The following article appeared in The Guam Daily Post:
The Guam Defense Forum begins on Wednesday with Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, who will be among the keynote speakers addressing regional security challenges and Guam’s expanding role in Indo-Pacific defense strategy.
The two-day forum at the Dusit Thani Hotel will convene defense officials, policymakers and community stakeholders to discuss civil-military collaboration, infrastructure hardening and economic opportunities stemming from the island’s massive military buildup, according to a recent press release from the Office of the Governor.
“The Guam Defense Forum is about bringing our community together with defense and regional partners to ensure Guam’s voice is heard in shaping the future of security in the Indo-Pacific,” said Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero in the release. “Guam is at the center of critical conversations, and we are committed to making sure those conversations reflect the priorities and values of our people.”
Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio emphasized the forum’s broader significance beyond traditional security concerns. “Strengthening civil-military relations is not only about security – it’s about trust, transparency and partnership, as regional challenges – from cyber threats and disinformation to natural disasters and great power competition – become increasingly complex,” he said in the release.
Registration for the forum has closed, with limited seating available only to registered participants. The Community Defense Liaison Office, which organized the event alongside the governor’s office, did not respond to multiple requests for remarks about the forum, including community participation.
Dale Marks, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment, will join Paparo as a featured speaker. Marks recently met with Tenorio about military growth on Guam, providing “assurances that Guam’s civilian infrastructure needs are important and that he is looking forward to visiting the island shortly to fully appreciate our needs and concerns,” Tenorio told the Post last month. “He has a particular interest in power production and delivery.”
The forum comes as several major defense initiatives reshape Guam’s landscape. Alex Benham, director of the Guam Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Accelerator, or GAMMA, will participate on a panel discussing the Navy-sponsored advanced manufacturing facility designed to address supply chain vulnerabilities while creating local jobs.
GAMMA represents a $17 million investment projected to create 85-100 direct positions over six years, including development of a mechanical engineering program at the University of Guam starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The project aims to establish Guam as a forward-deployed manufacturing capability for Navy components.
Guam Del. James Moylan, currently attending budget sessions in Washington, D.C., said he supports the forum’s objectives despite being unable to attend. “It’s good that we bring it out,” Moylan said in a recent interview. “The forum is there with folks that have information from D.C. here and wanting to provide that out to our agencies, our government, and our Legislature, too.”
Moylan expressed concern about community engagement, noting questions from residents about invitation processes. “Getting the word out, that would be important,” he said, suggesting media coverage and structured question submission could maximize public benefit from the forum.
The timing coincides with continued controversy over military expansion impacts. The Pacific Center for Island Security, or PCIS, a Guam-based think tank, recently criticized the handling of cumulative impacts from defense projects, particularly regarding the Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.
“Guam will be a laboratory for capabilities of new equipment while the system is developed,” PCIS told The Guam Daily Post last week, noting that several missile defense components are already on-island for testing.
Robert Underwood, chairman of the PCIS, expressed skepticism about the forum’s potential impact. “Right now it just looks like a dog and pony show, and I don’t know who the dogs are going to be,” Underwood said in an interview Monday.
Earlier, PCIS told The Guam Daily Post, “Guam will be a laboratory for capabilities of new equipment while the system is developed,” noting that several missile defense components are already on-island for testing.
The think tank’s recent analysis highlights ongoing tensions between military priorities and community concerns. In a column published this month, PCIS experts Ken Kuper, Leland Bettis and Robert Underwood argued that external powers continue to define Guam’s purpose based on geography rather than local interests.
“At a practical level, Guåhan’s political leadership should determine how to profit from all this attention,” they wrote. “At a visionary level, the island’s political leadership could craft a path that would change the nature of Guåhan’s relationship to the federal government.”
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio have pressed federal agencies to address cumulative impacts from multiple military projects, recently expressing dissatisfaction with the missile defense system’s record of decision for not convening the Economic Adjustment Committee as requested.
The housing pressures have prompted the Navy to launch a separate initiative seeking private developers to provide thousands of military housing units by 2028-2032. The Pacific Center for Island Security criticized the effort as reflecting “failure of the military to adequately plan for its mission in Guam” and warned it will force local residents to “bear the cost – in increased rentals and increased home prices.”
The forum agenda focuses on infrastructure hardening, cyber resilience, joint planning and emergency preparedness. Organizers emphasize translating defense investments into community benefits through job creation and public-private partnerships.
Tenorio mentioned important goals for the forum: achieving “a unified strategic vision that bridges defense priorities with community resilience and economic opportunity” and strengthening “civil-military collaboration, enhance emergency preparedness and produce actionable policy recommendations.”
Beyond missile defense and manufacturing initiatives, discussions will address broader infrastructure challenges. Moylan recently toured Guam Power Authority facilities and met with Joint Regional Marianas officials about energy coordination as the military expands its presence.
“We’re not there yet, but the discussions are happening, and we’re really trying to get (the Department of Defense) to help support Guam Power Authority so we can get enough energy supplied for their needs and Guam’s needs too,” Moylan said.
The energy coordination challenges Moylan referenced have intensified as Guam Power Authority projects military expansion will more than double the island’s energy demand by 2033. GPA is seeking $1.5 billion in federal investment to underground key transmission systems and strengthen grid resilience, warning that “Guam can’t do this alone” as the DOD becomes its largest customer.
The forum represents the latest effort to manage tensions between rapid military expansion and community priorities. As PCIS noted in their analysis, Guam faces increasing pressure to accommodate military requirements while addressing housing shortages, infrastructure strain and environmental concerns.
“The preparations are not about war in some faraway place but on the expectation that we are the target,” the think tank wrote. “But if one wants a sense of how important and appreciated we are to those who sing our praise and salute our service, where are the shelters for the people in the planning and build-up?”
The forum runs through Thursday, with organizers offering synthesis sessions to consolidate findings and guide future policy decisions.
As the PCIS cautioned in their recent analysis, “It is time to define geography for island purposes. Otherwise, it is geography since ever since again.”