Latest news with #EdwardCamacho
RNZ News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Massive US-led military exercise underway in CNMI
The DC Air National Guard squadron's F-16s arrived at Hickam for a quick pitstop before heading out in support of the REFORPAC exercise. Photo: Facebook / U.S. Pacific Air Forces The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) will be front and center of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025 as the US Air Force launched its most expansive military exercise in the region last week. The Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs official Edward Camacho said nearly 300 aircraft and over 600 troops will conduct military exercise in about 25 locations on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota and their surrounding airspace during exercise set from 7 July to 8 August. The special assistant for military affairs to the CNMI governor Arnold Palacios said that Saipan military exercises started on 7 July, followed by Tinian and Rota's on 8 and 9 July 8, respectively. The Saipan exercises will be happening until 8 August, with both Tinian and Rota's concluding at the end of July. Relaying a message from the Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, he said the goal of the exercise "is to integrate and experiment with logistics, sustainment, and enabling capability to bring Fifth Generation Fighters, command and control aircraft, and airlift and air refueling into the Western Pacific region at the speed and scale that has not been seen." US Pacific Air Forces, multinational, and joint partners will conduct exercise Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 10 July - 8 August 2025, across several locations throughout the Pacific as part of the Department of the Air Force's Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series. Photo: Palacios welcomed the US military and forces from allied and partner nations as they commence REFORPAC 2025. "The US Armed Forces and our esteemed international partners who are gathering in our region for vital military presence underscores a shared commitment to regional security, stability, and humanitarian cooperation," he said. Palacios said REFORPAC will go a long way in strengthening the alliance between the US and its allies. A C-17 Globemaster III touched down at Misawa Air Base in support of Exercise REFORPAC 2025, offloading a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, cargo, and personnel to enable combat search and rescue operations. Photo: Facebook / Misawa Air Base The Air Force will deploy over 500 Airmen on Saipan with two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, four Black Hawk medium utility helicopters; approximately 115 Airmen on Tinian and six F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft; and 25 personnel and two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft on Rota. Camacho said the Air Force assured stakeholders they will toe the line when it comes to mitigation processes to ensure the military exercise is not disruptive to the islands' ecosystems and way of life. He said REFORPAC is vital to the United States and the region's security "because it showcases our air power and then it also showcases our ability to work with other countries as far as operational interoperability capabilities and as well as communications and maneuvering." Asked to comment on a request made by four CNMI and Guam groups to have a 45-day extension on the comment period for the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Camacho said that it is not his decision to make. The Revised DEIS' current 75-day review window for public comments on the Mariana Islands Training and Testing and CNMI Joint Military Training proposals began 6 June 6 and is scheduled to close on 20 August. "I don't have any problem with an extension of the 45 days. Unfortunately, others might, and the others that might have that issue are beyond my level to make that decision."
RNZ News
09-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Nature, not geopolitics, remains region's biggest threat
Photo: supplied The top military affairs official in the CNMI said that while geopolitical tensions continue to make headlines, the region's most immediate and consistent threat remains environmental. "Mother Nature is still our biggest threat out here," said Edward Camacho, special assistant to the CNMI governor for military affairs. "We deal with typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions - you name it." Camacho made the remarks during an extended interview last week, highlighting how military activity - despite being framed as a response to rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific - is also about readiness in the face of natural disasters and operational necessity. He said the Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs, which he leads, plays a key coordinating role in all US Department of Defense-related activity in the Northern Marianas, ranging from military exercises to the divert airfield project on Tinian and upgrades at airports and seaports throughout the islands. "There is no plan for permanent basing here. What we're seeing is a focus on rotational training," Camacho said. "The US military needs places to train - land, air, and sea. And the CNMI provides strategic value on all fronts." While military activity is seen as a potential lifeline for the CNMI's struggling economy, Camacho was candid about the limited economic benefits trickling down to local businesses. "We're talking about close to US$500 million in activity in one year alone," he said. "But the reality is most of those contracts are awarded to off-island companies. So, much of that money leaves the Commonwealth." Camacho called it a form of "capital flight" that undermines the long-term economic promise of military investment. "We see the impacts at the surface level - hotels, restaurants, car rentals, and catering companies do get a boost - but those are peanuts compared to what's leaving." Read more: He urged better enforcement of CNMI tax laws to ensure that companies doing business in the territory pay their fair share. "If you're building airfields or infrastructure here, you should be registered here, paying BGRT here, and following our laws," he said. "That's what makes us different - we're not just a US state, but we're not foreign either. We have our own Constitution." Camacho added that his office has been working closely with the Department of Defense to flag concerns over compliance and keep military partners informed of local requirements. Asked whether military activity could realistically replace tourism as the CNMI's primary economic driver, Camacho said it could serve as a significant supplement - but not a guaranteed substitute. "We've seen economic anchors come and go . Garments left. Casinos collapsed. Tourism is still uncertain. So even military activity, as consistent as it seems now, isn't permanent," he said. However, Camacho acknowledged that the CNMI's renewed strategic value - especially with the US Indo-Pacific Strategy gaining momentum - puts the islands in a stronger position than in previous decades. "During the Cold War, we were needed. Then we were forgotten. Now we're needed again. My hope is that even when things cool down, the military doesn't forget us this time." The Northern Marianas leaders announced a slight increase in revenue collections in the 2024 financial year. Photo: supplied Camacho also previewed an upcoming public forum tied to the release of the new draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for proposed military training activities in the CNMI. The draft EIS covers activities particularly focused on Tinian and also includes use of the former Voice of America site on Saipan. The latter may serve as an alternate range control station to prevent conflicts between military and commercial air traffic. "We want transparency. The public will have a chance to review the draft and submit comments," Camacho said. In response to a newly announced Pentagon policy limiting frequent duty station changes for military personnel, Camacho said the move could benefit the CNMI by fostering institutional knowledge. "If you keep changing out commanders every two years, you spend a lot of time retraining them. If you have someone who stays longer, they get to understand the community, the environment, and how we do things," he said. While acknowledging concerns that longer assignments could lead to entrenched influence, Camacho emphasized that stability is key for continuity and trust in places like the CNMI. "We're not trying to teach a new admiral how things work every two years," he said. "We need people who understand the dynamics of this region."
