned to the island. Guam, for example, will soon become home to a 250-person unit assigned to protect U.S. ships and personnel in foreign ports, a reaction to the attack on the destroyer Cole in Yemen, which left 17 sailors dead.
Since 2000, military construction on Guam has topped more than $300 million, with much more to come. Although nearly all of the projects were approved before Sept. 11, the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center confirmed the significance of Guam as a logistic hub, a way to reduce what the military calls the “tyranny of distance” from U.S. bases to the front lines of conflict.
Guam may never again reach the Cold War level when B-52s, ballistic-missile submarines and 10,000 sailors were stationed on this 212-square-mile island. But the idea of Guam as a backwater whose significance is waning has vanished.
“In my mind, Guam is going to be more important in the 21st century than it was at the latter part of the 20th,” said Doran, the fleet commander.
Talk like that is music to the ears of the officials on Guam, where a population of 160,000 is mired in double-digit unemployment. Devoid of manufacturing or agriculture, the local economy is dependent on the U.S. military and on Japanese tourists – for whom Guam is a low-budget alternative to Hawaii.
The U.S. cutbacks and the long slump of the Japanese economy have hit Guam like a punch to the gut.
Much of the island has a tumbledown look that ill fits the lushly green environment and sparkling beaches. Guamanian officials have encouraged the military to consider the island as a perfect spot to stage troops for the nation’s war on terrorism and possible conflict on the Korean peninsula, less than 2,000 miles away. A poll shows that 80% of the public agrees.
“All eyes should be on Guam after 9/11,” said the territory’s new U.S. congresswoman, Madeleine Bordallo. “Guam is not just the past. It is America’s future.” Bordallo has made military expansion her top priority. As Guam’s only representative, Bordallo has a vote in committee but not in the full House.
Support for the military may be higher in Guam than anywhere in the world where the U.S. has a base. Each year, Guam celebrates Liberation Day to commemorate the landing on Asan Beach by Marines in 1944 that ended a brutal occupation by Japanese forces.
Only after weeks of some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II were the Japanese routed and the native Chamorros freed from concentration camps and hiding places in the densely forested mountains. After the liberation, Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz made Guam his headquarters for the final year of war.
In a report circulated in Congress, the Guam Chamber of Commerce noted that Guam is “a slice of America in the Western Pacific
The Navy has stationed two attack submarines at Guam, with a third on its way. The Marines say that the urban warfare center is superior to those at Camp Pendleton and at Camp Lejeune, N.C. And at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base, the 66-million-gallon fuel tank system is the largest the Air Force runs anywhere in the world.
The system, still not complete, has already paid dividends. During the first two months of the U.S. offensive against the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the base provided 21 million gallons of fuel for warplanes.
“We did a year’s worth of fuel in two months,” said Maj. Robert Gibson.
Not all the military investment in Guam involves planes and ships. In 1997, with the approval of Congress, the Department of Defense opted to begin its own school system for the children of 4,000 sailors and 2,000 Air Force personnel.
Dissatisfaction with the local schools had long been a major complaint of personnel assigned here. And so with a massive airlift of materials and manpower by Air Force C-5 cargo planes, the military set about renovating buildings for its system, which now has two elementary and two middle schools and one high school.
At Guam South Elementary-Middle School, students seem untouched by their parents’ preparations for war. But their young lives have been changed in ways they cannot see. Since Sept. 11, the school has adopted a code-word system to warn teachers of potential trouble. Navy police are on alert to respond. As the most remote piece of America, Guam lives with a daily sense of vulnerability.
“Sept. 11 left a deep mark on this island, no doubt about it,” said school principal William Hall.
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