It’s no secret the military population on the island is on course to double in time.

Rear Admiral Gregory Huffman, Commander of Joint Region Marianas/Naval Region Marianas said, “Yes, we are going to eventually wind up doubling the military population, but over the course of 10-15 years.”

But the timeline for when the first wave of what the marines call “the first movers” will be here, is already set for this year.

Huffman confirmed about 100 personnel will set the groundwork for logistical needs to bring in more marines in the future.

“Right now, the plan is for on the order of about 5,000 marines total to wind up here in guam. There will be a core group that will be permanently stationed here, and they will be operating and managing things–and then a large group will just be rotating through,” said Huffman.

And while plans for those rotating through are on a sixth-month rotation, Huffman said the island shouldn’t expect to see large numbers of marines for a few years.

He said the next increase is expected to come from the US Army.

Meantime, Huffman said the military population growth in Guam is estimated to be 45,000 in the next 10-15 years, including rotational forces, active duty service members, Department of Defense civilians, and dependents.