And the proposed relocation of 8,000 US troops from Okinawa will only happen provided Washington is assured of the southern Japanese island's role as a forward-deployment base for its core contingent of marines.
In August 2013, a new round of negotiations began that would allow US forces a forward-deployment position in East Asia by gaining rotational access to Philippine territory.
Although it is traditional for a defense secretary to visit troops in December ahead of the holidays, Mr. Panetta said a central goal of this trip was to push forward deployment proposals now being prepared by Gen. John R. Allen, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan.
It shows – in graphic and gory detail – the death of three members of the regiment during the forward deployment to Fallujah two and half years ago in a suicide bombing.
This flotilla made a port call at Kochi on 4 March 2013, on route to its forward deployment.
A permanent presence of two ships is planned for 2016, with four planned for forward deployment at Singapore's Changi Naval Station by 2017.
The forward deployment is deterrence, presence.
The forward deployment of American troops abroad, he said, while preferable, was not necessary.
America's decision to pull back its troops in South Korea from their forward deployment, and probably to reduce their overall numbers too, is forcing hard thinking in Tokyo.
So, says Naoyuki Agawa of Keio University, one potential risk for Japan is that the Americans will "think that technology can compensate for forward deployment".
But General Franks's decision to bring about a quarter of his Central Command from Florida to Qatar for the exercise marks the first forward deployment of Central Command since the 1991 Persian Gulf war.
