Subic Bay Naval Complex - Are There Alternatives?

The closure of Subic Bay Naval Complex is currently ongoing. The Filipino people, through their elected officials and in accordance with their Constitution, have dictated that Subic Bay be closed by 31 December 1992. A decision must be made soon to find an alternate location for Subic Bay. President Bush recently concluded an agreement with the Prime Minister of Singapore to move a shore-based logistics command to that country. This is a step in the right direction. However, Singapore is a small country and can only accommodate a very limited number of U.S. forces on a permanent basis, This fact, along with its restricted location, does not make Singapore the best place to relocate U.S. forces. Other countries in East Asia are not likely candidates for U.S. forces due to their own domestic political reasons or that the geographic location is poor. The best alternative to relocate U.S. forces from Subic Bay is the U.S. Territory of Guam. Even though Guam cannot fully replace the facilities located in the Philippines, its primary attractions of being U.S. sovereign territory and already possessing substantial logistics, port, air and maintenance facilities make it the best alternative. From Guam, U.S. forces can continue to carry out the United States National Security Strategy of maintaining a strong and visible presence in East Asia.