First, It’s Palau….

| October 5, 2020

Map of Pag-asa Island – China claims it as property

As you know, the Chinese government has decided it owns the South China Sea when it doesn’t and has been on a spree building artificial islands with bases for a few years now.  And Palau, being one of China’s southern neighbors, doesn’t like the way the Chinese are looking at its land masses.

Therefore, Palau is asking the USA to help them out with Chinese pinching and poking by providing the US military with room for a military base.

Essentially, Palau wants the US to provide a more visible military presence in its land areas and surrounding waters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pT7dzlSfaA

Category: China

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Planet Ord

That would be some great duty!

Slow Joe

What does Palau bring to the table?

There is nothing free in Waterworld.

FuzeVT

Here’s my Waterworld story. That movie came out the summer I was in Ft. McCellan for NBC school (1995). For whatever reason that seemed good at the time, I had most of a pitcher of beer at a Italian restaurant/ piano bar called Pinnochio’s. We then went to see the movie after that. I fell asleep probably within 30 minutes leaving about 2 hours left. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one napping, and most of them hadn’t been drinking.

Combat Historian

Ulithi was a great replenishment base and fleet anchorage back in 1944-45. It can be again if needed to check the chicom expansion from the Yellow Sea. If needed to protect Ulithi Base and the rest of the Palaus, we should turn Peleliu and Angaur into the veritable Gibraltar of the Carolines, with lots of prepo stock and supplies and a small residual garrison to guard it, like in Diego Garcia. The Japanese turned Peleliu into a redoubt 76 years ago, as we find out the hard way; time to follow that blueprint again, this time to deter the chicom bastards…

Deckie

Ulithi I believe is one of the largest natural anchorages in the world, if I am not mistaken. I recall seeing photos of tremendous amounts of tonnage sitting offshore, enough to make me stare in awe.

Quartermaster

Ulithi is part of Micronesia and isn’t close to Palau. If you watch “The Fighting Lady” you will see a shot of the Ulithi anchorage during WW2. It is impressive.

“The Fighting Lady” movie is out on you Tube and is a good flick about an hour long. A good example of WW2 propaganda. These days, knowing the March Mitscher was the Admiral aboard, the ship name is a giveaway. I’ll leave you to guess.

timactual

” Ulithi’s forty small islands barely rise above the sea, with the largest being only 1.3 square kilometres (1⁄2 square mile) in area.”

First we need to build a fleet of tenders to provide the replenishment since there will be no shore installations. Then we need to build the fleet we need to replenish while another fleet guards the anchorage.

Palau lies about 400 miles southwest of Ulithi. Peleliu & Angaur are further southwest.

7711C20

I’m a little confused but Palau island chain is about 500+- east of the Philippines in the Pacific. not that close to China. It would make more sense to use the Philippines. When I was there in 1993 there was still US military on Peleliu keeping the 6000 foot air strip safe for the lizards.

The Other Whitey

Under the 1986 Compact of Free Association, the Republic of Palau, which has no military of its own, relies on the US for defense.

5th/77th FA

Hmmmm. Ok we’ve had a treaty to provide protection in exchange for the use of some territory to base said protection since around ’94. We have yet to put anything there. Without enough “stuff” to protect what we put there. Cause you know that whatever we put there will have a great big FIRST (ht 2 R-D) Strike Bulls Eye on it.

Here’s another Hmmmmm? No talk or movement to provide the protection till President Trump came along. Did GHW Bush make that treaty and everybody since then looked the other way for the last nearly 25 years? Kinda ties in with my comment on the worthlessness of George Bush jr; and after he left his newest best buddy oblowme, his 2 SecofStates looked the other way as China continued to expand their footprint. Hmmmm?

Berliner

Per the local military newspaper, some Joint Base Lewis McChord troops were on the Island of Anguar, Republic of Palau last month for exercise Defender Pacific 2020. Over 125 soldiers and a Logistics Support Vessel carrying 2 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
https://indd.adobe.com/view/c215e979-12c9-4df1-b016-8f9eb39afad9

SteeleyI

That is Multi Domain Operations in action. Very similar to the Marine Defense Battalion concept from the beginning of WWII (yes, the Marines had Defense battalions).

USMC Steve

We’re very defensive about that too.

SteeleyI

Actually kind of neat organizations- the heroes of Wake Island.

Jim

Thanks for that link, Berliner. Nice to see a local military newspaper. Related:

https://www.army.mil/article/238873/us_military_lands_c130_on_newly_renovated_angaur_airfield_in_palau

USAFRetired

My knowledge of the Palau’s is limited to the Battle of Peleliu as my great Uncle was Company First Sergeant in one of the assault Companies in First Marines.