How Broke Is The US? Can't Even Afford To Move Our Troops

[ThomWV]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CCD46023-B295-41BA-A8DF-FA969AC5E238.htm

-snip-

"Japan will propose lending money to the United States to speed up the planned relocation of 7000 marines out of the country.


Japan is keen for the troops to leave Okinawa to reduce simmering tensions with local residents, but the United States has said a plan to move the troops to Guam will take decades unless Tokyo picks up much of the approximately $8 billion price tag.

Such spending will be unprecedented and requires parliamentary approval."

-snip-

[FloridaPat]

1. Huh? Maybe my math is wrong - $1.14 million for each troop?

Is this is joke?

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Complete removal means...

Removing buildings, pulling up landing strips, tearing down docks, dealing with remaining infrastructure such as subterranean plumbing and sewage systems, moving ships, planes, cars and jeeps, relocating personnel, etc. I expect the price tag also includes the repurchase of land currently occupied by the US military (what, you think we will give it away for free?)

Since the Reagan years, the US has considered leaving the base on Okinawa. One of the major objections has been the vast cost that would be involved. Now that the US is desperate for money, we are willing to do it... if we can extort the needed money from the Japanese government.

[acmejack]

4. Toxic cleanup

The big bugaboo. We make superfund sites wherever we situate a military base. Kadena has to be one.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Ah, yes. That too.

Just ordinary occupation by hundreds of planes, cars, trucks, jeeps, etc. can cause an ecological nightmare. That is assuming that, for the last 50+ years, the US military has been scrupulous in observing safe handling of such materials. Given that they have strong-armed exceptions to every anti-pollution and toxic-waste law in the US, I find it hard to believe that they would have been careful while in a foreign country.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. I reckon that includes the cost of dismantling the Okinawan bases

and expanding the capacity of the bases in Guam; building new barracks, airfields, support facilities, etc.

And considering that Haliburton will probably get the contract for the base construction, you gotta add on a 50% surcharge to the actual cost.

[enlightenment]

6. I understand why Okinawa might not want the airbases

left in situ -- but recycle/reuse may have to come into play if they really want the US out.

Years ago we lived at Johnson AFB in Japan; I remember our house was a converted quonset hut (not bad, actually). That base had been a Japanese training base in WWII -- then we occupied it. It closed in 1973 and was turned back over to the Japanese; today it's Iruma Airport, I think.

[acmejack]

8. I lived at Naha AFB on Okinawa as a child.

It is now the Airport on the Island.

[enlightenment]

9. I remember staying at the VOC on Naha about

'68 or '69. We arrived two days before a typhoon hit the island -- I thought it was way cool, but my mom was not as impressed.

[jwirr]

7. Read "Blowback" by Chalmers Johnson if you want to

know why they are so glad to get us out of there.