The relocation of around 4,000 Okinawa-based Marines to Guam is on course for 2024 as construction of the military base in the US Pacific territory is proceeding at “full steam again,” Marine Commander Benjamin Nicholson said.
Japanese media outlets reported that US base Camp Blaz is halfway complete following a two-year construction slowdown due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Commander Christopher Bopp said the military is prioritizing the completion of the cantonment, barracks, and galley facilities before the personnel relocation from Okinawa.
Force Realignment Plan
Camp Blaz is a joint project of the US and Japan under the 2006 force realignment plan.
The US government has allotted $8.7 billion for the construction, while Japan has pledged $2.8 billion for infrastructure, including a fire station and a treatment facility.
In 2014, the US government agreed to transfer roughly 8,000 marines to the Pacific island 1,230 nautical miles (2,278 kilometers/1,415 miles) southeast of Okinawa.