In his letter of appreciation, Assistant Secretary of the Navy BJ Penn said Joyner served as the primary point of contact for the Department of Defense.
Joyner was praised for his “outstanding ongoing support and dedication to the partnership between the Department of Defense, CNMI Coast Resources Management and other federal and local environmental regulatory agencies.”
Penn said Joyner provided countless hours of support to environmental planning efforts in the region.
Joyner is a regular participant in the quarterly Joint Guam Program Office’s Mariana Islands Range Complex Partnering Sessions.
He is also a member of its Executive Working Group.
Penn said Joyner was instrumental in the planning of the fifth partnering session on Saipan last July 2007.
“Dr. Joyner and his staff flawlessly executed all logistics, including a guided tour of the cultural and natural resources on the island of Tinian,” Penn said.
Joyner’s effort, he added, have greatly enhanced the awareness and understanding of Defense officials and environmental regulatory agencies of the strategic importance of the CNMI, and its environmental and historical significance.
In an interview yesterday, Joyner said the planned military activities on Tinian will be mostly training and exercises.
“The primary focus is to use the area for training. It’s only a warm base,” he said.
He said an upsurge of economic activities is expected when the military expands its presence in the Marianas. There will be a need for moving solid waste and for basic facilities, he added.
Joyner also sees the need for the installation of the instrument landing system at the Tinian International Airport in anticipation of the increase in the number of flights from Tinian to Guam, where the U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan will soon be relocated.
“The entire economy will grow,” he said.
