OT: Increased US military presence in Australia
 

The US President is currently visiting Australia and in a joint media statement he and the Australian Prime Minister have announced closer military ties between Australia and the USA. It has been flagged that up to 2,500 US Marines will be based in Australia's Northern Territory by 2017.

I must say I'm far from surprised by the announcement. It makes a whole lot of sense to increase America's military presence in Australia, as part of the strategic realignment of US forces in the Asia Pacific Region. I'm sure there will be a mixed reaction to the announcement in Australia, however.

On the subject of the US Marines, it's being reported in the British press that the Ministry of Defence is negotiating the sale to the USMC of the Harriers recently retired from RAF service.

I just heard this on the radio this morning, too. Do we know if it's an airbase, or ground Marines?

Ground Marines. Starting next year with company-sized elements rotating through for dry season training, and building up the numbers from there. Based just outside Darwin in the Northern Territory.

It does make sense, but I can't imagine it having much support from the Australian public. What's the reaction so far?

That would be a great overseas tour for an American Marine.

Aircraft too. NPR reported this morning that the deal would include an increased rotation/guest basing of USAF aircraft through airbases in N. Australia.

From way down in the south of the country and about as far from where it's happening as it's possible to get, I'm not convinced of the need. There will be economic benefits for the Dawin area, however do we really need more Americans cluttering the place up, tripping over themselves, and generally being loud and annoying? ;)
And you just know what will happen when they go on leave...
*shudders in horror*

I'm not sure what basing 2500 Marines in Australia will do from the standpoint of US interests. From the Australian POV -- well, an American troop presence is always a mixed blessing. American troops are paid better then most of their counterparts in the world and they love to carouse and buy stuff for friends and family to send home, so economically it will be good for the community they're based in. But -- let's just say that American troops don't always put the best, shall we say, social face forward in other countries. Like I said, mixed blessing for the Australians.

Like the U.S.S. Maine.

:confused:

Are you suggesting we blow up some of our own U.S. military assets in Australia and use it as justification to blame a third party and declare war on them in order to jack pieces of their empire and add it to our own?

No.

More like an excuse to rally around when an incident occurs.

I'm just glad I'm at the other end of the country and Darwin is rather isolated as well. Can't imagine it will be all that popular a posting given the heat, the torrential rain in the wet season and remoteness. Darwin does have a few beaches, but surf is rarely more than a few inches (unless there's a cyclone and it might kick up to a massive foot or two in height).
FYI the local major pastime is beer drinking and we're not talking the coloured water Americans claim to be alcoholic either.

Probably a forward base for a MEU-ish sized unit, with surge capacity if more US forces are moving into/through the area for some sort of crisis. Basically a very small scale substitute (US base wise, not nation wise ;)) for what the Philipines used to bring to the table.

Minimal that I've heard. Probably won't be much media coverage either way until the troop numbers start to build up.

Ah, I hadn't heard that part. Makes sense though.

As I said in the first post of this thread, the plan at this time is for dry season training only. I agree that it probably won't be a super-popular posting, but the Marines will probably only realise that AFTER they get to Darwin :) . Or when word starts to filter back to the States about flies the size of biplanes, crocodiles the size of small cars hiding in every creek and a variety of other smaller, possibly deadlier wildlife just waiting to poison the unwary.

Half to disagree with the better pay part with the delcining US Dollar most troop posted outside CONUS might they no longer have a bigger bang for the US buck when is come to exchange rate, and according to the US personel we have in my unit we have more benfits than the US troops and pay is a little higher due our cost of living.

If they're on duty OCONUS they should get cost of living allowance pegged to offset any discrepancy in the dollar versus, er, well, the dollar in this case. Though that just helps pad things out a bit, it doesn't transform a place into something like the post-WW2 garrisons in Germany or Japan where being posted even on enlisted soldier pay was probably kind of like winning the lottery for a couple years.

Currently the Australian dollar is hovering around parity with the US dollar.