In this Aug. 16, 2012 photo, CH-46 helicopters take off from the U.S. Marine Corps base in Futenma , in Okinawa, Japan. Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima signed off Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, on the long-awaited relocation of the U.S. military base, a major step toward allowing the U.S. to move forward with plans to consolidate its troops in Okinawa and move some to Guam. Nakaima approved the Japanese Defense Ministry's application to reclaim land for a new military base on Okinawa's coast. It would replace the U.S. Marine Corps base in Futenma, a more congested part of Okinawa's main island. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)