The Marine Corps plans to move the first of its operating forces from Japan to the newly reactivated base in Guam in late 2024. This is part of an agreement with Japan to relocate approximately 9,000 Marines from Okinawa.
About 5,000 Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force are expected to be stationed in Guam. Camp Blaz in Guam, opened in January 2022, is the first new Marine base since 1952 and is set to serve as a strategic hub in the Indo-Pacific amid tensions between the United States and China.
The base is undergoing significant construction, with more than 45 projects underway and a combined U.S. and Japan-funded budget of over $1 billion.
The relocation moves the Marines almost 1,000 miles further away from Taiwan.