Proposal for Evacuation of US Military Families: Do Not Burden Okinawa with Risks

There are fears that the concentration of military bases in Okinawa exerts a significant harm to innocent residents. This article demonstrates that fact.

In December 2023, a high-ranking, active-duty U.S. Marine Corps officer contributed an article titled “Put III MEF* in a Fighting Stance” to Proceedings, a publication of the U.S. Naval Institute. In the article, in the event of an emergency concerning China, there is a proposal to evacuate families of U.S. troops back home from Okinawa, which could become a target for attack. Even within the U.S. military, there is seemingly a spreading awareness of the risk that Okinawa could become a fierce battleground during such a crisis.

Seventy percent of the bases of U.S. forces in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa, with Kadena Air Base being the largest U.S. Air Force base in the Far East. The Japanese government, bearing in mind China and its increasingly overbearing conduct, is proceeding with the “southwest shift” of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, as well as a rapid reinforcement of the forces within the prefecture.

If there is an emergency, it is beyond doubt that regions with a high concentration of military facilities will become targets for attack. The Battle of Okinawa and other present-day conflicts around the world have resulted in massive civilian casualties.

In 2014, a cabinet decision granted approval of the right to exercise collective self-defense. In 2022, a revision to three security bills established Japan’s maintenance of the ability to attack enemy bases (counterattack capabilities), and the following year, the U.S. and Japan agreed to “deepen bilateral cooperation toward the effective employment of Japan’s counterstrike capabilities …” Civilian airports and harbors are also repeatedly used to conduct large-scale joint U.S.-Japan military exercises. Because of U.S.-Japan military integration, it can be said that there are growing concerns that Okinawa would get dragged into an emergency situation.

One of the reasons cited in the recommendation to evacuate U.S. military families was the proximity of U.S. military facilities to family homes. However, this is not limited to residences belonging to people affiliated with the U.S. military, but also applies to nearby civilians. For residents who have been suffering through noise pollution and other such issues from the bases, it is nothing less than further burdening them with the risk of becoming a target of attack. A reduction in bases would lead to protection for Okinawa residents. The Japanese government should acknowledge this situation.

The article also points out that, during an emergency, efforts will be divided as families are evacuated, delaying combat readiness. Furthermore, the Sakashima Islands area would be one of the regions, demonstrating the thinking that “developing U.S. infrastructure at them [the locations of critical JSDF locations] will better enable continual deployments to operate, maintain, and sustain themselves in a contingency.”

The article could seemingly imply that as U.S. military families are being evacuated, in the event of an emergency the U.S. military would want to share the use of JSDF facilities in Sakashima. What we can glimpse is the cool-headed military view that in an emergency, Okinawa would serve as an offensive stronghold rather than a safe haven for citizens. According to Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, the U.S. has defensive responsibilities, but is placing emergency bases in Sakashima and turning Okinawa into a battlefield fulfilling the obligation to defend Japan?

In the previous Battle of Okinawa, Okinawa was sacrificed to protect the Japanese mainland. Military logic must take priority and Okinawa must not be sacrificed once again. Instead of enhancing U.S. military and JSDF facilities, which would fan the flames of U.S.-China antagonism, the U.S. and Japan must prioritize diplomatic effort, so that all citizens can live securely.

*Editor’s note: The III Marine Expeditionary Force is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps, with potential action ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to amphibious assault and high-intensity combat.