A nearly finished $3.8 million U.S. Army urban warfare training facility on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, could be short-lived, Japanese officials say.
The Japanese government announced Thursday it would build another facility near Hansen’s Range 16 to replace the brand- new complex on Range 4. It’s a measure to appease fears among local residents, who have been staging protests against the project, said the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Okinawa Liaison Office.
The U.S. military, however, says no agreements have been made.
“We’re aware of the announcement, but will also note that no formal offers have been made by either side thus far,” said Col. Victor Warzinski, U.S. Forces Japan spokesman.
“The U.S. government is committed to completing and using the facility currently under construction on Range 4,” he added.
Residents of Igei district of Kin, where Camp Hansen is located, oppose the Range 4 facility because it is just 328 yards from their community. Residents have staged daily protests at Hansen’s main gate since the project plan was made public last May.
“After giving maximum consideration to concerns of local residents, the government decided to build a replacement facility at back of Range 16,” said the MOFA statement.
The new, Japanese government-funded replacement would be about 1,000 yards away from the local community, said Naohiro Tsutsumi, deputy director of the ministry’s Okinawa office.
The Army-funded Range 4 complex was designed to minimize impact on its neighbors with measures such as soundproof walls and use of a special absorbent material inside the building to prevent stray shots, U.S. officials said.
The training facility includes a “shoot house,” breaching bay, 50-meter flat shooting range, rappelling tower and an administrative area.
“Throughout the course of this project, we have considered the safety concerns of the local community,” Warzinski said.
Japanese officials said the proposed Range 16 replacement facility would meet military training needs. It’s not known when the replacement facility construction would begin, Tsutsumi said.
“To address the local community concerns, we have been intensively discussing the matter with the U.S. military, Okinawa prefectural government and other concerned parties,” he said.
“If they move it … [to the] back of Range 16, it should have little impact on our community,” said Masafumi Ikehara, district mayor of Igei Community.
“But, we still don’t know how long will they use the facility on Range 4.”
When or if the brand-new training facility would be moved is still uncertain.
“If we were ever able to move from Range 4, the land and facilities currently under construction would revert to the Marine Corps,” Warzinski said. But there have been no formal proposals yet, he reiterated.
