Tip of the spear: the global importance of America’s Guam base - Naval Technology

Guam has been important since WW2. Will always be relevant.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SrA Christopher Wright Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl (Join to see) Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth LTC (Join to see) MSG Frederick Otero SFC Pete Kain SSG David Andrews LCDR (Join to see) PO1 Tony Holland SCPO Morris Ramsey SPC Margaret Higgins SGT Jim Arnold SFC William H. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SGT Charles H. Hawes SFC Craig Dalen CPL Dave Hoover

Guam, "Where America's day begins"! I was stationed there in the late 60s and early 70s. It was then and is now a very strategic piece of real estate in the Pacific. Comparing it to a forward deployed Aircraft Carrier is a very apt analogy. When the Vietnam War was at its height, bombers took off from Anderson AFB all the time, even when we were "not bombing" in Vietnam, the B-52s took off right on schedule (?).

Since the loss of the Philipines and the bases there, Guam has become even more important as a strategic base. But even more importantly it is an American Territory so there are fewer restrictions on what can and cannot be done there. Moving Marines from other bases to Guam, homeporting more submarines or other ships and building up other commands.

The threat from N. Korea may or may not be credible so it is also important for us to make sure that defenses are up to date and adequate. Guam and its citizens as well as our bases are a strategic asset to the US and must be protected.

LCDR (Join to see) Our Two Significant Stationary Aircraft Carriers, Guam and Diego Garcia.