Is the U.S. Military Presence in Puerto Rico Beneficial to the Island?
. April 5, 2002 Copyright © 2002 PUERTO RICO HERALD. All Rights Reserved. THE US MILITARY & PUERTO RICO: FROM GUANICA TO AFGHANISTAN Controversy over the U.S. Navy s use of its training facility on Vieques often clouds the fact that the U.S. military has had a long and important role in the defense and economy of Puerto Rico since the island was ceded to the United States. From the moment that the first U.S. Army trooper put his boot into the sand of Guánica s beach in 1898, U.S. uniformed services have become a permanent part of the island s landscape. A 1998 Department of Defense count listed 25 installations spotted throughout the island, taking up approximately 13% of Puerto Rico s land mass. Presently, the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard maintain facilities in Puerto Rico, the largest being the U.S. Naval base at Roosevelt Roads. Fort Buchanan, a U.S. Army compound, is the oldest, while the Coast Guard operates two stations, one near San Juan and the other based within
