By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Benigno R. Fitial is postponing his scheduled trip this week to Japan and South Korea in order to travel to Guam in hopes of convincing U.S. military officials to consider the CNMI in its planned build-up in the region.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the governor wants to be present at the scheduled change of command ceremony of Rear Adm. Charles Leidig Jr. and his successor as commander of the Naval Forces Marianas, Rear Adm. William D. French, on April 17.
The governor was supposed to leave for Tokyo on Wednesday to meet with key Japanese tourism officials in the private sector.
After that, the governor was supposed to leave for South Korea upon the invitation of the executives of Asiana Airlines’ parent company, Kumho Group.
Reyes said the governor wants to discuss the islands’ potential for military use with French.
“He wants to attend the change of command ceremony in Guam on the 17th. It might be inconvenient for him to go to Japan, Korea and Guam and then come back there. The schedule is being worked out,” said Reyes.
Leidig, who will be stationed in Naples, Italy, is to be succeeded by French, a nuclear submarine expert whose last post was Bangor, Washington.
Reyes said establishing a good relationship with the U.S. military is a priority for the administration given the islands’ worsening economic crisis.
“It’s very important to us,” said Reyes. “The governor wants to have a good working relationship with the U.S military. There’s been some promising and positive developments on the military build-up, something that this administration welcomes wholeheartedly. We want to do whatever we can to benefit from military contacts and spill-over benefits.”
Some 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan will be relocated to Guam starting next year.
The move is projected to be completed by 2014 at an estimated cost of $15 billion.
The Joint Guam Program Office will host open house public scoping meetings on Guam, Saipan and Tinian on the environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement that is being prepared in connection with the planned relocation of the Marines.
The meetings will also be a chance to gauge public sentiment about the U.S. military’s plan to berth at Naval Base Guam a transient nuclear aircraft carrier and place an Army ballistic missile defense task force on Guam.
The open house in Saipan is scheduled for April 19, from 5-9 p.m., at the multi-purpose center. A similar event will be held on April 20 at Tinian Elementary School.
Two-thirds of the public land on Tinian is leased to the U.S. military.
Leidig was named commander of Navy Region Marianas and Pacific command representative to Guam, the CNMI, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau in June 2005.
He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics in 1978 and has a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.
He will be assigned as director of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Sixth Fleet, plans and operations/deputy commander, Sixth Fleet/commander submarines, Allied Naval Forces South/commander, Submarine Group Eight in Naples, Italy.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, French, graduated from Vanderbilt University and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in science and arts.
In 1980, he completed nuclear power training and attended the Naval Submarine School. He was then assigned to the USS Spadefish (SSN 668) home ported in Norfolk, Va.