Guam News - Guam News

Guam - Senators Rory Respicio, Judi Guthertz and Tom Ada have introduced a resolution urging the Department of Defense to submit the Master Plan requested by Congress for the realignment of Marine forces throughout the Pacific.

The Master Plan is one of the key requirements required by law before the current freeze on buildup funding is lifted.

READ Resolution #458 HERE

In a release, Majority Leader Respicio said, “Congress has repeatedly said they need this in order to fund the buildup. Now that the relocation details have been agreed upon, DoD can move forward with drawing up the plan.”

READ the Senators release in FULL below:

Resolution urges Defense Secretary to submit Guam Joint Military Master Plan to Congress

A resolution calling for the submittal to Congress of a long-required Guam buildup master plan, was introduced Monday, June 25, 2012 by Senators Rory J. Respicio, Judith P. Guthertz and Tom Ada. Resolution No. 458-31 (COR) points out the following facts in requesting that Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta accede to the Senate’s request:

• In FY 2007, the Senate directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review DoD’s master plans for the Guam buildup, as part of their
annual assessments of overseas master plans. The reviews and plans would then be provided to defense committees in Congress.

• On June 2nd, Secretary Panetta announced that the U.S. and its allies had “strengthened the alliance and our broader strategic objectives in the
region with a revised plan to relocate Marines from Okinawa to Guam (to) further develop Guam as a strategic hub for the United States military in the western Pacific.”

Earlier this month, Senators Frank Blas and Tony Ada were told by Senator James Webb, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, that the Senate was still waiting for DoD’s Master Plan for Guam, so the realignment of forces can move forward. In a June 10, 2012, news release Senator Blas said: “What I found to be crystal clear was that the reason for the delay and downscale of the Marine realignment to Guam was due to the lack of a master plan being submitted by the Defense Department to the Senate.”

Majority Leader Respicio said, “Secretary Panetta’s June 2nd announcement of the revised relocation agreement paves the way for the development of the required Guam Joint Military Master Plan. Congress has repeatedly said they need this in order to fund the buildup. Now that the relocation details have been agreed upon, DoD can move forward with drawing up the plan.”

Senator Guthertz, buildup chair, added: “DoD has not been able to comply with requests for the Guam master plan, in part because the buildup’s size and scope has been changing. Senator Webb has said that Guam ‘continues to be vital to a robust defense structure and should expect a significant increase in military presence,’ and that can only happen after the master plan has been completed.”

Senator Tom Ada said, “The newly revised lay-down will improve our ability to respond more quickly to trouble spots in the Asia-Pacific region. Now that it has been developed, we look forward to the DoD’s completion of the master plan, so Congress can move to find the funding and put the buildup back on track. We introduced this resolution because, without action on the master plan, there can’t be a buildup. We hope that every Senator, and everyone who wants this buildup to take place, will join us in support.”

UNSWORN DECLARATION: I hereby declare that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, under penalty of perjury of the laws of Guam, this declaration being sworn and made in lieu of an affidavit pursuant to Title 6 Guam Code Annotated §4308, at the place and date identified herein.