United States Marine Troops From Okinawa To Occupy Barak In Guam Starting June

The guard post at the gates of the US Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa. (Wikimedia Commons/US Marine Corps/LCpl Patricia D.men)

JAKARTA - The United States Marine Corps troops, which began to be moved from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam late last year, will begin occupying barracks at the Camp Blazard in June, a spokesman for Guam-based facilities said, as construction of the facility continues.

The statement comes amid the relocation of 100 logistics personnel to Guam this year, marking the first group of more than 4,000 US Marines to be removed from Japan's southern island prefecture, Okinawa.

The transfer is part of an effort to ease the burden on local communities in Okinawa who host the base.

Major Dinn Rosenfeld told Kyodo News on Wednesday the young Marines had arrived from Okinawa and were currently stationed at other military facilities on the US island's territory, without naming the numbers.

"We are ready to accept the Marines, have buildings to live in the Marines and start working," Major Rosenfeld said, referring to the barracks, which will accommodate up to 5,000 personnel upon completion.

Apart from the barracks, Major Rosenfeld said other facilities, such as fire stations, would soon be opened, while the head office building was expected to fully operate in the fall.

This relocation is based on the US-Japan Roadmap for the Implementation of Restructuring, a deal reached by the two countries in 2006. The cost of relocation is estimated at 8.7 billion US dollars, with the Japanese Government taking up to 2.8 billion US dollars.

It is known that currently there are around 18,000 US Marine Corps personnel stationed in Okinawa.