OSAKA — With possible new locations for the Futenma air base being suggested or reported on a seemingly daily basis, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama now has very few political options to propose to the U.S.
Top U.S. officials say that whatever alternate suggestions are made, it's critical the replacement facility be somewhere that allows the different land, sea, and air units to function cohesively, so they can train and operate as effectively as a championship baseball team.
"All elements of a Marine Air Ground Task Force must train together continuously. A MAGTF is a lot like a baseball team. It doesn't do you any good to have the outfielders in one town, the catcher in another, and the third baseman somewhere else," said Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, during a speech in Tokyo in February.