Military of Puerto Rico
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The defense of Puerto Rico is the responsibility of the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris (1898).
A branch of the Air National Guard is stationed in Puerto Rico, known as the Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PRANG). They have been equipped with aircraft such as the F-104 Starfighter, A-7, F-16, and currently fly C-130 aircraft. The Puerto Rico National Guard also incorporates an Army component.
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[edit] Military facilities in Puerto Rico
Presently, there have been 25 (or 26) military installations in Puerto Rico.[1] The largest of these installations are the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station and Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF) on Vieques, the National Guard training facility at Camp Santiago in Salinas, the Naval installation at Sabana Seca, the Army's Fort Buchanan in San Juan, and the Muñiz Air Force base in San Juan.[2] The land occupied by the military is some of the most fertile on the island amounting to approximately 13% of the arable land in Puerto Rico.[3] On the island of Vieques, the military controls 76% of the land.[2]
The former U. S. Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads, Vieques, and Sabana Seca have been deactivated. The total number of military installations in Puerto Rico is, therefore, in need of revision. There has been some discussion on whether to deactivate Fort Buchanan and Muñiz Air Base. Said deactivation has been opposed by diverse entities in Puerto Rico.
The United States Coast Guard also has a significant presence in Puerto Rico. Located on what was Ramey Air Force Base, the Coast Guard maintains what is now referred to as Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen. HH-65C helicopters operate out of Borinquen performing search and rescue as well as law enforcement missions. On a continual basis, Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft stationed primarily in Florida fly to Puerto Rico supporting these missions.
On "La Puntilla" in Old San Juan the Coast Guard bases its small but capable surface fleet of several 110-foot (34 m) long cutters and other patrol boats. These boats and cutters work hand in hand with the air station responding to any mission that they may be called upon to perform.
[edit] Military personnel in Puerto Rico
A large number of Puerto Ricans participate in the US armed services. The size of the overall military related community in Puerto Rico is estimated to be 100,000 individuals.[2] 4,927 people have full time military or civilian positions at the major military bases located on the island.[1] In addition, approximately 17,000 people are members of the National Guard or the Reserve forces.[4]
Puerto Ricans from the island have had a disproportionate representation in several US military conflicts including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.
A number of Puerto Rican colleges and universities have the Reserve Office Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Army ROTC programs are offered at American University of Puerto Rico, Caribbean University, the University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo, the University of Puerto Rico – Bayamon Technological University College, the University of Puerto Rico – Carolina Regional College, the University of Puerto Rico - Cayey, the University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez, and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras.[5] Air Force ROTC programs are offered at the University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon Technological University College, University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez, and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras.[5] Junior ROTC programs are offered at Puerto Rican high schools in San Juan, Guaynabo, Gurabo, and Trujillo Alto.[6] The Junior ROTC program sponsors a summer camp program for high school students at Fort Allen, Puerto Rico.[7]
The military has sought to form alliances with Hispanic organizations to promote military recruitment. In January 1999, leaders of National Hispanic organizations in collaboration with the US Army held the Hispanic Leadership Summit '99. The "Education and Career Opportunities for Hispanic Youth in America's Army" summit included the participation of leaders of the US Army as well as leaders of national Hispanic organizations including ASPIRA, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), SER jops for progress, and the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.[8] At the summit, the director of the LULAC National Educational Service Center (LNESC), Richard Royball commented, "Based on our mutually beneficial partnership, we would encourage other Hispanic organizations to ally themselves with the US Army."[8] LNESC promotes military recruitment in educational service centers in several US cities and in Puerto Rico.[9]
[edit] Military uses of Puerto Rico
The US military installations in Puerto Rico are part of the US Atlantic Command (LANTCOM).[2] LANTCOM has authority over all US military operations that take place throughout the Atlantic. Puerto Rico is seen as crucial in supporting LANTCOM's mission. Both Naval Forces Caribbean (NFC) and Fleet Air Caribbean (FAIR) were based at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station.[2] NFC has authority over all US Naval activity in the waters of the Caribbean while FAIR has authority over all US military flights and air operations over the Caribbean.
US Navy's largest training area for the US Atlantic Fleet has been in Puerto Rico and in the ocean surrounding the island. Every year, the US conducts several military training exercises in Puerto Rico, the largest of these being Operation Springboard and Operation Readex.[2] These exercises include thousands of personnel and involve air, sea, and land operations, and include training with live ammunition. In addition to the exercises of the US military, NATO forces and foreign forces that pay rent to the US government are permitted to utilize the bases in Puerto Rico.[10]
On top of training exercises, the US uses Puerto Rico as a base to rehearse and launch military operations in Latin America and throughout the world. Operations launched from Puerto Rico include the 1954 intervention in Guatemala; the 1965 invasion of the Dominican Republic; the 1983 invasion of Grenada; the 1989 invasion of Panama; support of El Salvadorian military; preparation for operation Desert Storm and Desert Fox in Iraq; and preparation for the War in Yugoslavia. Further, in 1984, it was revealed that the FBI offered monthly courses to participants from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras, as well as Puerto Rico.[2]
[edit] Nuclear weapons in Puerto Rico
In the mid 1980s the Bar Association of Puerto Rico appointed a special commission to investigate the US military plans and actions related to nuclear weapons in Puerto Rico. The commission concluded that the US violated the Treaty of Tlatelolco — an international treaty, to which the US is a signatory, that bans nuclear weapons in Latin America.
Among the findings of the commission were that Roosevelt Roads Naval Station at Ceiba has been prepared to function as a center for command and control operations for nuclear weapons; facilities at Roosevelt Roads have been designated for anti-submarine nuclear weapons; the US has prepared a communications network for the control of nuclear weapons in Puerto Rico; ships and submarines carrying nuclear weapons are often stationed at Naval bases in Puerto Rico; testing of nuclear-related weaponry and nuclear weapons simulations are conducted in Vieques and in the waters and airspace surrounding Puerto Rico.[11] In addition, William Arkin of the Institute for Policy Studies found that the military has been given presidential authority to deploy 32 nuclear depth bombs in Puerto Rico.[12]
[edit] Coquí I and II
NASA directed projects Coquí I and II to advance research into the behavior of the upper atmosphere. Turbulence in the upper atmosphere affects radio and satellite transmissions. Though not explicitly military in nature, this field of research is of particular interest to the military since radio and satellite transmissions are used for command and control.
As part of the Coquí Project, trimethyaluminum (TMA) was released in the ionosphere at an altitude between 50 and 93 miles (150 km).[14] In the upper atmosphere, TMA (which is a highly voluble) ignites, leaving trails that provide a visual display of the dynamic behavior within the ionosphere. While NASA spokespeople claimed that all the TMA in the Coquí projects ignited before reaching the ground, swimmers at Rio Grande and Aguadilla reported rashes following the release of TMA above these areas following the 1992 Coquí I experiments.[16] A July 1997 report, "Technical Information Document for the 1998 Coquí Sounding Rocket Campaign, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico," noted that residue associated with the experiments may remain in the environment for a lengthy period and have large-scale effects.[16] The report also noted that a forested area was "clearly degraded" following the Coquí I experiments and that it may take decades for the forests to recuperate.[22] The 1997 report further noted that the Coquí II experiments may result in 100 pounds of lead falling into the Tortuguero Lagoon and nearby waters.[16]
The Coquí II project conducted from February to April 1998 consisted of the launch of 11 sub-orbital rockets.[15] Residents near the area of the launch lodged complaints regarding the noise associated with the launches from Tortuguero, which is near the Arecibo Radio Telescope.[16] According to NASA, the Coquí II project has been completed and additional ionospheric testing has been conducted is El Yunque for Puerto Rico.
[edit] Relocatable Over the Horizon Radar (ROTHR)
The Navy has constructed a Relocatable Over the Horizon Radar (ROTHR) in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. The ROTHR would be part of a surveillance network which designed to monitor flights over an area encompassing more than 1 million square miles in South America. The ROTHR, developed by Raytheon, would consist of 34 antennas and support structures, 71 to 125 feet (38 m) tall. The transmitter is planned for a 100-acre (0.4 km²) plot of land in Vieques. The site for the receiver was originally planned to be located in the Lajas Valley but was changed to Fort Allen due to protest regarding the military's use of prime farmland and possible disruption of the community's irrigation system.[18]
[edit] References
- ^ OSD, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (DIOR); "Atlas/Data Abstract for the United States and Selected Areas - Fiscal Year 1997;" Department of Defense; 1998. Note: The count of 25 military installations includes the large component of the Roosevelt Roads Naval facility on the island of Vieques as distinct from the Roosevelt Roads Naval station on Cieba
- ^ Meléndez, Edwin; Meléndez, Edgardo; Colonial Dilemma; South End Press; Boston; 1993
3. Oficina del Gobernador, Junta de Planificación; “Plan de Desarrollo Integral;” April 1979; p.[9]6
(According to this document, the total amount of arable land in Puerto Rico which is not subject to flooding and without urban development is 362,591 acres (1,467 km²). According to source # 2, the major military installations in Puerto Rico occupy approximately 47,082 acres (191 km²) of land.)
4. Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Reserve Affairs; "Official Guard and Reserve Manpower Strengths and Statistics - Summary End Fiscal Year 1996;" 1996
5. Macmillam Reference USA, The College Blue Book, 26th Edition – Tabular Data; Simon & Schuster Macmillam; New York; 1997
6. United States Army; "Schools with JROTC, Region 1, Brigade 6;" http://www-rotc.monroe.army.mil/jrotc/schools/reg1bri6.asp
7. Schlossberg, Leon D., Editor; "First Region JROTC Summer Camps;" http://www.usarotc.com/e-paper/np06.htm; Oct. 1998
8. "US Army Meets with Hispanic Congressional and Community Leaders on Education and Career Initiatives;" La Prensa San Diego; San Diego, California; January 15, 1999
9. Dickey, Connie E., Sgt 1st Class; "Hispanic Youth Meet Army Leaders;" http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Army.html
10. Comité Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques; Testimony before the United States Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; Washington, DC; May 6, 1999
11. Berkan, Judith; Hey-Maestre, Charles; Saade-Llorens, Pedro; "Violating the Treaty of Tlatelolco;" Arms Control Today; Vol. 15, No. 1; January 1985
12. Arkin, William; "Contingency Overseas Deployments of Nuclear Weapons - A Report;" Institute for Policy Studies; February 1985
13. Associated Press; "Blast Shakes Puerto Rico Area;" Washington Post; July 6, 1999
14. Hawley, Chris; Associated Press; "Puerto Rico protesters scrawl on Navy warship;" Boston Globe; Boston, Mass.; July 19, 1999
15. Savage, Don; "NASA Studying Space Weather from Puerto Rico;" NASA News Release; http://www.wff.nasa.gov/~web/PRCampaign/english/NewsRelease.html
16. Candelas, Laura; "NASA Launches Controversial Experiment;" http://www.latinolink.com/news/news98/0301nnae.htm
17. Koehler, Keith; NASA official; personal communications
18. Oliver, Lance; "Demilitarizatin Threat Salts Puerto Rico Status Issue;" LatinoLink; http://www.latinolink.com/opinion/opinion97/0420hibe.htm; April 20, 1997
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