US military to strengthen presence in Guam
Amid US plans for regional security hub on Pacific island, locals feel there are other ways to achieve growth.
With Washington refocusing its forces to the Asia-Pacific region, the US Naval Base on the small island of Guam is preparing for the arrival of 5,000 more troops and their dependents.
The goal is to turn Guam, an unincorporated territory of the US in the western Pacific Ocean, into a regional security hub by integrating the US air force and navy.
The move is seen as a bid to counter what are perceived by the US and its allies as challenges to the freedom and security of the region.
However, many of the locals feel there are other ways their island can prosper, and that growth should not happen at any cost, particularly at the expense of their environment.
Al Jazeera’s Marga Ortigas reports from Guam.