Paparo and Leon Guerrero: Guam is a critical ‘anchor’ for U.S. deterrence in the region

BY SKYLER OBISPO
Journal Staff

Adm. Samuel J. Paparo Jr., commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said during his keynote address that Guam is a strategic asset for America’s deterrence strategy in the Pacific. 

“Guam anchors America’s ability to defend, to project power, to sustain alliances and partnerships, and above all, to deter aggression,” he said. 

He spoke at the inaugural Guam Defense Forum, held at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort on Sept 17. 
The island has long since been described as the “tip of the spear” for U.S. military forces in the region to address America’s adversaries. 

“Today, we find ourselves in a consequential moment. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, are accelerating their aggression,” Paparo said.  

Guam’s defense is critical to the security of the U.S. mainland and partners in the region against these threats, the commander added. 

A part of Guam’s defense is the more than $8 billion Guam Defense System, the Department of War’s largest investment in the Pacific. 

The system is a network of combined air and missile defenses to intercept ballistic cruise and hypersonic missiles.

There is added value, Paparo said, to the introduction of the Guam Defense System to the island: jobs. 

“[GDS] is also a catalyst. It creates hundreds of high quality jobs during construction and will continue to provide meaningful, important, critical employment,” he said. 

In addition the system would also provide training opportunities and an advanced manufacturing capability on the island Paparo said. 

Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero said in her opening remarks that U.S. national security needs to be a “tangible investment” into Guam's infrastructure and people. 

“We expect not charity, but fairness. If our island is to secure our nation, our nation must help us secure ourselves, especially from the impacts of defense related activities,” she said. 

Leon Guerrero called for more federal investments in Guam’s pressing issues like healthcare, retaining a talented and local workforce, and modernizing roads and power grids. 

She also called for a “whole government approach” to defense on Guam, wanting federal, military, local, and civilian leaders to work more closely. 

The governor had expressed publicly her disapproval of the Missile Defense Agency’s Record of Position, wanting the MDA to convene the Economic Adjustment Committee to address the impacts of the planned Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System. 

Paparo said that the GDS would help address Guam’s infrastructure shortfalls. 

“Roads must carry families and convoys, power grids must withstand typhoons and cyber attacks, healthcare must serve residents and our joint force, our communications networks must keep every family informed in peace and in crisis,” he said. 

Forum attendees asked about the Davidson Window, a 2027 date for the People’s Liberation Army expected to reach a level of military readiness, possibly to conduct an operation in that year. 

Paparo said that the PLA is on track to meet that timeline and that the United States needs to work at least three times harder to deter China and the PLA in accordance with U.S. policy. 

“Right now, we’re sitting together and it's nearly the autumn of 2025. In 12 short months we’ll be in fiscal year 2027,” he said. “We must be vigilant and we must be ready ourselves.” 

Sen. Sabina Flores Perez brought up the issue of Guam's self-determination, housing shortage and environmental impacts through the military buildup, and the possibility of bringing nuclear energy to Guam and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. 

Leon Guerrero highlighted the efforts of the Guam Green Growth program and said that continued dialogue between local elected leaders and the federal government are needed to give Guam more agency when it comes to ongoing projects. 

Former Guam congressional delegate, Robert A. Underwood, argued that there is a lack of accountability measures for the federal government and that the burden on Guamanians from the military buildup is becoming too unwieldy. 

“There’s going to be a tipping point where the disproportionate burden is not resulting in any proportionate gain,” he said, speaking on the belief that military activity would support capital improvements. 

Leon Guerrero responded that continued advocacy is needed in order to keep Guam’s voice in the ongoing discussions. mbj