Guam troops headed to Middle East, Caribbean to back US-led war against terrorism and anti-narcoterrorism
- Admin
- 39 minutes ago
- 2 min read
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Dozens of select members of the Guam Air National Guard are being deployed to the Middle East and the Caribbean in support of the Department of War's anti-terrorism and anti-narcotics campaigns.
Brig. Gen. Karin Watson, adjutant general, said the deployment is in response to a call of duty.
“We train for days like this. We sweat, we sacrifice and we push through the grueling hours so that when the call comes, we don’t hesitate. Well, that call has come," Watson told the guardsmen who gathered Friday at the Barrigada headquarters.
Approximately 70 members of GUNG are joining the Central Command's Operation Inherent Resolve and the Southern Command's Operation Southern Spear.
"Trust your training, trust your faith, trust in your own abilities, trust your leadership and always look out for your wingman," Watson advised the guardmen.
"Do your jobs with excellence, represent our island of Guam with honor and bring yourselves and each other home safely," she added.
The deploying guardsmen were joined by their families at the send-off ceremony.
"Thank you. Your sacrifice is just as profound as the airmen standing in formation," Watson addressed the families. "When they deploy, you deploy. Your resilience is the backbone of this command."
She acknowledged that the families bear "a heavy burden" that comes with the guardsmen's departure.
"We recognize that sacrifice. Please know that you are not alone; the Guam National Guard family-Army and Air-are here to support you while your loved ones are away," Watson said.
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Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led international military campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, is aimed at defeating the terrorist group and supporting local security forces.
The Syrian government's capture of northeastern Syria in January and the launch of Operation Epic Fury in February prompted an accelerated transition and realignment of U.S. forces supporting Operation Inherent Resolve," states the Department of War's March report to Congress.
Operation Southern Spear aims at disrupting the flow of narcotics from drug cartels named as "designated terrorist organizations" in the Western Hemisphere.
The campaign primarily involves lethal airstrikes against small boats suspected of shipping illegal narcotics in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
"From September 2025 through March 2026, the U.S. military struck at least 45 small boats, resulting in 156 individuals killed or presumed dead," states the Department of War's report.
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