U.S. Military Presence on Okinawa and Realignment to Guam

U.S. Military Presence on Okinawa and Realignment to Guam

Updated April 9, 2019
U.S. Military Presence on Okinawa and Realignment to Guam
Introduction
as protests against the planned Futenma Replacement
In recent years, the U.S. and Japanese governments have
Facility (FRF) and Okinawan leaders presented steep
steadily strengthened key elements of the U.S.-Japan
challenges to implementing the 1996 plan.
alliance, but have continued to struggle with how to manage
the large-scale presence of U.S. troops in the southernmost
Japanese prefecture of Okinawa. These challenges affect
broader U.S. efforts to realign its military forces in the
region, particularly the plans to transfer some marines to
Guam, which faces its own difficulties. Okinawa occupies a
key strategic location: the bases provide a crucial
component of the U.S. military’s forward operating
presence in the Indo-Pacific and are seen by many as a
bulwark against China’s expanding presence in the region.
Okinawa’s Grievances
Despite comprising less than 1% of Japan’s total land area,
Okinawa hosts over half of the more than 50,000 U.S.
military personnel stationed in Japan and about 70% of all
facilities and areas used exclusively by U.S. Forces Japan
(USFJ). Okinawa also bears the painful legacy of the Battle
of Okinawa in 1945, when 100,000 Japanese soldiers and
40,000-100,000 civilians perished. The United States
administered Okinawa from 1945 until 1972, two decades
longer than it occupied Japan following World War II.
Many native Okinawans chafe at the large U.S. military
presence, reflecting in part the tumultuous history and

complex relationships with “mainland” Japan and with the
Source: Map created by CRS using data from the U.S. State
United States. Although the views of Okinawans are far
Department, 2009; and ESRI Data 10, 2009.
from monolithic, many Okinawans—including those who

largely support the U.S.-Japan alliance—have concerns
Subsequent bilateral negotiations aimed at addressing local
about the burden of hosting foreign troops, particularly
resistance culminated in the 2006 U.S.-Japan Roadmap for
about issues like crime, safety, environmental degradation,
Realignment. The United States agreed to remove roughly
and noise. Long-held grievances erupted in 1995 when
8,000 marines from Okinawa to Guam by 2014.
three U.S. servicemembers were convicted in a Japanese
Congressional concerns over the scope and cost of the
court of raping a 12-year-old Okinawan girl, prompting the
Guam realignment, as well as concerns about Guam’s
allies to try to alleviate the burden on hosting communities.
preparedness, led to later revisions that adjusted the number
of personnel and dependents to be relocated.
Futenma Base Relocation
In 1996, the bilateral Security Consultative Committee
Marine Corps Realignment to Guam
(composed of the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense and
Guam is a 210-square-mile tropical island, roughly 12 miles
their Japanese counterparts, also known as the “2+2”)
at its widest point, lying 1,230 nautical miles southeast of
established the Special Action Committee on Okinawa
Okinawa; it has long hosted a significant American military
(SACO) to address the concern that the basing situation
presence. Once claimed as a U.S. territorial possession,
may not be politically sustainable. The 1996 SACO Final
Guam is currently classified as an “unincorporated
Report mandated the return to Okinawa of thousands of
territory” whose people maintain U.S. citizenship status and
acres of land used by the U.S. military since World War II,
limited rights to self-government. The Department of
including by moving Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS)
Defense (DOD) controls 30% of all acreage on the island,
Futenma from crowded Ginowan City to Camp Schwab in
and approximately 11,000 DOD military and civilians
Nago City’s less congested Henoko area. Decades of
currently reside there. Situated between Hawaii and the
residential development around the Futenma base has made
Philippines, the island represents an important strategic hub
the noise of the facility an irritant to the local community
for U.S. air and maritime assets in the Western Pacific.
and elevated the risk of an aircraft accident in a heavily
populated area. Efforts to implement the Okinawa
The current strategy for moving military personnel to Guam
agreement, however, quickly stalled due to local opposition,
from Okinawa is based on a 2012 revision to the 2006 U.S.-
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U.S. Military Presence on Okinawa and Realignment to Guam
Japan Roadmap for Realignment, and would relocate 5,000
After years of delays and legal disputes between Tokyo and
marines and 1,300 dependents to Guam; 2,700 marines and
Okinawa, culminating in a Japanese Supreme Court
2,000 dependents to Hawaii; 1,300 marines to Australia (on
decision that the Okinawan governor could not revoke the
a rotational basis); and 800 marines to locations in the
landfill permit, land reclamation activities for the runway
continental United States. Originally, the relocation of
began in mid-December 2018. Uncertainty remains about
troops was to be contingent on completion of the FRF. In
the cost and timeframe of the project. Japan’s Ministry of
February 2012, the United States and Japan announced they
Defense originally estimated in 2013 the project would take
were removing this linkage, in order to sidestep delays in
about 5 years and cost 231 billion yen (about $2.1 billion at
Futenma’s relocation. The U.S. Marine Corps has
current exchange rates); in late 2018 the Okinawan
committed to commencing the flow of forces roughly by
government asserted that it was likely to take 13 years and
FY2025, with the date of completion still to be determined.
cost around 2.5 trillion yen (about $22.7 billion).
The Department of Defense has assessed the total cost of
the Guam relocation at $8.7 billion, with $3.1 provided in
Other uncertainties could affect construction. For example,
contributions by Japan (in FY2012 dollars).
the ability and will of the Okinawan Prefectural Police to
thwart determined anti-base protesters and enable smooth
Political Resistance to Base Relocation in Okinawa
construction could be tested. Some anti-base groups in
Contemporary politics surrounding basing issues in Japan
Okinawa have pledged to take extreme measures to prevent
are complex and involve politicians from local village
construction. Progressive political groups in mainland
wards up to the Prime Minister’s office. In general, the
Japan have also held rallies to demonstrate opposition to the
debate over basing issues has been driven by Okinawan
FRF and put pressure on the central government. Similarly,
politicians demanding that the FRF be moved outside of the
the willingness, or lack thereof, of local municipalities to
Okinawan prefecture and trying to block work on the FRF.
cooperate with construction of the FRF could bring
additional inconveniences and logistical delays.
In 2009 and 2010, then-Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s
campaign pledge to move the new facility out of the
Both Japanese and U.S. officials have repeatedly declared
prefecture elevated the issue to a major U.S.-Japan point of
the intent to return the land of MCAS Futenma to local
contention and, some assert, may have irrevocably shifted
control as soon as possible. U.S. military officials,
the political landscape in Okinawa by raising and then
including the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command in
dashing the hopes of the anti-base movement. In late 2013,
congressional testimony, stated that operations would not
the Abe government appeared to break this stalemate by
cease at Futenma until a replacement facility on Okinawa is
wielding unprecedented pressure and inducements to win
completed. Japanese officials are hopeful that land returns
over key Okinawan politicians. However, Okinawan
from vacated U.S. bases will spur economic development
citizens in late 2014 and 2018 voted in two consecutive
on Okinawa and ease opposition to the U.S. base plans. In
governors who ran on platforms opposed to the relocation
December 2016, the United States returned nearly 10,000
plan. The current governor Denny Tamaki and his
acres of land to Japan, the largest transfer of land since the
predecessor Takeshi Onaga (who died in 2018) both
reversion of Okinawa to Japan in 1972.
employed a variety of political and legal strategies to
prevent or delay construction of the FRF at the Henoko site.
Congress’s Role
Both governors traveled to the United States to raise
In its oversight responsibilities for U.S. foreign policy,
awareness of their grievances, including meeting with some
Congress may be concerned about the sustainability of
Members of Congress to express their opposition.
major U.S. bases in Okinawa. Ongoing delays to U.S. base
restructuring on Okinawa could force a broader
In February 2019, Okinawa held a non-binding referendum
conversation about the utility of marines in Okinawa, or
on the relocation of the U.S. base. About 72% of those who
about whether the strategic environment demands a
voted opposed the construction of the new base. With a
different arrangement. In addition, with contentious cost-
52% turnout rate, the opposition votes exceeded 25% of
sharing negotiations on the horizon, Tokyo may argue that
eligible voters. A local ordinance requires the governor the
its ongoing subsidies to Okinawan communities hosting
governor to “respect” results meeting that threshold, and
U.S. bases, as well as increasing cost of constructing the
send notifications to both Tokyo and Washington. Despite
necessary runways, should be part of the burden-sharing
the clear signal from Okinawans, the Abe administration
formula. Congress may also be concerned about the
indicated it would proceed with construction as planned.
ballooning cost of construction on Guam.
Outlook for FRF Relocation and Construction
For more background, see CRS Report R42645, The U.S.
An additional challenge adding to delays in the Futenma
Military Presence in Okinawa and the Futenma Base
relocation is the physical difficulty of constructing offshore
Controversy.
runways for the base. According to a 2010 bilateral experts
study group, the offshore runways will require 21 million
Emma Chanlett-Avery, Specialist in Asian Affairs
cubic meters of soil to create 395 acres of reclaimed land,
Christopher T. Mann, Analyst in National Defense Policy
most of which will be imported from other areas of Japan. It
Joshua A. Williams, Research Associate
was subsequently discovered that underwater soil in the
area is less stable than originally thought, leading to more
IF10672
complex building requirements. A slightly larger offshore
runway at a U.S. base at Iwakuni took 13 years to complete.
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U.S. Military Presence on Okinawa and Realignment to Guam

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