DoD talks of its plans in meeting with CPA board

United States Pacific Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Anthony G. Crutchfield said last week’s meeting with the CNMI government and some board members of the Commonwealth Ports Authority was to discuss what the U.S. Department of Defense’s would need from the CNMI as a training area.

Crutchfield said they also wanted to give a clear understanding of their plans. “The main goal was to discuss the requirements that the DoD and PacCom has for the Tinian airfield. Like the types of requirements like parking space, refueling stations, and maintenance hangers for our aircraft.”

“We just want to lay out to the CPA what requirements are we are asking for to give them a clear understanding of what the DoD’s plans would be. The [Environmental Impact Study] for the divert airfield is complete. We expect to have a record of decision within 30 days.”

Crutchfield said the record of decision was signed last Sept. 23. “We expect a record of decision of the U.S. Air Force for the divert airfield at the end of [October]. We’re just waiting for it, for the Tinian north option.”

Torres said they remain in constant dialogue with the DoD and the military. “We’ve been having these kinds of dialogues, topics like the live-fire [training] and environment. Gen. Crutchfield was here to update us on what’s going on. We continue with the dialogue.”

“They have already chosen that [divert airfield] and there’s a 30-day waiting period. We will wait if there’s a record of decision. But again, at the end of the day we would like our concerns to be addressed.”

Crutchfield also joined Torres and both panels—CNMI and federal government—in last Friday’s trip to Pagan, which is part of the ongoing 902 talks. The U.S. Air Force lent their V-22 Osprey, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, as a mode of transportation to Pagan.

The Osprey was the same aircraft used in providing relief and transporting equipment after Typhoon Soudelor.

Torres, in a separate interview last Thursday, said they are wrapping up the 902 talks in order to have a report handed to President Barrack Obama before his term ends on Jan. 20, 2017.

Department of Public Lands Secretary Marianne Teregeyo was part of the CNMI panel where she showed the proposed homestead program of the CNMI government. Torres last month instructed Teregeyo to move ahead with the homestead program that needs to be afforded to locals up north.

Crutchfield, meanwhile, joined the trip as a representative of the PacComm, grabbing the opportunity to show the 902 panels what their plans are on Pagan. The DoD and the military plans to build a live-fire training facility in one of the CNMI’s northernmost islands.