Congresswoman Bordallo made the following statement after Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a joint press conference on Saturday morning in Washington, D.C. with their Japanese counterparts to announce an agreement on the broad realignment of U.S. forces on Japan including the movement of 7,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to locations on Guam, Hawaii and elsewhere on Japan.

“The United States and Japanese governments have reached agreement this morning on a wide ranging plan for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. Included in this agreement is a plan to move 7,000 U.S. Marines off of Okinawa with the largest portions of these forces moving to Guam. Specifically, the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Headquarters will move to Guam. Decisions as to what other forces will accompany the Headquarters, when the forces will be moved, where they will be based and other implementing details remain to be worked out by the U.S. Pacific Command and the U.S. and Japanese governments but it is probable that the Headquarters will be accompanied by significant numbers of additional forces including possible maneuver forces that would form the basis of a new Littoral Warfighting Center.

 “The decision to bring U.S. Marines to Guam represents another acknowledgement of the strategic value of Guam and the increasingly prominent role our island plays in America's national security. It is a great victory for our island. I am proud to bring back home, both to Guam and to America, the very Marines that liberated our island some sixty years ago. We will now celebrate many Liberation Days in the future beside the men and women that carry on the tradition of those that freed our people. It will be a wonderful reunion.

 “The U.S. Marines are the world’s leading amphibious fighting force. As I have said before, the addition of the U.S. Marines will help make the military forces on Guam truly ‘joint’ with air, land and sea forces to be present. Guam will also continue to be the most forward based yet home ported location for U.S. forces in the Pacific. Military leaders have recognized the capacity of Guam, the goodness of our people and the importance of our location in making this decision.

 “In the coming years, as this move is planned and resourced, there will be many new opportunities presented for the Guam community. We also bear a responsibility to prepare our island for the addition of the Marines and their families to ensure they know they are moving to an island with first class roads, facilities, schools and more. It goes without saying that we will greet them with our world famous Chamorro spirit and island hospitality. While  no exact timeline for arrival of the Marines has been established and understanding fully that extensive construction, many decisions, interim plans and much more remain ahead, we should expect a focused period of planning and then a phased movement of forces to Guam over the next two to eight years. Important discussions, including possible cost sharing by the Japanese, remain that will affect the timeline.

 "Having closely followed the negotiations and stayed in regular contact with the office of the Deputy Assistant Undersecretary of Defense for East Asian Affairs Richard Lawless, I believe that today's announcement proves the value of a process that avoided speculation, leaks and outside influence. This kept American negotiators in the best position possible as they addressed the many complicated parts of a full agreement and led to a positive result for Guam. I would like to thank the Department of Defense for consulting with me during this process and for allowing me to represent and protect the interests of the people of Guam. I look forward to continuing to work with defense officials as this process now moves into the very challenging execution phase.

 “Finally, this decision is a reflection of the successful and strong partnership between myself, the Governor, the Chamber of Commerce and many other key leaders on Guam in showcasing our island to the Department of Defense and I want to thank everyone who have helped Guam reach this point. Many people on Guam have joined in answering Secretary Rumsfeld’s popular saying, ‘we go where we’re wanted’ by making it clear that U.S. forces are wanted on Guam. Our message has gotten through.”

 Attached is the report released this morning jointly by the U.S. and Japan in conjunction with their announcement of an agreement. The report provides further details on the holistic agreement that was reached and discusses the broad strategic backdrop to the overall realignment.  View Report