Marine Corps News Room

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=31818&archive=true

By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, October 31, 2005

The United States would like to conclude all implementation agreements by March 2006 and then finish the realignment in six years, a senior Defense Department Official said Friday.

On Saturday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and their Japanese counterparts announced that both countries had agreed to abide by a series of force realignment recommendations.

The announced recommendations include:

Moving III MEF headquarters from Okinawa to Guam. Personnel will include portions of the Marine Air Wing, the Force Service Command Group and the 3rd Marine Division.
Keeping helicopters and propelled-driven fixed-wing aircraft at Naval Air Facility Atsugi while also moving Japanese rotor and turbo-prop aircraft to Atsugi, defense officials said.
Developing facilities at Maritime Self Defense Force Base Kanoya for KC-130, C-3 and P-3 aircraft.
Deploying X-Band radar to Japan as part of a joint anti-ballistic missile defense program. The United States can also deploy Patriot PAC-3 and Standard Missile SM-3 systems to Japan as deemed appropriate.
Setting up a joint U.S.-Japanese operations center at Yokota Air Base. Relocating Japan’s Air Defense Command from Fuchu to Yokota. Exploring giving the Japanese control of more airspace at Yokota.
Modernizing U.S. Army Japan’s command structure to make it deployable and joint task force capable. This would include moving I Corps from Fort Lewis, Wash., to Camp Zama, Japan, the senior Defense Department official said, adding this would affect roughly 300 personnel.
The United States and Japan also agreed to accelerate the replacement of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa with an airport to be built at Camp Schwab, Okinawa.

However, relocating from Futenma will take longer than six years, the senior Defense Department official said. He also said both sides have agreed to study moving U.S. forces south of Kadena to northern Okinawa.

Upon the request of Okinawa residents, both countries looked into the possibility of relocating Futenma outside of Okinawa, according to a document issued by U.S. and Japanese officials Saturday.

“They determined the rapid presence of Marine Corps forces constitutes a critical alliance capability that both sides desire to maintain” in the region, the document says.

The Japanese will provide financial assistance for all movements within Japan, and they have agreed in principle to help with the move to Guam, the senior Defense Department official said.

The agreed upon recommendations mark a “fresh start” for the U.S.-Japanese alliance, said Japanese Minister of State for Defense Yoshinori Ohno, speaking through a translator.

The United States and Japan are entering an era when the two countries can engage in joint operations, such as information sharing, ballistic missile defense and disaster relief, Ohno said.

But Japan’s role in such operations will not involve the use of force, per the Japanese constitution, Ohno said. For example, Japan can provide logistical support for counter-terrorism operations, he said.

Japan’s roles in the evolving alliance between the two countries will be what “Japan feels comfortable performing,” Rumsfeld said.

The joint document issued Saturday emphasizes the need to improve cooperation on air defense, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and other missions.

The two sides also underscored the need to hold regular joint training exercises and share each other’s military facilities.

Also Saturday, Secretary Rice called the United States and Japan “two of the closest allies in the world” with a shared set of values.

Rice said both understand: “When democracy is on the march, we are all safer. When democracy is in retreat, we are all vulnerable.”