‘Tinian will be a major part of Guam buildup’

Capt. Ulysses O. Zalamea, the deputy director of the U.S. Navy Defense Department Joint Guam Program Office presented yesterday insights on the upcoming military buildup in Guam, including how the island of Tinian will play a major part in it.

Speaking at the opening day of the Second Annual Pacific Mayors’ Conference at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan, Zalamea said the buildup will include a firing range and training facilities on Tinian.

JGPO’s main task is to manage and facilitate the transfer of the main bulk of the U.S. Marine Corps from Okinawa to Guam, involving about 14,000 troops on active duty.

“I’m here to present some of the challenges we are currently facing. One of the highlights is that we are making progress,” Zalamea said.

Construction, he said, will begin in 2010 and this will economically benefit Guam and its neighbors in the region, including the CNMI.

Part of the program, Zalamea said, was a careful analysis of specific locations such as South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and even Taiwan. These and other areas, he said, would have maximum access to military training and exercises without any restrictions. For instance, he said, it only takes about three hours from these countries to get to Guam or Saipan.

According to a draft of the plan, about 25,000 people would be needed to construct facilities like schools, amenities and entertainment facilities.

Being finalized is the $1 billion budget for the next fiscal year alone, not only for the construction of military training facilities but also the modernization of commercial ports and infrastructure road projects.

Zalamea said that Japan had already committed some $740 million that would provide additional fund for this effort, such as upgrading some of the existing facilities in Guam.

JGPO said it is just waiting for a proper business model from the government of Guam to be presented to them.

Zalamea’s presentation, titled “What Can We Expect, Now that the Military Buildup is Underway,” was attended by 11 of the 19 mayors in Guam, led by Agana Heights Mayor Paul M. McDonald, who is also president of the APILG. Other participants included 10 mayors from the Philippines and two from Kosrae.

The CNMI’s four mayors were present except for Tinian Mayor Jose P. San Nicolas, who is off-island on medical leave.