HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Guam’s current military population of 22,890 is projected to reach 35,062 by 2037, according to estimates presented by U.S. Department of Defense representatives at an informational briefing before the legislative Committee on Military Buildup on Monday.
The number of military personnel, dependents and DOD support personnel and contractors is expected to increase to 33,007 by fiscal year 2027 and remain mostly steady until reaching 35,062 by fiscal year 2037, according to DOD projections.
Of that number, the dependent population is estimated at 10,400, and support personnel will make up roughly 2,566.
Guam’s top two military leaders — Joint Task Force-Micronesia Commander Adm. Gregory Huffman and Joint Region Marianas Commander Adm. Brent DeVore — were not available for the briefing.
They were represented by Randel Sablan, senior advisor for regional political-military affairs for JRM, and Capt. Blake Burket, officer in charge of construction for Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz.
Committee Chair Sen. Telo Taitague had submitted more than 30 questions about the military buildup and, in particular, asked for details about the military’s housing plans.
“At this time, approximately 40% of the active-duty DOD population resides in on-base housing. The current occupancy rate for on-installation housing is 84%,” Sablan said.
The percentage fluctuates based on renovations and repair of units, he added.
Conversely, the numbers point to a significant shortfall in military housing, with 60% of the military population living off base.
“Recognizing that projected DOD population increases will continue to stress the on- and off-base housing inventory, DOD is in the process of compiling a Guam housing master plan in order to fully outline future requirements,” Sablan said.
He added the plan may identify potential military housing locations outside the current installation footprints.
“Of particular interest are alternative construction methods that would save money and deliver product faster than traditional military construction,” Sablan said.
To deliver new housing inventory, he said, DOD is exploring “densification” to locate housing on limited available land within installations, as well as public-private partnerships.
Sablan also reiterated that the buildup currently underway does not include the planned 360-degree missile defense system for Guam.
“The Army is going to do a defense system. It’s going to have soldiers that are going to run those systems. Those soldiers will have dependents. Those systems will have contractors that will maintain and help run those very technical missile defense systems,” he said.
Meanwhile, military facility construction continues to ramp up.
Burket said that for the Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz main cantonment, “We have completed six projects for a total of $422 million, as well as 44 projects underway with a value of $2.8 billion.
“We have a total of 30 projects … that will commission this year,” Burket said.
He added that 14 projects have been completed at Andersen Air Force Base at a cost of $673 million, with six more under construction totaling $373 million.
At Naval Base Guam, six projects have been completed at a cost of $303 million, with one project remaining worth $127 million.
“JRM does not anticipate the size — in other words, the project scope — of the military buildup to be subject to cuts,” Sablan said.
He added that the Trump administration has not officially modified the original objectives of the buildup.
During the briefing, Sen. Sabina Perez shifted the focus to the environmental impacts of the buildup.
But after several questions, Sablan requested a break so he could confer with his environmental team.
After the break, Sablan said, “I want to make a recommendation. We came here for a purpose, to brief on the buildup and we answered all of your questions.”
He said the environmental questions went “beyond the boundaries” of the briefing, which was intended to focus on the buildup itself.
“That’s not what I understood this briefing was to be about. And to be quite honest, it takes on a little bit of an oversight feeling. So, are we oversighting DOD on environmental compliance? I want to be very careful, and I also want to be very respectful,” Sablan said.
Taitague responded that the environmental issue was raised with Sablan and his team during the hearing.
“But I do agree with you wholeheartedly that the environmental side perspective should be in a hearing all by itself, which we have plans to do just that,” she said.
