Camp Blaz: America's Latest Weapon in the Pacific | WORLD

[AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION]

Welcome to Bryf, your go-to source for breaking news, analysis, and commentary from around the world. I'm Kyla, and today we're discussing the opening of a new U.S. base on Guam, aimed at deterring China.

The U.S. Marine Corps marked the opening of a new base on America’s westernmost Pacific island, as the Pentagon redirects its forces to counter China, which Washington has identified as a growing threat to U.S. security. This is the first new Marine base since 1952, and it is still under construction. It will eventually house 5,000 Marines tasked in the short term with deterring and detecting threats in the region.

Longer-term, the Guam base, about equidistant from Japan and Taiwan, is also slated to be a hub for Marines on Guam and across the Northern Mariana Islands to train for protecting Pacific islands, including vital sea lanes, in the event of an invasion. This move comes as U.S. concerns grow about China’s military power, and the threat to Taiwan.

The base would prepare more Marines for potential conflict in the Western Pacific islands, with the Marines being closer to the front lines of a potential conflict, available to quickly travel from island to island in small teams armed with anti-ship missiles to detect, harass, and destroy enemy vessels. The new base would also reduce U.S. reliance on keeping large numbers of troops in Japan, where their presence has at times caused local resentment.

Gen. David Berger, the Marine Corps commandant, has said, “We don’t want to fight to get to the fight. We want to already be inside so if there’s a conflict, the stand-in forces are already forward.”

In the absence of conflict, troops in Guam could practice live-fire exercises, while those stationed in the Northern Mariana Islands could practice maneuvers and overland transfers, defense officials said.

Despite the fanfare during Thursday’s naming ceremony, the base is more than a year away from becoming fully operational. Fewer than 100 troops are currently stationed there, with the bulk of the rest expected to arrive by December 2024.

However, the opening of this base has not been without controversy, with many residents not enthusiastic about the strain thousands of forces could put on their infrastructure, and others fearing how much a large military presence could alter islands geared toward tourism.

And that's all for today's episode of Bryf. We've just discussed the opening of a new U.S. base on Guam, aimed at deterring China and providing a hub for training in the Western Pacific.

As we've learned, the base will eventually house 5,000 Marines and will play a crucial role in protecting Pacific islands and vital sea lanes in the event of an invasion. The base will also reduce U.S. reliance on keeping large numbers of troops in Japan and bring Marines closer to the front lines of a potential conflict with China.

As always, we'll continue to keep you updated on this story and any other important news happening around the world. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next time on Bryf. Stay informed, stay connected, and stay with us. This is Kyla, signing off.

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