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04/01/25 - At a 3 hour long town hall Monday night, Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog said she wants to ensure the safety of the environment and people as the military expands its footprint on Rota. Hocog was responding to a question submitted online by a resident who expressed concern about how the projects will impact the island.
Mayor Hocog said the military has plans to build warehouses, store fuel, and expand the runway at the Benjamin T. Manglona Airport in the coming years.
In a social media post on March 28, 2025, by the Rota Public Information Office, Rota leaders, CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds, and CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios are seen meeting with Department of Defense officials to discuss the developments.
“[DOD is] working on land agreements with Commonwealth Ports Authority and environmental clearances to move forward with construction while minimizing disruptions to the community. They are hoping to see this materialize before the end of the year. The military also has long-term plans to expand the airfield by 2028 and improve training exercises for defense operations across U.S. territories,” the mayor’s office said on social media.
At the town hall on Monday, the mayor explained that the expansion would be in addition to the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s long-term airport improvement projects funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The mayor reminded residents that “the military has to go through all our regulatory agencies.” Hocog said that includes the National Environmental Policy Act process, the Historic Preservation Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality.
She added that they’ve discussed transporting trash from the projects off-island to reduce the burden on the local dump.
Meanwhile, the DOD is also seeking to support local businesses. “At the request of the Mayor, DOD personnel will support all local vendors including small pop up vendors during their project time on Rota. The DOD team will work with our SBDC and Rota Chamber of Commerce Director, Charlene Ogo to get all local vendors registered to receive a Unique Entity Identification Number and under sam.gov to be able to get paid as a military vendor. They have been meeting with business owners, including those in car rentals, restaurants, convenience stores, laundry mats, hotels and so on. These efforts aim to create more opportunities for the local community and to stimulate our local economy,” Hocog’s office said online. At the town hall, the mayor said improving the ports could also attract more investors.
Hocog will meet with DOD officials on Tuesday and announce public hearing dates for the military projects on Rota.
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Story by Thomas Manglona II
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