The U.S. Department of the Navy has formally issued its Record of Decision for the CNMI Joint Military Training project, concluding more than a decade of environmental review and community consultation. The ROD, published in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act on July 23, finalizes the Navy’s authorizing enhanced land-based training and range infrastructure on Tinian.
The decision marks the end of the Environmental Impact Statement process, the most detailed level of federal environmental analysis. The Record of Decision identifies the chosen alternative and outlines required mitigation and management measures for training activities.
Under the plan, the Navy and Marine Corps will conduct distributed operations training on Tinian, including two live-fire ranges, radar towers, landing zones, improvements to North Field, and an expeditionary base camp at the former U.S. Agency for Global Media site. The training tempo is expected to increase by approximately 15 percent over current levels.
The Marine Corps emphasized that the revised training concept was shaped by years of CNMI government coordination and public input, including sessions held on Tinian, Saipan, and Rota.
A key component of the plan is the establishment of an on-island Training Area and Range Operations Command, or Range Control, which will coordinate training schedules and work with local officials to allow public access to the Military Lease Area when safe.
The Marine Corps also noted that live-fire ranges were intentionally placed in the northern portion of Tinian, away from San Jose village, recreational beaches, tourism sites, and cultural and natural resources.
The CJMT project is intended to reduce joint training deficiencies for U.S. Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific and ensure compliance with Title 10 requirements to maintain readiness.
The Record of Decision affirms the Navy’s decision to move forward with the infrastructure needed to support evolving expeditionary warfare tactics, particularly distributed operations—an increasingly central component of U.S. military strategy in the region.
