Guam and the security of our nation

Guam, an island territory of the United States, is located 900 miles north of the equator in the Western Pacific. From four to eight miles in width and 32 miles long, Guam covers approximately 220 square miles. It is truly a tropical paradise.

What many people do not realize is that it sits at the tip of the spear for the defense of our nation and is woven into the strategic fabric of the Pacific Theater. Most importantly, it represents a territory in our nation that provides the military freedom of movement and undeterred military access unavailable in the western portion of the Pacific Theater.

The United States Navy and Air Force have long recognized the importance of this strategic hub and the guaranteed access that it offers. United States forces have maintained a significant presence on the island and currently encumber almost 23 percent of the entire island and represent almost 14,000 military service members. The Air Force alone has two 11,000-foot runways and the Navy occupies a significant presence in the natural harbor. Guam’s strategic importance to the United States is obvious.

In addition to the United States, Japan also recognized the importance of Guam in their strategic interests and has offered to provide financial contributions to better align United States forces in the Pacific Theater. Because of severe encroachment of the Marine Corps presence in Okinawa, the government of Japan has offered almost $6 billion in improvements on Guam to support new infrastructure that will relocate 8,000 Marines and 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to this strategic hub. Considering this significant contribution, the United States has also offered an additional $4 billion to support the movement of Marine Corps forces.

These contributions will provide the foundation for a long-term, stable basing structure that ensures the viability of United States forces in this theater. Most importantly, Japan has long recognized the United States as a vital partner in the defense of its homeland and has offered tangible proof of its willingness to support United States forces within the context of the Japanese constitution.

The U.S. Congress has had the opportunity to endorse this strategic alliance and is preparing to provide funds in fiscal year 2010 to support the initial investments at Guam. The government of Japan has also provided its first installment of Guam infrastructure funds and it appears that our two nations are well on our way to a successful cooperative realignment.

The House Armed Services Committee this year has addressed numerous issues related to this move, including the dependence of the Guam relocation to the overall realignment of forces in the Pacific, the importance of the Pacific Theater in the overall national security strategy of the United States, and the military’s overall training requirements in the Pacific Theater. The guiding mantra in this realignment is to ensure that we get this right and ensure that the United States enhances the overall strategic framework of our military.

With the rising influence of our Pacific partners in today’s global economy, it is essential that we continue to support the world’s economy and guarantee the freedom of movement of commercial interests. The military provides an essential element in the protection of our commercial interests and Guam continues to provide support as one of the crown jewels in the defense of our nation.

Ortiz is chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee in the House Armed Services Committee.