2 Sep 2010

Guam told to see military buildup as an opportunity, not solution to region's ills

2:03 pm on 2 September 2010

Guam's Chamber of Commerce board chair, David John, says the military buildup should be seen as an opportunity and not a free lunch or the solution to all the problems plaguing the region.

The planned buildup involves the relocation of some 8,600 Marines and their 9,000 dependents, and thousands more of troops and contractors.

He says if people treat it as an opportunity, work hard and leverage it correctly, the buildup offers the opportunity of being one of the best things that ever happened to Guam.

But Mr John, speaking at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, says if the people of Guam don't properly plan and execute, the buildup could be a disaster for the island's standard of living.