U.S. Marines in Okinawa Begin 18 Years After Relocating to Guam

Photo Source: Yonhap News

The relocation of some U.S. Marines to Okinawa, which the U.S. and Japan agreed to in 2006, has begun.

Defense Minister Ken Katani, who visited Okinawa, met with local officials and said, "Work has begun to move about 100 U.S. Marines to Guam and deploy them."

Japanese media said it was the first time the U.S. Marine Corps unit in Okinawa Prefecture was moving outside Japan for redeployment.The units to be redeployed to

Guam are 'third Marine Expeditionary Deployment Unit' rear support personnel, and the relocation is expected to be completed sometime next year.

Earlier in 2006, the U.S.-Japan government agreed to move 4,000 of the 19,000 U.S. Marines in Okinawa to Guam and 5,000 to Hawaii or the U.S. mainland.

Okinawa Prefecture's area is only about 0.6% of Japan's land, but about 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan are concentrated.