The Unnecessary Front: Reconsidering The Corps’s East Asian Bases
The Unnecessary Front: Reconsidering The Corps’s East Asian Bases
by Tim Caucutt
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Military surges are in vogue. Most recently, the US sent an additional 30,000 troops into Afghanistan. Looking farther back, the world remembers the influx of troops into Iraq. Now, another “surge” is underway—US marines are preparing to storm the beaches of Guam, set up residence, bring their dependents and attract thousands of contractors. The goal is to downsize their presence in Okinawa while maintaining guard against foreign threats. The plan is to spend $10.3 billion relocating almost half of Okinawa’s marines, but the problem is that the move is a waste–the US no longer needs permanent marine bases in East Asia. Regardless if the Corps bases in Okinawa or Guam, their prominence in the East Asian strategy has ended. The United States should transition Okinawa’s marines to smaller, strategically located bases worldwide.
Download The Full Article: The Unnecessary Front: Reconsidering The Corps’s East Asian Bases
Tim Caucutt is a Marine Corps sergeant. In 2005-2006 he participated in the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa, then deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is an instructor for the Fire Support Coordination Center Course at the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific on Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and placed 2nd in the Marine Corps Gazette’s 2009 Chase Essay Contest (awarded 2010).
