Palau, Guam National Guard Sign Historic Partnership

A first for the region, Palau became the first Pacific island nation to partner with the Guam National Guard.

The partnership was formalized in a ceremony held at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center in Koror, Palau, on April 29. President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and The Adjutant General Col. Mike Cruz, Guam National Guard, signed the declaration. Witnessing the signing were Senior Enlisted Advisor to Chief of the National Guard Bureau Tony Whitehead, U.S. Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich, Vice President J. Uduch S. Senior and members of Palau’s Congress.

President Whipps expressed his gratitude to Leon Guerrero for proposing the partnership during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Joint Committee Meeting in Guam in 2021. In February, President Whipps received a letter from General Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, informing him that Palau and the Guam National Guard would be the program’s newest partners, according to a press release.

The ceremony took place at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center in Koror, Palau. During the event, President Whipps spoke about Guam and Palau’s shared history, including familial ties and centuries-old cultural and economic exchanges.

“We firmly believe that we Islanders must support each other, whether in defending freedom, during natural disasters, or facing any other challenges,” the President stated. “This partnership is crucial as it strengthens our existing relationship.”

The Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program fosters a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship by connecting a state or territory’s National Guard with a partner nation.

The Republic of Palau, a close ally in Free Association with the United States of America, joined the Trust Territories in 1947 and achieved full sovereignty in 1994. Palau and Guam have been geographic, economic, and cultural neighbors for over three thousand years, both being members of the Micronesian Island family.

Illustrating the relationship between Palau and Guam, Major Marvin Yamada, a son of Palau who grew up in Guam and Hawaii and is now serving with the Washington Air National Guard was chosen to emcee the event alongside Col. Sheila Compton-Rivo, chief of joint staff, Guam National Guard. In addition, Staff Sgt. Christina Adelbai, a daughter of Palau serving with the Guam National Guard, read the declaration signed by leadership. mbj