US, Singapore hold exercise on Guam

The U.S. Navy and elite military units from Singapore will conduct a joint training on Guam beginning today, following a ranking military official’s disclosure of increased military activity in the region.

The U.S. Naval Forces Marianas disclosed this yesterday, saying that the training would continue until Saturday. The training exercises would involve its Special Unit Warfare One and the Special Forces from Singapore, the Navy said.

The Navy said the exercises would take place on Guam’s Dadi Beach and then proceed inland toward South Tipalao Housing, advising the public not be alarmed when they see the militarymen brandishing their weapons.

“Participants in the exercise will be firing blank ammunition. The public should not be alarmed if they hear weapons fire or see service members carrying weapons and wearing military gear,” the Navy said in a media release.

This developed following the recent and first actual visit to the CNMI of Naval Forces Marianas commander Rear Adm. Arthur Johnson, who told Saipan businessmen about the thrust to increase the military’s joint and multilateral training with allied countries, including the Philippines, Australia, and Brunei, among others, besides Singapore.

Johnson confirmed plans to beef up military training on Tinian, but said none of the plans have been finalized yet.

The military currently controls about 30 percent of the landmass of Tinian, maintaining leasehold over 7,628 acres of public land. The military leases about 178 acres of public land on Saipan, while maintaining leasehold over the Farallon de Mendinilla Island, where it frequently conducts bombing exercises.

Johnson had also disclosed meeting with the Commonwealth Ports Authority about increasing military port calls in the CNMI.

The military official also disclosed the increasing trend on its operations, logistics and training in the Marianas, following media reports in the U.S. mainland that the region would soon become the nation’s power hub on the edge of Asia.

A news report released earlier by The New York Times said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld wanted to build up the nation’s military strength on Guam, as the U.S. government decides on closing up other military bases next year. Guam is home to the Andersen Air Force Base and the Naval Forces Marianas headquarters.

The report also noted that various movements in military logistics and construction activities have been going on, which could indicate that Guam is gearing up to become one of the country’s major military hub. Relatedly, Johnson had underscored the economic impact of military spending on Guam, citing a total of about $1.1 billion in Navy and Air Force expenditure in Fiscal Year 2002.

The New York Times also revealed the flight of several B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Minot, North Dakota to the Andersen headquarters and the scheduled arrival of a nuclear-powered attack submarine that would be the third to make Guam its homeport since 2002.

Meanwhile, a new commander will head the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 in a ceremony this morning at the Naval Forces Marianas Support Activity on Guam.

Cmdr. Vincent R. Martinez would relieve Cmdr. Jay S. Lewis to the post, following the latter’s selection for promotion to captain, the Navy said. Rear Adm. Gary R. Jones, commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s Amphibious Force, will be the guest speaker at the ceremony.

The Navy said the EODMU 5 is a forward-deployed mobile command tasked to provide EOD detachments throughout the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility to enable access for fleet, mine countermeasures, joint expeditionary and special operations forces.