thedrifter
01-15-09, 11:17 AM
January 16, 2009
Contiguous Marine base would be good
By Lt. Col. Rudy Kube
It may not be common knowledge, but there are four Marines on Guam assigned to the Joint Guam Program Office whose sole mission is to prepare for the arrival of 8,000 fellow Marines and dependents.
As one might imagine, preparing for the arrival of this many people is a monumental task, a task that must be done correctly the first time. One of the toughest challenges the planners face is identifying the right places on Guam for these Marines to live, work and train.
In recent weeks, the Department of Defense conducted environmental assessments of a limited number of land parcels belonging to the government of Guam and private land owners. These assessments were conducted at the request of JGPO and in consultation with appropriate government of Guam agencies and the private land owners themselves.
While the results of these assessments are not due to be completed until early March, I would like to shed some light on: why these studies are essential to planning considerations; and some possible future uses of these parcels.
The "Draft" Guam Joint Military Master Plan was developed on the assumption that existing DOD lands would be suitable for the training and infrastructure requirements of forces relocating to Guam. Based strictly on the number of land acreage requirements, this is a logical assumption.
However, as the planning process matures and additional information is acquired, planning based on assumption alone is impractical, if not irresponsible, and will not serve the best interest of the Marines or the people of Guam.
Planning considerations
There are many planning considerations that must be taken into account, one being the environmental impact of future training requirements and required infrastructure. As part of an effort to reintroduce certain animal species, Guam and federal natural resource agencies have designated certain lands on the island as wildlife refuge. The majority of this refuge, over 22,000 acres, as well as the largest tracts of remaining limestone forests in northern Guam, exists on DOD lands. These large tracts of land may be essential to the recovery of native species such as the Mariana Crow, the Micronesian Kingfisher or the Guam Rail and may not be available for development.
Another consideration is the potential social economic impact of the buildup. Early planning called for small-arms ranges to be located on what is currently Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Guam at Finegayan. Initial planning concluded that this would be the most logical location, mainly due to the large expanse of available and undeveloped DOD land. However, early consultation with community leaders such as the governor's office and Sen. Judith Guthertz, as well as public concerns voiced during village meetings, convinced planners to look for alternative locations for these essential ranges.
Other factors such as land topography, sinkholes, geotechnical suitability for development and compatibility with existing infrastructure make certain DOD lands impractical if not infeasible for development.
Responsible usage
Responsible land usage is a planning requirement; this challenges planners to be creative in the use of the island's precious and finite land resource. Responsible land use may include such things as consolidation of facilities or vertical development of structures in pursuit of balancing environmental protection, along with community and DOD operational requirements.
The potential uses of leased or purchased land will depend upon the outcome of the assessments and the constraints they ultimately outline. The Marine Corps has long advocated for a contiguous base -- put another way, live where you work. This approach would allow for the greatest operational efficiencies while minimizing the potential impact of military commuters to Guam's already congested road infrastructure.
Lands such as the Chamorro Land Trust property south of NCTS Finegayan could be used to consolidate the main Marine base, thus minimizing the potential impact of basing the Marines in multiple locations.
Another potential use of leased or purchased land would be for the ranges originally planned for NCTS Finegayan. These are small-arms ranges that are not new to Guam; rifle and pistol ranges as well as machine gun ranges ... primarily used for the annual qualifications of Marines. There are no plans for larger weapons such as artillery, tank or aerial bombardment on the island of Guam. Current plans call for non-live fire training facilities such as land navigation and driving courses at Andersen South.
For much of the same reasons as a consolidated main base, a consolidated training facility would seem to be a logical approach. Therefore, permission was obtained to study the feasibility of using land along Route 15 for this purpose.
Alternatives considered
While no final decisions have been made to pursue the lease or purchase of any specific non-DOD land, responsible planning requires that all alternatives be considered so that the best plan is developed.
We will continue to keep the people of Guam informed as the planning process matures, through village meetings, industry forums, and consultation with various organizations and elected officials within the government of Guam as well as cooperation with the newly formed "Guam First Commission."
Lt. Col. Rudy Kube has been an active-duty Marine for the past 29 years. Formally an enlisted Marine, Kube is a KC-130 pilot currently assigned as the Operations Director for the Joint Guam Program Office and has been on Guam since November 2007.
Ellie
Contiguous Marine base would be good
By Lt. Col. Rudy Kube
It may not be common knowledge, but there are four Marines on Guam assigned to the Joint Guam Program Office whose sole mission is to prepare for the arrival of 8,000 fellow Marines and dependents.
As one might imagine, preparing for the arrival of this many people is a monumental task, a task that must be done correctly the first time. One of the toughest challenges the planners face is identifying the right places on Guam for these Marines to live, work and train.
In recent weeks, the Department of Defense conducted environmental assessments of a limited number of land parcels belonging to the government of Guam and private land owners. These assessments were conducted at the request of JGPO and in consultation with appropriate government of Guam agencies and the private land owners themselves.
While the results of these assessments are not due to be completed until early March, I would like to shed some light on: why these studies are essential to planning considerations; and some possible future uses of these parcels.
The "Draft" Guam Joint Military Master Plan was developed on the assumption that existing DOD lands would be suitable for the training and infrastructure requirements of forces relocating to Guam. Based strictly on the number of land acreage requirements, this is a logical assumption.
However, as the planning process matures and additional information is acquired, planning based on assumption alone is impractical, if not irresponsible, and will not serve the best interest of the Marines or the people of Guam.
Planning considerations
There are many planning considerations that must be taken into account, one being the environmental impact of future training requirements and required infrastructure. As part of an effort to reintroduce certain animal species, Guam and federal natural resource agencies have designated certain lands on the island as wildlife refuge. The majority of this refuge, over 22,000 acres, as well as the largest tracts of remaining limestone forests in northern Guam, exists on DOD lands. These large tracts of land may be essential to the recovery of native species such as the Mariana Crow, the Micronesian Kingfisher or the Guam Rail and may not be available for development.
Another consideration is the potential social economic impact of the buildup. Early planning called for small-arms ranges to be located on what is currently Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Guam at Finegayan. Initial planning concluded that this would be the most logical location, mainly due to the large expanse of available and undeveloped DOD land. However, early consultation with community leaders such as the governor's office and Sen. Judith Guthertz, as well as public concerns voiced during village meetings, convinced planners to look for alternative locations for these essential ranges.
Other factors such as land topography, sinkholes, geotechnical suitability for development and compatibility with existing infrastructure make certain DOD lands impractical if not infeasible for development.
Responsible usage
Responsible land usage is a planning requirement; this challenges planners to be creative in the use of the island's precious and finite land resource. Responsible land use may include such things as consolidation of facilities or vertical development of structures in pursuit of balancing environmental protection, along with community and DOD operational requirements.
The potential uses of leased or purchased land will depend upon the outcome of the assessments and the constraints they ultimately outline. The Marine Corps has long advocated for a contiguous base -- put another way, live where you work. This approach would allow for the greatest operational efficiencies while minimizing the potential impact of military commuters to Guam's already congested road infrastructure.
Lands such as the Chamorro Land Trust property south of NCTS Finegayan could be used to consolidate the main Marine base, thus minimizing the potential impact of basing the Marines in multiple locations.
Another potential use of leased or purchased land would be for the ranges originally planned for NCTS Finegayan. These are small-arms ranges that are not new to Guam; rifle and pistol ranges as well as machine gun ranges ... primarily used for the annual qualifications of Marines. There are no plans for larger weapons such as artillery, tank or aerial bombardment on the island of Guam. Current plans call for non-live fire training facilities such as land navigation and driving courses at Andersen South.
For much of the same reasons as a consolidated main base, a consolidated training facility would seem to be a logical approach. Therefore, permission was obtained to study the feasibility of using land along Route 15 for this purpose.
Alternatives considered
While no final decisions have been made to pursue the lease or purchase of any specific non-DOD land, responsible planning requires that all alternatives be considered so that the best plan is developed.
We will continue to keep the people of Guam informed as the planning process matures, through village meetings, industry forums, and consultation with various organizations and elected officials within the government of Guam as well as cooperation with the newly formed "Guam First Commission."
Lt. Col. Rudy Kube has been an active-duty Marine for the past 29 years. Formally an enlisted Marine, Kube is a KC-130 pilot currently assigned as the Operations Director for the Joint Guam Program Office and has been on Guam since November 2007.
Ellie