The joint release was issued after the Security Consultative Committee met, which included U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeaki Matsumoto, and Japan Minister of Defense Toshimi Kitazawa.
The joint release emphasized the increasing importance of U.S. military presence in Japan to maintain deterrence and strengthen alliance capabilities in view of the current evolving regional security environment.
The officials spoke of the need to further delay the transfer of the Marines to Guam. This means the targeted 2014 date will not happen.
According to the joint statement:
The committee members reconfirmed the commitment to the relocation of approximately 8,000 III MEF personnel and their approximately 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, as part of a broader strategy for U.S. forces to realize geographically dispersed, operationally resilient, and politically sustainable posture in the Western Pacific.
The officials noted the concrete progress made thus far, including the conclusion of the Guam International Agreement of Feb. 17, 2009, and fiscal measures taken by both Japan and the United States. The Ministers confirmed their commitment to ensuring the funding necessary for the steady implementation of the relocation in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Roadmap and the Guam International Agreement.
The United States continues to examine the unit composition of III MEF personnel remaining on Okinawa in the context of overall theater security, including deterrence, while accounting for the concerns of local communities.
The committee members reaffirmed that the relocation of III MEF personnel and dependents from Okinawa to Guam is dependent on tangible progress toward completion of the replacement facility. The relocation to Guam will realize the consolidation and return of most of the facilities south of Kadena.
