HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Department of Defense is calling for a further buildup of military assets in the Marianas as part of a newly approved global force posture review.
The report is meant to “strengthen posture decision-making processes, improve DoD’s global response capability, and inform the draft of the next National Defense Strategy,” the Pentagon stated Nov. 30 in a press release.
Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands were mentioned as specific areas in the Indo-Pacific region that the U.S. military will be building up in the coming years.
Mara Karlin, an assistant secretary of Defense, told reporters at a briefing announcing the completion of the review that the islands are part of a broad range of improvements the Defense Department will seek.
“Those will include things more broadly like logistics facilities, fuel storage, munitions storage, airfield upgrades. So, we’re doing a lot that will hopefully come to fruition in the coming years,” Karlin said of additional infrastructure projects for Guam, the CNMI and Australia.
The current Pentagon budget doesn’t reflect the strategy, Karlin confirmed. The next congressional spending request is being informed by the newly completed review, and a “down payment” on important parts could be included, according to the assistant secretary.
Guam was carved out in the briefing as a “notable” piece of the global review, she said, while also highlighting DoD “enhancing the scope and the scale of our exercise with allies, … and partners across the region, as well.”
The island has played host to a number of international militaries over the past two years, including from the United Kingdom, Singapore and India.
The review calls for more cooperation with America’s allies to deter threats from China and North Korea, Karlin said.
“These initiatives include seeking greater regional access for military partnership activities, enhancing infrastructure in Guam and Australia and prioritizing military construction across the Pacific Islands,” the Pentagon stated in the release.
Bulldozers move earth at the site of the new Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, along Route 3 in Dededo, Guam on Aug. 20, 2021.
