ViewPoint; Growing Military Presence on Guam

The military presence on Guam will increase significantly in the near future. What can the community do to prepare. How can we promote a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with the military well into the future. Preparing for bombs growing military presence tonight on viewpoint. Viewpoint where the community spotlight shines on island ideas and if you feel like you've joined the Western Pacific the only public affairs magazine show. You Lee. Now the host of you point your new role. Welcome to viewpoint from the early Spanish military units

the military presence has ranged from just a few soldiers to planes and thousands of troops and their families. We will have many more military members contractors and families along with the facilities there to live and work. We have assembled a panel of community members are increasing the military presence to prepare. What can we do to help make the build up a relationship. Welcome to our panelists and thanks for joining us here in the viewpoint studio. Please introduce yourself. My name is Peter shamble. I'm a retired Marine and I've been gone since 1980. My bag basically is that I was a. Privileged marshal on Okinawa. Under two occasion and all show that. I spend six years or solicit in 20 years as a commissioned officer.

Thank you. Letters Nick Captain I'm the president of the captain co. and Captain realty advisors. I'm in the real estate business. How funny my name is Charles in your brackets and I am a resident of Guam born and raised and I currently run the Mothers Against Drunk Driving program. Right from the waterworks authority. I'm the assistant general manager for compliance and safety. My background as a chemist and I take some credit for helping the guys and over time keep it running even when it rains. I am a Dick Whitman top scientist I was in the Navy for 32 years came to gone in 1074 and changed my legal residency to Guam. And on the first. Go meeting to worship. Retarded one thousand ninety one. And when I retired I was the. Planner for Guam. I was on that. Executive Branch legal status commission section

for it and I was on the home putting study groups for it. So I was kind of the Navy's expert on one for 20 years. Thank you so much all of you for joining us this evening. Let's start with with our first question. The Pentagon has started the process of preparing for a major escalation of the military presence on Guam in this preparation phase. What are the most important issues that Guam needs to address with military planners. Got to invoke sandals. Well in 1990 as part of the status negotiations for Commonwealth. Dick Cheney who is now vice president he was a century defense and he signed an order. For all the military to consult with the government of Guam. Prior to and drawing any changes of force structure so we should highlight that with the military because what we need to do with them is have transparency. We need to have the plans that they submitted the plan to the four star admiral on July alerts why haven't we

seen it yet. We're supposed to be consulted. Doesn't mean we have a veto over anything. But we should be able to work it at the beginning the very beginning so the number one thing we have to do is get the military to realize that they need to coordinate. With the civilians. There's two kinds of military in the Pentagon. One is the real estate people and they just want to have the bases and to heck with anybody around the bases. And the other people are the policy people who know that have a base somewhere you have to have good relations with the neighbors. And so we have to remind the military that if they want have good relations with the neighbors they better start letting us see those plans so that we can plan accordingly. I like to note in addition to what Dick was saying within the military it is almost like in figures warfare. The first thing that needs to be done is when we hit the beach. There's a huge samplers a beachhead. We make sure also that there are rows with the troops you you that's when you bring in oyur you're rolling stocks. That we call vehicles and

you have two kinds of rolling stocks. One there are tanks and they can really do damage to our highways. And so what I'm leading up to is that we've got to make sure that the roads are. Going to be condition which would be which would be accommodating all traffic going Ireland and so the military really has to come in. Do some and it has been of the road system that we've got to give people a perspective we're going to be seeing a doubling in the military community between now and 2012. Historically. Since. 1980 the military has 51 percent of the population and one. In 100 16 military is 28 percent. And then it went down from one thousand seventy one thousand ninety eight the military was stable about 19000. The uniformed people and their dependents. Then in 1974 with the induction it went from. That percentage of

19000 which was 16 percent. It went down to only 8 percent the military side down so currently. There are. Twelve thousand seven hundred military military independence. And of that. 4000 are Navy. And. Twenty eight hundred or dependents. So of the Navy. So we're going from twelve thousand seven hundred. Up to about. 17000. But in terms of the percent of the population which is going back to where we were in 1900 we're going to go from 8 percent now to 16 percent. So we handle 16 percent back in 1900 actually from 165 to 1990 it was at 16 percent. And we're just going back to that percentage. This is something that we have already been living with her experience as a career high strength. In addition to a digger saying I believe this will impact on the statistics that he's talking about the number of people that are coming to. Understand that the 8000 Marines are going to be here. It's

basically divvied up into three three sectors or three sections. One would be what we call beon or an arm that they'll be on I on the other one third may be aboard ship and that will be considered on standby in the event that they need to be closed for humanitarian efforts or for a combat environment. I too have to be deployed to the third one third or the last one third generally are in a training mode. They could be up to Japan could be done astray or they could be somewhere up along the ridge like maybe the Philippines. So when you say a thousand floats or a thousand Marines to be an island it's a mess. And I don't have that many. And knowing the Marine Corps nor the military you do not caution faith that many folks seem to want to hear or to be dead to the you know to receiving any telling coming. That's. I grieved when he said that. But we do need to know that

we are already a target on Guam. When the B-52s left Anderson. And the nuclear weapons if they were here at all which I can't say but they're definitely not here now. That's public knowledge. We had some politicians say well now we're no longer a target. And that's not true I was the work planner for the Pacific fleet and for the Navy and we targeted capabilities we targeted the airfields and we targeted the port facilities. So we're not the target. Marines are walking around with rifles because in one second they can be gone. BR already a target to become any worse of a target because of the Marines. Speaking of land let's let's move on to that topic dissipated addition of thousands of military members contractors and their families will have a significant impact on our community that in fact inevitably have both positive and negative aspects.

What is most important benefit. And what might be detrimental effect. Captain can we start with an important benefit. Well in my mind the most important benefit associated with this military expansion is economic growth. Economic growth means an increase in the bath in the job count which which badly needs growth. Economic growth means new construction. Economic growth means new opportunities economic growth means business expansion and and typically a higher standard of living for the people of Guam. And on the real estate side economic growth will support the recent increases in real estate prices and will further support continued gains in the real estate market. But I. Would like to say I don't I don't really feel

that. There's any risk of a detriment here. But with these people I mean people are people and. The easiest thing for us is if we know where they're going to be and what they're going to need so that we can get to them. So. As for I'm inclined to support that point of view it will sell more water. I see a potential detriment in terms of political status. It's already on the back burner. And this will definitely put it out of sight behind us. The Pentagon Washington executive branch see Guam as an outpost and by having the Marines come here the heighten that perception in Washington. And there's no incentive whatsoever for Washington to give any autonomy for want. And so it's going to have a negative impact and also on the whole moral brown power. Renaissance movement. When you have this many more

morals arrive on island. It's going to be harder to maintain that this is the homeland of Jim Marrs. And so you see some of that now on the radio talk shows where people are worried. And what they're subconsciously worried about is becoming alienated in their own homeland. I believe in addition to statement connecting it with the real estate aspects. Coming from someone who is just trying to establish my own little piece of the island here you feel a perceived threat in an attempt to purchase property or to claim land ownership for yourself and with the influx you feel that there's a rush to quickly what you can and so there's you feels like threat there and with that aspect and then you realize the developers are going to come in and purchase land and develop that land and that's one more parcel that's taking away from an opportunity for yourself. We also have the concern about the young males

that have a local girlfriend in the pub bar some night and five Marines walking all 18 19 years old and they try to make a move with a young female. And the guy there has refused to consent. My granddaughter was in a bar recently just a week ago and this Marine who was about 6 feet was pushing a local guy who's 6 4 and somebody Maureen stood up in the crowd. And the bartender. Reacted beautifully. Insley called the cops and sure they all showed up within five minutes. Everybody separately separately took care of the situation. So we have to think about the young male Murrell who's going to see competition for his young females. You know a lot of young females would love to date marry a Marine. That's exciting. Get off the island you know and so. I feel sorry for

the competitions can be fierce because the Marines are so squared away. I like I like to go back to the issue of the war the boys are mentioned earlier. The Marines or. Have a unit that is called still sustaining So when they land on the beach they bring everything with them even to the point of making fresh water. Girls. Do that. We do have. Back to women within the unit but that's a different story. I don't ask that I don't mess with it. That's right but the point I'm trying to get across is that in good moment in Cuba for example they have a process where they take salt water and turn into fresh water. That's what's going to do here. If not there we're going to be doing a whale shop around Nick them sort of up north or steal. They're just going to be adequate to supply water for the island. There is water and Paul would

say there's a lot of water and warm. We just don't know how to find it. No word is located there. Again we really have not had a good operational plan to ensure that water is made available to everyone on the island. Water that is going to be needed for people that are in the homes water is going to be needed to ensure that that people are accommodated and water that is really offered to provide here for like here. Book Four for the island. So water is really going to shut you out of that we need to need to address. And for now I would say that the military is going to be ready for for that for that event if it does. If it does come about that's a completely right that military. The best thing military does is plan. And they're planning a way right now. And it reminds me of the Vietnamese refugees that came here in 175. They just landed on us and they're up with over fifty thousand any one time under

32000 total and we had. A delegation the Chamber of Commerce come to the admiral's office and says Don't strip the shelves bare in the civilian stores you know don't have us run out of eggs and rice and what about the water and everything. So we took pains to develop our own water sources and bring in a rice ship and we didn't bother the local community. And then about a month later the chamber sent a delegation saying we're not getting enough of the actual business to start buying something from us. And so the military. Will take care of itself. And and especially now with a separate school system. Is violently opposed to the split when it happened. But imagine if that had not happened. The pressure to find new school teachers much less new school buildings. And now the military will take care of it. You know the impact for the civilian schools would be any contracting people to bring families with the civilians like nothing like it would have been if we still had a unitary school system.

OK. I'd like to say that we have. Discussions already with the military I don't suppose we have all their plans available to us but whatever works is working very closely with military planners at this time. And one thing I would like to say is that we have plenty of water in the north without any without any reservation. We would only need to supply another 4 million gallons a day of water supply. Of the full 17000 additional personnel. We already. We don't use all of our wells as it stands because we don't need them all. And we also have. I think there's three of them up in the north right now that are drilled. All we need to do is commission them so. The water is plentiful for the for the foreseeable future. And don't forget Marines take short showers just like the Navy right. The shower maybe shower actually get in get way turn the water off

down turn the word on get to so love and that's it. And that's going to be OK with one gallon right in the end it will work to have children 44000 military people on this island and they don't run out of water. Good to know. Moving on here the perceptions of residents and federal officials are certainly key for success in the evolving relationship between the military and the island community. Currently are there. Significant public or military misconceptions that dress differently. Jackie let me tell you I was a little bit perplexed when the A group of leading political leaders when they went to the wrong place was a country from Japan that lost World War to show their animosity against the occupiers.

Where these groups are going to she should have gone to Canio a Marine Corps Air Station in Honolulu or Kailua that's where they should have gone because it is similar to Guam under a a US your addiction. It has his lawyers as are provided. For by the US Constitution and that's the kind of people we should be talking to and it is working in the state of Hawaii and he's going to work and want to because there is no way that a Marine who is a by the way are very disciplined and they're made up of 13 people with the you know work with at least 3 should of I show that over these 30 people and and they are afraid I say afraid. They fear the the the lawyers that comes into the US because they know. What they're going to be going to. In the another so for all of the in Okinawa they know

to be protected and they know that if anything go they didn't just fly Michael ship them out so that there would not be not be exposed to the truth because the laws of Japan. What on who won. It's a US territory and they have to abide by whomever the judge is going to be could be I'm Pingo could be lumbering earned could be Gatewood. Whatever the point is that they will show respect for U.S. laws and when they get here I tell you they are going to be in step. For example one police can just drive into the Navy base here you know hard hot pursuit. But if you have a vest worthy to show it and get on the base and there's no there's no hesitation there's no drawback but either way you know. So it's a much better system. I knew that there was some concern about about some reach coming to Guam and that the crime index is going to go to junk sky high. Well let me tell you having

been approached more shoot twice in Okinawa. It was it was a good job by the way. But but the point of getting out of it right now in Okinawa about 1.4 million people and off that. There was a just for the for the last for you for this year. There's that approach me of for 4000 incidents of 3 percent. In violence. I dependent and the military the military had for off that for only two were arrested and convicted. So what if you if you look at the statistics is really very low and that's what's going to happen here. Very if that's what's going to happen here it's going to be Los Additionally and we shouldn't worry about it. I know there's been a lot of political machinations in the political of. Comments concerning them coming here you don't lock your doors put handcuffs on your girls because the Marines are coming you know it's almost like

feel cliched over here the Russians are Coming The Russians are coming and you know save save for children. Well there's no need for that. We have a good police department and there is good. Yes good. Eye coordination between the military and more police and the like. Like what Davis said. The main gate is open when you and. I do the shoot and use Konqueror and jurisdiction in accordance with the. US title so if you want the military already is very tight you have to take it. The training like should be for you not to go swim in the ocean together because of all the drownings. They're checking for a blood supply. I call content to get back to the Frank cable channel. It's the military's death on instances in the civilian community so it's can be interesting but the Marines are some much handsome and intelligent you know. So now in either area I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to need

to jump in here and then because the time is moving quickly on us. We can anticipate that the military buildup will provide us with potential challenges and opportunities over time. What should we be prepared for down the road. I like to scare everybody. We're going to get a thousand of the 18000 Marines will come out and so are we going to get the second phase at some point in the future and then we have the ships and Sasebo that carry Marines here and there. And when the pressure some green Japan that would be a perfect fit here rather than a big aircraft carrier. We're not going to get that because we don't have a nuclear carrier capability. But the little helicopter carriers and SAS will have the perfect fit for. How you are. I think part I'm starting to feel strongly that one thing we can do to prepare our future generations is to reinforce some of our cultural integrity and cultural appreciation. But if the

Marines are as amicable and handsome as these two gentlemen seem to believe that with the current rate of sexually transmitted diseases on island I think we're going to have to prepare generations for the integration of the local community with the military community and what that might entail with regards to some of our medical and social conditions that may change. We're really out of time and this is such a lucrative topic I'll be coming back and then having conversations like this. If we could just wrap it up very quickly any last comments on this site would be. Hardcover might I would say that. Let's not worry about the marine standing. We're going to be ready for them. What I think we need to we be concerned about for the next generation that's coming down. We've got to enhance our school system. We've got to make sure that the schools that we've got in place

B be designed so that you accommodate all students on an island. Again we're going to be live look we're going to be inviting people that are dependent. And their children are going to be signing up so for them to use our facility. We got to show that we've got the right stuff. Yeah I'd like to address the misconception issue again and I do think that there's a public misconception that the military growth is a panacea for our economic woes. We need to think about the military expansion is gravy not as bread and butter. Just because the military is expanding on Guam doesn't mean that our government leaders are making better decisions or that we in the private sector are making better business decisions. Like all gravy trains of the coming boom associated with the military growth will come to an end and it may be a bit premature

but soon it'll be time to start thinking about what we're going to do when all of the economic growth associated with the expansion comes to a halt. I believe with the influx of the military who will be arriving will also see a change in our children in the way they develop socially and their attitudes towards their culture changing because they're also getting an influx of which we get a lot of now but there is an increase in the American culture and American pop culture. And I'd like to see a strengthening of cultural ties within communities and the children that will be growing to face these people. And just waterworks is a service organization and our job is to serve. I'm really. Thankful. We're doubling of the military community so our side of it has to be more Boy Scout troops or girl scout troops more counseling capability capacity.

We need to bring back to the sports you know so we get the military involved in the local sports scene and competition. But. Nothing is in extremes. Somebody said we're not to have all the Marines are coming all the Marines are coming we're not going to that extreme. We're not to have a lock up your young lady's extreme. It's just going to work out fine. If I Should Be patient. But but I think we need to bang on the Federal Government little bit more. About being open with us. Immediately. I don't think the governor is consulted about a decision with the Marines. He's being consulted about how we do it. But. Cheney. Directed the military to console us before any decision like that. And I have seen nothing in the media where Governor Camacho was consulted before the announcement by Rumsfeld that the Marines are coming. Thank you all very much and thank you for joining us and good morning.