Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel Leaf is on the island of Guam to brief lawmakers and the public about the Guam Integrated Military Development Plan, which he says sketches out the plan to shift some 8,000 US marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam and potentially to position a Marine Corps aviation element on Andersen AFB, Guam. If the plan goes through, initial development to provide operational space and housing for the marine contingent would cost about $10 billion. That amount could rise to nearly $15 billion over the next 10 years if Air Force and Navy expansion plans continue. (The Air Force has indicated that it wants to permanently station Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles and, possibly, tanker aircraft at Andersen.) According to Reuters news service, Japan has agreed to pay 40 percent of the cost to move the marines. However, Leaf said the specifics of the move are not final.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
