Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TOKYO2955
2008-10-22 22:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
MOD TO ASSIGN PERSONNEL TO HAWAII AND GUAM TO
how-toVZCZCXRO1901 PP RUEHNH DE RUEHKO #2955 2962259 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 222259Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8179 INFO RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 2891 RHMFISS/COMMARCORBASESJAPAN CAMP BUTLER JA PRIORITY RUHEHMS/COMMARCORBASESPAC CAMP H M SMITH HI PRIORITY RUHPSAA/COMMARFORPAC PRIORITY RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI PRIORITY RHOVVKG/COMSEVENTHFLT PRIORITY RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/USFJ PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002955
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL JA
SUBJECT: MOD TO ASSIGN PERSONNEL TO HAWAII AND GUAM TO
PROMOTE REALIGNMENT
REF: TOKYO 2508
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002955
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL JA
SUBJECT: MOD TO ASSIGN PERSONNEL TO HAWAII AND GUAM TO
PROMOTE REALIGNMENT
REF: TOKYO 2508
1. (C) In line with private Japanese government statements
(reftel),media reported 20 October that the Japanese
Ministry of Defense (MOD) has decided to assign nine
officials to Guam and seven others to PACOM beginning in
September 2009 in order to promote US force realignment
initiatives, particularly the Marine relocation to Guam. MOD
contacts confirmed the press reports and noted that the
Ministry is also working to establish a new office under the
Bureau of Local Cooperation (BLC) that would deal
specifically with the Guam relocation and provide
administrative support and oversight to the dispatched
officials.
2. (C) Ministry staff say the officials will not be on
permanent assignment, but will be sent on long-term TDY
status to work with the Joint Guam Program Office (JGPO) and
PACOM in order to enhance coordination in developing the Guam
master plan. The officials will also assist in developing
the bidding process for realignment-related construction
projects on Guam. MOD officials emphasize that the
establishment of these new positions and the new BLC office
is part of the Japanese government's efforts to demonstrate
not only monetary commitment to Defense Policy Review
Initiative (DPRI) implementation, but also to show
determination to push forward the project by establishing the
necessary bureaucratic structure to do so.
3. (C) Post understands that the assignment of the personnel
and establishment of the new office are both subject to the
approval of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communication (MIC),as well as budgetary resources from the
Ministry of Finance (MOF),possible reasons for the decrease
from the originally stated plans to assign forty personnel
(reftel). MOD contacts anticipate, however, that the
Ministry will receive approval and budgetary authority for
the new assignemts as they expect realignment matters will
receive less scrutiny in the Diet than other issues MOD is
currently facing, such as the recent training death of a
Japanese sailor and PM Aso's proposal to dispatch JMSDF
vessels to an anti-piracy mission to Somali waters.
SCHIEFFER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL JA
SUBJECT: MOD TO ASSIGN PERSONNEL TO HAWAII AND GUAM TO
PROMOTE REALIGNMENT
REF: TOKYO 2508
1. (C) In line with private Japanese government statements
(reftel),media reported 20 October that the Japanese
Ministry of Defense (MOD) has decided to assign nine
officials to Guam and seven others to PACOM beginning in
September 2009 in order to promote US force realignment
initiatives, particularly the Marine relocation to Guam. MOD
contacts confirmed the press reports and noted that the
Ministry is also working to establish a new office under the
Bureau of Local Cooperation (BLC) that would deal
specifically with the Guam relocation and provide
administrative support and oversight to the dispatched
officials.
2. (C) Ministry staff say the officials will not be on
permanent assignment, but will be sent on long-term TDY
status to work with the Joint Guam Program Office (JGPO) and
PACOM in order to enhance coordination in developing the Guam
master plan. The officials will also assist in developing
the bidding process for realignment-related construction
projects on Guam. MOD officials emphasize that the
establishment of these new positions and the new BLC office
is part of the Japanese government's efforts to demonstrate
not only monetary commitment to Defense Policy Review
Initiative (DPRI) implementation, but also to show
determination to push forward the project by establishing the
necessary bureaucratic structure to do so.
3. (C) Post understands that the assignment of the personnel
and establishment of the new office are both subject to the
approval of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communication (MIC),as well as budgetary resources from the
Ministry of Finance (MOF),possible reasons for the decrease
from the originally stated plans to assign forty personnel
(reftel). MOD contacts anticipate, however, that the
Ministry will receive approval and budgetary authority for
the new assignemts as they expect realignment matters will
receive less scrutiny in the Diet than other issues MOD is
currently facing, such as the recent training death of a
Japanese sailor and PM Aso's proposal to dispatch JMSDF
vessels to an anti-piracy mission to Somali waters.
SCHIEFFER