Time and cost of relocation of U.S. base in Okinawa to double

Okinawa was not exactly a Japanese soil! It was taken by force and grabbed in 1879! The allies over looked this part of history and returned back to Japan in 1972! The Okinawa is an expensedable thats wht the concern and opposition by the locals were ignored!

You had better go back and do a little more research. Go back to the 1600's. You argument holds no water today!

What a debacle this is, I remember when I first washed up here, that Futenma was supposed to be done & dusted by 1996!!!!

And here we are still looking decades ahead......WTF!

Soft as mayo...… clearly some engineers need to be fired pronto.

What a bunch of idiots ALL round this one!!!

If the Japanese Govt. is publicly saying that costs will double then you can be assured that costs will actually triple or quadruple. This is a massive waste of taxpayers money with the Main Beneficiaries being Large Mainland Japanese Companies who are huge donors to the LDP.

Why is the US military even here in the first place? This isn't US soil. And if they absolutely have to be here, they should pay their way.

Never forget it's a mutual security agreement. Sounds to me you want something for free!

Look at it like you look at the Olympics next year: did ANYONE actually believe the initial cost projections and completion dates? Not anyone who knows how things like this actually work out.

If you hadn’t screwed around with it for two decades and got it done,

it would have cost what it should have....

rgcivilian1

IN fact if one looks closely they will find more local Japanese employees under US funded contracts or Master Labor Contract that is now funded 70% by US appropriated funds that should be going to US labor not foreign employees of a host nation. hmmmm. yet no one looks that closely or follows and if they do it is under the table.

Just found this information on the

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni CHRO (Civilian Human Resource Office) website.

Status of Forces Agreement

Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the Government of Japan (GOJ) agrees to provide personnel resources necessary for U.S. Forces Japan to carry out essential functions. The GOJ, through the Ministry of Defense (MOD), is the legal employer of the Master Labor Contract (MLC) and the Indirect Hire Agreement (IHA) employees. Although they are 

employees of the Japanese Government, they work under the direct supervision of USFJ military 

and civilian supervisors. 

Master Labor Contract (MLC): The contract governing those employees who are used within 

Japan of the United States Armed Forces. The Government of Japan pays MLC employees their salary. Personnel ordinarily residing in Japan, who are not members of the United States Armed Forces, its civilian components, or their dependents, can be referred for MLC positions.

Indirect Hire Agreement (IHA): The negotiated agreement governing those employees who are used by Article XV Organizations. The Government of Japan also pays IHA employees their salary.

Also found this news article.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/31/national/much-japan-pay-host-u-s-forces-depends-ask/

If you have updated information, please let me know.

In fact if one looks closely they will find more local Japanese employees under US funded contracts or Master Labor Contract that is now funded 70% by US appropriated funds that should be going to US labor not foreign employees of a host nation. hmmmm. yet no one looks that closely or follows and if they do it is under the table.

'Used to be this way a few decades ago. Guess you are like some here who want people to think we are living back in the 60's, like the Karate Kid 2 movie!

rgcivilian1

There was an extensive Army Corps of Engineers study conducted back in 1956 of the entire island including bottom shore, clays, aquifers etc. I have seen it and read the entire report with my own eyes. Both the US and Japan have this report as well. It shows the numerous depths, etc and areas to be built on and offshore.

1956 is over 63 years ago. I would think that after all those years there would be changes in the rocks of which it is composed and the physical, chemical and biological since the Army Corps of Engineers findings in 1956. I do believe Japan should have conducted their own study soon after the agreement to build the new Air Station at Henoko.

Protesters: "We're going to delay this construction as long as we can!"

Also protesters: "Why is it costing so much more?!"

Can't have it both ways, geniuses. Either step out of the way and let the inevitable happen, or be prepared for things to get out of hand.

Chip StarToday  06:47 am JST

If Okinawa is so important to the US, why did we bother giving it back in 1972?

to make sure that Japanese pay the bill

At this point it would probably be even triple or quadruple the costs to DE-construct the area. It's better to be safe than sorry later!

All of this could have been handled at least a decade ago, if it werent for the greedy politicians in Okinawa and Tokyo looking to get their cuts! Even the "hallowed" Onaga had a cut of the pie!

re article: "will take more than twice as much money and time as previously estimated because of the need to stabilize the reclaimed land it will be built on, Experts have found parts of the sea bottom at the planned reclamation site to be “as soft as mayonnaise” and needing to be reinforced. The heavy U.S. military presence on Okinawa has been a source of a long-running conflict between the island and Washington and Tokyo.

First things first, 2013, no go back to 2000 and possibly 1996. That is over 20yrs to have "experts" determine soft as mayonnaise. I don't buy it one bit. That funding will be funneled as most funds are to other projects not being discussed but already planned out on some spreadsheet. As facility planners, studies etc all costs are overestimated for reasons that may come up before even going towards a design. There was an extensive Army Corps of Engineers study conducted back in 1956 of the entire island including bottom shore, clays, aquifers etc. I have seen it and read the entire report with my own eyes. Both the US and Japan have this report as well. It shows the numerous depths, etc and areas to be built on and offshore. Secondly this so called heavy presence is farce, as that is no longer true or the case as many years ago. A huge chunk of land has been reverted that is still included as a heavy presence. Perhaps back in 2000 I would buy into it , but almost 20 yrs later with reduction of both military and any US civilian both US contract employees and US federal workers have been downsized to less than 5 per squadron, unit. IN fact if one looks closely they will find more local Japanese employees under US funded contracts or Master Labor Contract that is now funded 70% by US appropriated funds that should be going to US labor not foreign employees of a host nation. hmmmm. yet no one looks that closely or follows and if they do it is under the table.

Why is the US military even here in the first place?

This isn't US soil.

And if they absolutely have to be here, they should pay their way.

Waste of money. Just tell them to go away...

Okinawa was not exactly a Japanese soil! It was taken by force and grabbed in 1879! The allies over looked this part of history and returned back to Japan in 1972!  The Okinawa is an expensedable thats wht the concern and opposition by the locals were ignored!

How many years are the leases Japan asked the US to sign after WWII?

If Okinawa is so important to the US, why did we bother giving it back in 1972?