10 May 2012

Vessel problem pushes back US marines arrival on Tinian in CNMI

8:26 am on 10 May 2012

The privately owned high-speed vessel that's supposed to bring some 100 U.S. marines from Japan to Tinian in the Northern Marianas has experienced some technical challenges, further pushing back the marines arrival by a few days.

Lieutenant Colonel Aisha Bakkar of the Marine Forces Pacific Guam and CNMI says the earliest time of arrival is this Sunday.

The marines were originally set to arrive on May 8, then May 9, and then May 11. Now, the schedule has been pushed back further.

Officials says schedules change frequently because of weather conditions and refueling requirements.

Some 200 Marines will participate in Exercise Geiger Fury 2012, which is intended to allow Marine Aircraft Group-12 out of Japan to improve aviation combat readiness and simulate operations in a deployed austere environment.