Eying Guam

Pentagon policy chief Michèle Flournoy released a statement Wednesday night concerning plans to shift Marines from Japan to Guam:

The United States is committed to Guam's role as a strategic hub, and to that end a U.S. Marine Corps presence in Guam remains an essential part of our Pacific strategy.

In fulfilling our regional commitments, we will continue to consult and coordinate with our allies and partners and stakeholders within the U.S. government - including Congress - to address concerns, while ensuring our forward presence in the region is geographically distributed, operationally resilient, and politically sustainable.

Within this context, we welcome the Government of Japan's assurances that it is preparing to move forward with the steps necessary for the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF), specifically filing the necessary environmental impact statement by the end of the year. Progress on the FRF plan is necessary to build confidence about the viability of our realignment efforts.

We look forward to working with Congress on the critical elements to the realignment of our forces in Japan and Guam, which will result in a reduced number of Marines in Okinawa and a consolidation of our bases in Okinawa, both of which will lessen the impact in Okinawa. U.S. forces in Japan and Guam are also vital to our efforts to maintain a strong forward-deployed presence in the Pacific region.

Inside the Pentagon has some news this week on Guam:

House and Senate authorization conferees this week agreed to a Senate provision that would prevent the obligation or expenditure of funds to execute the realignment of Marine Corps personnel from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam until certain conditions are met.

But the final agreement, which follows a recent Pentagon appeal on the issue, also adds certain exceptions.

Meanwhile, the White House has been privately urging the Navy to defer the acquisition of land for the relocation project, according to guidance obtained by Inside the Pentagon.

This week's conference agreement for the fiscal year 2012 defense authorization bill urges the defense secretary to promptly provide lawmakers with a master plan, as well as a cost-mitigation strategy, for the realignment of forces to Guam. The provision calls for the Marine Corps commandant to provide lawmakers his preferred force lay-down for the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility. Also, the defense secretary would have to provide a master plan for the construction of facilities and infrastructure to execute the commandant's preferred force lay-down on Guam, including a detailed description of costs and a schedule for such construction.

In addition, the defense secretary would have to certify to Congress that "tangible progress" has been made regarding the related relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The bill also calls for a federal plan detailing descriptions of work, costs and a schedule for completion of construction, improvements and repairs to the non-military utilities, facilities and infrastructure on Guam affected by the realignment of forces. The final version of the provision also requires the defense secretary to obtain a specific authorization for the use of appropriated funds in FY-12 to be used to construct or acquire public infrastructure on Guam.