VIP visits abound

VIP visitors have been journeying to the islands in recent months.

Despite the distance, seeing Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands is an attractive break and an alternative to putting in the hours at Congress — particularly in an election year — or in the case of non-Congressional VIP visitors testifying before a Congressional committee, or being desk-bound.

Here’s a look at who came by and why.

A Congressional delegation led by Congressman Samuel B. Graves Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Congressman Michael J. Bost, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, visited Guam in April.

Apart from visiting the Community Base Outpatient Clinic for veterans at Naval Hospital Guam (always a contentious facility for one reason or another), the group got to see the U.S. Coast Guard Micronesia’s Cutter Oliver Henry on April 26. The group got out on the water, together with Capt. Nicholas Simmons, then commander of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam; which may have been the fun part of the trip, but according to the Coast Guard the representatives also toured “critical infrastructure sites, including the damaged glass breakwater.”

 Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Governor David M. Apatang welcomed Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; on May 18. “During the meeting the commander reaffirmed regional commitments and discussed other collaborative efforts with the CNMI,” according to a release from the Office of the Governor. Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman, commander of Joint Task Force Micronesia; and Rear Adm. Brent DeVore, commander of Joint Region Marianas; accompanied Paparo, together with “other military leaders,” a release said.

Paparo and the admirals were back again on July 20, this time to visit Tinian, together with Fleet Master Chief David Isom, the senior enlisted leader for USINDOPACOM. During that visit the group met with Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan and U.S. military personnel stationed in Tinian.

Tinian is the site of a U.S. strategic divert airfield. That project saw its first award to Black Construction Corp. in 2021, and is still ongoing, but offers huge economic benefits to the island, which have been well documented by the Journal.

A total of $2.6 billion in military/federal investment is expected to pour into Tinian as part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s military buildup in the region to counter the People’s Republic of China’s influence in the region, according to Journal files. That figure includes Tinian Joint U.S. Military/Civilian Infrastructure Upgrades, the U.S. Naval Divert Facility/Port Upgrade, the U.S. Air Force Divert Facility and North Field Resurfacing Runway/Taxiway Upgrades, and potentially a Tinian Marine Training Range/LCR Base project.

The gubernatorial team and the two admirals met again on Aug. 7 for one of the quarterly meetings now being held, together with Brig. Gen. Christopher K. Faurot, commander, Guam Air National Guard.

Items discussed included “the military training outlook, updates on the Tinian Divert Airfield, Tinian port development activities, the updated Environmental Impact Statement on Tinian,” and contracting opportunities for NMI businesses, according to a release the same day.

Gen. Randy A. George, chief of staff of the U.S. Army; visited Guam on Sept. 8.

The Guam Army National Guard was activated in 2019 to provide security forces to Task Force Talon, which is responsible for operating the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense on Andersen Air Force Base. Previously, security was provided by Army personnel from Alaska.

According to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, George’s visit was timely.

“The visit comes as the U.S. Army moves forward with plans to improve missile defense capabilities on Guam in the coming years. These improvements will see Task Force Talon convert into the Army’s first composite air and missile defense battalion,” a story on INDOPACOM’s site said.

The Journal was told at a briefing in Guam on Aug. 2 last year during one of the Missile Defense Agency’s Environmental Impact Study Scoping Meetings that 700 Army personnel and 200 support staff will be required for the missile defense system planned for Guam. The Journal further asked where those personnel would be housed and was told that the housing would be on U.S. Department of Defense property.

On Sept. 8, Guam officials ask for an increased role for Guam Army Guard personnel, who they said would not require additional housing or infrastructure.

Plans are already underway to base the command center at Andersen Air Force Base, with the contract for the command center anticipated to be awarded in the fourth quarter of 2025. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific will award the contract, estimated at between $250 million and $500 million, according to Journal files.

Black & Veach was awarded on June 27 a potential $249 million IDIQ contract to provide architectural and engineering services for the construction of a missile defense system and related infrastructure projects, according to Journal files.

Officials often stop in Hawaii on the same trip. George spent time with the 25th Infantry at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

Brig. Gen. Michael W. Cruz, adjutant general of the Guam Guard, was also on the road and in Hawaii from Sept. 10 to 16 to attend the U.S. INDOPACOM and National Guard Senior Leaders Forum for the State Partnership Program. The Guam Guard is partnered with Palau and has a shared partnership with the Philippines.
 
Other island leaders in the region have also traveled to wherever will give them an opportunity to give input or move achievements for their islands forward.

Congressional visitors to Guam have included Sen. John Francis "Jack" Reed of Rhode Island (a Democrat), and chairman and longstanding member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, who like all Congressional representatives sits on various other committees.  Reed also sits on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Reed met with Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio on Sept. 3.

Repair of the glass breakwater at the Port of Guam was discussed according to a release, and it’s an item in the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The breakwater was damaged during Typhoon Mawar in May 2023 and the repair cost is currently set at $167.5 million, according to a release from the Office of James C. Moylan, Guam’s delegate to Congress.

The fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act is currently making its way slowly to President Joseph R. Biden’s desk and is due for a Congressional vote in November, according to Moylan’s office.

Just about everybody the Journal has interviewed from Washington, D.C. or in Guam with the Navy recognizes the importance of the breakwater, but any award for its repair will depend on the speed with which Naval Engineering Facilities Engineering and Systems Command can act.  

The last award for work on the glass breakwater went to Black Construction Corp. in 2012.

Various military officials also visit Guam.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment Brendan Owens toured military installations and facilities visited Guam Sept. 9. According to Joint Region Marianas, “Owens met with military and local leadership to discuss current and future defense capabilities in Guam.” The local leadership included “local utilities leadership,” JRM said.

Capt. Michael Smith, chief of staff, Joint Region Marianas, welcomed Ryan Okahara, executive director, Total Force Management for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Danielle Dutton, assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs on Sept. 18.

Palau saw its share of visitors for the 2024 Joint Committee Meeting – one of periodic meetings related to the Compact Agreement, which was held in Peleliu Sept. 16 and 17, following the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Battle for Peleliu.

Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman, commander of Joint Task Force - Micronesia, led the U.S. delegation, which also included
Ambassador to Palau Joel Ehrendreich. The Palau delegation led by President Surangel Whipps Jr. included Palau’s Ambassador to the United States Hersey Kyota.

According to a release from the Office of President of Palau, “The discussions included border security and emerging threats and included proposals to develop labs to help test for methamphetamines, and U.S. support to counter cyber-attacks ...” 

Among the approximately 120 delegates, participants included environmentalists, engineers, and military and federal security agencies, according to the release. Representatives of the Guam National Guard also attended, according to a Sept. 24 release from Andersen Air Force Base.

Now that the Compact Agreements between the island nations and the U.S. have been finally signed and approved by Congress, meetings can be focused and cordial.

Whipps invited U.S. attendees to return for Palau’s 30th Independence Day celebration on Oct. 1. mbj