The U.S. military presence in Okinawa and the Futenma base controversy | WorldCat.org
Although the U.S.-Japan alliance is often labeled as "the cornerstone" of security in the Asia Pacific region, local concerns about the U.S. military presence on the Japanese island of Okinawa have challenged the management of the alliance for decades. The Japanese archipelago serves as the most significant forward-operating platform for the U.S. military in the region; approximately 38,000 military personnel, 43,000 dependents, and 5,000 DOD civilian employees live in Japan. With the United States pledging to rebalance its defense posture towards Asia, the uncertainty surrounding the medium and long-term presence of American forces on Okinawa remains a critical concern for national security decision-makers. In 2006, as part of a broad realignment of U.S. basing in Japan, the United States and Japan agreed to relocate Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma to a less-congested area on Okinawa, a move that would have triggered the redeployment of 8,000 Marines to U.S. bases in Guam. The arrangement was designed to reduce the local community's burden of hosting a loud air base that has generated safety concerns and, eventually, to return control of the Futenma land to local authorities as a way to boost economic development in the area. The controversy surrounding relocation of MCAS Futenma has overshadowed progress in the largely successful implementation of other elements of the realignment agreement. Implementation of the Futenma relocation plan has stalled, due largely to political turmoil in Tokyo and resistance in Okinawa. After six years of paralysis, the United States and Japan officially adjusted the policy in April 2012 by "de-linking" the transfer of Marines with progress on the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF). Although both capitals remain officially committed to the construction of the new base, numerous political and budgetary obstacles remain that make progress in the near term highly unlikely
ejournal, eMagazine, English, 2012-
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, [Washington, DC], 2012-