Australia has made overtures to the US about stationing troops in that country. Read more here. Curious to hear from our Australian readers.

Australia has close military ties with the US and has fought with the US in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq x 2 and Afghanistan. There are several bases here mainly to do with electronic signals - submarine communications at North West Cape, spy satellites etc.

Despite this close relationship, I would not think the Australian people would like to see US troops stationed here (or troops from any other country) and a quick read of the article does not seem to suggest that.

Maybe we should have fewer military bases rather than more

We can't afford it for one thing

Clark airforce base,Subic Bay Naval base and other jungle training areas in the Philippines closed after the big volcano blast back 15 plus years ago and also the Philippine government kicked us out we have been trying to get back to the Philippines and reopen our base we occupied but we were getting resistance from their government.So if this happens we need a base in the south china sea Australia is the closest friend with lots of land.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HH23Ae01.html

The people of Okinawa want the Marines out of northern Okinawa camp Foster,Hansen, because of Marine violence toward bar girls and women in general after they go on liberty after 30 days in the jungle. Okinawa is the keystone of the pacific and the china sea.If you own okinawa you will win a war in that area.

So if this also happens we need Air Force bases in northern Australia to fight North Korea, or as a hop scotch point from Guam and Diego Garcia during typhoon season.
Marine/Army training base near asia plus it would not be such a culture shock for the young marines training out on liberty because the people look like them and speak english so they would see that. They would not try and take advantage of them act like total jack ass's that I witness during my time at Kadena AB in Okinawa. The marines did not bother me because I grew up next to camp pendelton and I knew alot of high ranking marines who told me to join the air force.

God forbid we do get in a war with China we will need close by base to them. Maybe we train the Marines in the Australian desert to fight in the Gobi desert.
So yes we need military bases in Australia.

To add a little humor in this post you never know when their will be a major penguin up rising in Antarctica. We go to war with the crafty little buggers.

Terry

Edited by socal-nomad on 04/11/2011 21:36:40 MDT.

Speaking from a purely self-serving standpoint, I'd be enthusiastic about it.

Primarily, I will admit, because I'd LOVE to be stationed there and experience some of the unique hiking the Oz natives on this forum keep raging about. Tasmania fascinates me.

But beyond that I will refrain from comment, since this is more of an issue for said Oz natives to decide upon. Certainly there would be benefits for Australia, but also costs, and I've seen how 19-year-old Marines behave.

Ew. Marines. What can you do, right?

If America does get in a war with China, I suggest that where the bases are situated won't make a real lot of difference. This is 2011, not 1911, although I doubt the Pentagon brass realise that.

> Maybe we train the Marines in the Australian desert to fight in the Gobi desert.
Snicker. You obviously don't know what the inner deserts are like. Not a good place for war.

Cheers

Desert wars or rural area are safer and away from the innocent general public of the country who don't share their leaders politics.IMHO
As Stated above we will be in ground war if we fight in north Korea or China we need a staging area for our ground troops besides the techo warfare with drones.

Don't get me wrong I like marines I have lived 20 minutes away from Camp Pendelton for the past 30 years and 10 minutes away when in high school. Most of my high school friend fathers were Mustang marines who started out privates enlisted marines and then officers. I even knew a couple Marine generals who all told me to join the air force that I thought was strange.
I notice that the marines in Okinawa coming out of 30 days jungle warfare training act like bigger jack asses in OKinawa compared to the marine stationed in the USA.
Terry

Edited by socal-nomad on 04/12/2011 10:23:44 MDT.

"Okinawa is the keystone of the pacific and the china sea.If you own okinawa you will win a war in that area."

Okinawa will be a pile of cinders about 1/2 hour after we get into it with China. Times have changed, and we're no longer the only ones with missiles.

"God forbid we do get in a war with China we will need close by base to them."

The closer the base, the quicker it disappears in a fireball. We had bases up the yin yang all around China in both the Korean and Vietnamese wars and still got our a$$es chewed in the end. And that was before they developed a modern military. Way too far from home to take on a country that size, especially now that they have modernized to the point where they can effectively retaliate. The best we could hope for would be a Pyrrhic victory.

The last emperor will be a penguin.

"You obviously don't know what the inner deserts are like. Not a good place for war."

But a great place to station a few thousand rambunctious marines.

Way too far from home to take on a country that size, especially now that they have modernized to the point where they can effectively retaliate. The best we could hope for would be a Pyrrhic victory.

-------------------------------

Even if they were close, it would be a lose/lose situation. Ironic that the book, "On the Beach" is set in southern Australia.

"Even if they were close, it would be a lose/lose situation."

Yup. Wars usually are when the final accounting is done. In this particular case, with the terrible destructive power both countries possess, "lose" doesn't come close to describing the outcome. And for what? Taiwan? Resources? Credibility in the 'hood? National pride? There has to be a better way. Maybe have Obama and Hu arm wrestle? Painball duel at 30 paces?

"On the Beach"

Great movie! Never did read the book, but really enjoyed the flick years ago.

"but really enjoyed the flick years ago."

It was a great movie, IMO, but I can't exactly say I enjoyed it. I walked around depressed for days.

"but really enjoyed the flick years ago."

It was a great movie, IMO, but I can't exactly say I enjoyed it. I walked around depressed for days.

--------------------

Yes rather sobering.

I just ordered it from NetFlix (1959 version -- it was remade a few years ago too). I never saw either movie.

I did read it in high school in the 60's and wrote a paper based on it... teacher was very unhappy with my perspective/conclusions; but that was typical of anything I wrote :)

Don't share this information, but the US plans to take over Australia. I'm all for this. I love the feel of kangaroo on my feet.

Note: there is absolutely no truth to the rumour that Roger C will be placed in a cell in Guantanamo where he will be interrogated about exploding canisters.

So will it become a state or just remain a territory?

They will have to change to dollars, dump the metric system, and learn to speak 'real' English.

:)

"They will have to change to dollars, dump the metric system, and learn to speak 'real' English."

They already have dollars

Maybe we should switch to their dollars, metric system, and I love hearing Australian accents, maybe we can adopt that too.

G'day Jerry. I meant US dollars so we don't have the currency exchange conversation :)

My company has offices down under, and it is fun listening to the language differences when I work with them.

If the U.S. opens military bases in Australia, they will need perimeter security animals. Instead of a German Shepherd or Black Lab, they will have to use a kangaroo or a hairy-nose wombat.

--B.G.--

"teacher was very unhappy with my perspective/conclusions"

A surefire sigh you wrote a good paper, IME.