The U.S. might return to Subic Bay
Subic Bay, Philippines. (Steven Borowiec)
The U.S. government is in talks with the Philippine government about setting up locations in the Philippines to support U.S. military presence. The Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, which administers Subic Bay, claimed that it would be surprising if Subic Bay was not one of the areas that the U.S. military choses. Both governments are negotiating this arrangement in view of what the Chinese military is doing in the South China Sea and surrounding areas.
From Kyodo News:
Rolen Paulino, chairman of the SBMA, told Kyodo News on Wednesday that he would be “very surprised” if Subic Bay does not become an EDCA site, as “during war, time is of the essence,” a day before the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Navy’s departure from the harbor that it had controlled for nearly 94 years.
A series of events were held Thursday at the free port to mark the 30th Founding Anniversary of the SBMA, including a public display of civilian airplanes and a Philippine Navy helicopter at the Subic airport which is now being repurposed for surveillance and aviation training.
Signed in 2014, the EDCA is likely to continue beyond its 10-year period, as indicated by the United States’ renewed interest in establishing new bases in the Philippines and fresh funding for upgrading existing EDCA sites.
Paulino said tensions over the Taiwan Strait and the growing animosity between the United States and China are causes for concern.
A former mayor of the adjacent Olongapo City, Paulino would prefer that his government maintains a defense alliance with the United States, adding that most Olongapo residents are “pro-Americans” given the very long time they have lived alongside U.S. servicemen.
On Nov. 9, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Mary Kay Carlson visited Subic Bay and the shipyard that U.S. private firm Cerberus Capital Management LP acquired this year. The Philippine Navy has also begun occupying part of the shipyard as its new naval base.
Paulino believes Carlson’s visit amplifies the importance of Subic Bay to the United States. A senior Philippine official said two Chinese firms had wanted to take control of the shipyard, but the United States had stepped in.
Kyodo News and South China Morning Post has more on this event.
Category: China
Maybe they can revive the Tom Tom Club and they can get Kamala to be their first bar girl. After all she does have experience as a whore.
Our B-DIVO was a CWO with about 25 plus years, and his wife was Filipino. Shooting the shit one time…
CWO “If anything happened to her, I’d be on the first plane back to Subic get another one”
Us “So, what they say about Subic is true?”
CWO “Yeah, pretty much. I know I could go back and walk down the street asking who wants to marry a US Naval Officer? They’d be lining up 5-deep…and not just the skanks. Young…pretty…my choice”
He said something close to that. Everybody I know that went through the PI has basically the same story from the late 60’s to the late 80’s.
My one friend in the USAF was going to reenlist for PI orders, but the booted because he was overweight. He stalks about how he fucked that up to this day.
Women in South America were like that when we went there for UNITAS. The women chased you instead of the other way around. Their men hated us.
Australia was like that. Perth AND Sydney. Good times
Especially for Marines. The Aussies still know their history.
How many here can say they met their first wife in Subec Bay?
Barrio Barreto here I come!
Solid Gold and The Runway!!!
If the US government signs another lease, take a lesson from our mistake with the first one, the British mistake in Hong Kong, and our success for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:
The lease should be “in perpetuity,” only to be terminated when BOTH countries agree.
Dad?
No, your daddy is over there.
Is that were the milk is?
Some time back, Hack Stone and his lovely bride Rosetta Stone were attending a get together with a mostly Filipino crowd. A few of the women in attendance were adamant that the US Military never left Clark Air Force Base. Hack Stone responded that he was pretty sure they all left. Apparently not, according to these women. The US Air Force left behind a force in a secret underground bunker, and they have been in that bunker since the base turnover. They are a well disciplined crew, as none of them ever left the bunker to “stimulate the local economy”. They must have planned ahead and brought 30 years worth of lumpia with them.
Lumpia….
I *know* I’m not the only one.
If Hack Stone and his lovely bride Rosetta were ever to split, Hack’s family would take her side. They have plenty of beer drinking siblings who think that they are the funniest thing to come along since George Carlin, but Rosetta is their only source for lumpia.
I like spring rolls too!!
🤦♂️😂😂🤣🤣
When China attacks Pearl and the Philippines can General Milley lead the defense? He can get a MoH and return later…
Mayo-NAISSE got his tattoo in Subic Bay.
Mayo, I want your DOR.
Mayo: I’m talking to you motherfucker!
Foley: All right…I know you want…
Those Navy fly boys, always “meeting in the blimp hanger”
Ground pounders, so jealous.
Shoulda never left. Maybe, just maybe, one day the world will realize that China is Hell bent on World Domination
Lack of foresight thirty years ago.
I was there in late ’77 and early ’78. It was glorious! As a 19 year old Marine it was mind blowing.
Article from the Stars and Stripes (9 Nov 2022):
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2022-09-09/philippines-military-bases-american-forces-7265559.html
I’m looking forward to possibly catching a hop someday from McChord to Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base co-located with Mactan-Cebu International Airport which would put me within a 19 minute commercial flight to the neighboring Island at Dumaguete City and my wife’s property a short walk to the beach. (current temperature there: 80f at 7:18 am).
Oops, article from 9 September 2022. Need coffee!
You forgot to adjust for Daylight Saving Time.