This information was in a report released by the General Accounting Office on the U.S. military’s presence in Asia, including a comprehensive analysis of costs and alternatives needed to preserve the U.S. military’s posture in Asia.
The report touched on not only Guam, but also Tinian and South Korea.
Based on a government of Japan budget estimate study for Japan, Okinawa and Guam, conducted in 2006 on realignment costs and limited cost information developed by DOD, about $29.1 billion in construction costs was identified by the General Accounting Office that was to be shared between the United States and Japan.
What was not made available were the total cost estimates for the initiatives. The report stated the reason for this is the “significant uncertainty surrounding initiative implementation schedules.”
The estimate study also only focused on realignment costs covering Japan’s Fiscal Years 2007 through 2014 and not beyond.
For the Marine Corps relocation from Okinawa to Guam, it was estimated in the Japan budget that it would cost about $17.4 billion to transfer 8,600 Marines and their 9,000 dependents to the island.
This includes Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force Element, the 3rd Marine Division Headquarters, 3rd Marine Logistics Group Headquarters, 1st Marine Air Wing Headquarters and the 12th Marine Regiment Headquarters.
The government of Japan was anticipated to budget $6.1 billion and the U.S. an additional $4.2 billion, but this was according to U.S. FY2008 figures. The funding would go to construction of new facilities and infrastructure development on the island.
The Marine Corps estimated that an additional $7.1 billion may be needed to complete the relocation. That amount includes $4.7 billion for additional construction costs and $2.4 billion for utilities, labor and the purchase of military equipment.
But GAO emphasized in its analysis that the Marine Corps estimates have not been validated by DOD.
