By Lee Webber
Last week I shared my thoughts concerning the importance of beefing up our cyber-security for Guam. This week we’ll look at the kinetic side of the need to “Harden Up Guam.”
The people of Guam (civilian and military alike) deserve the highest and most effective level of protection (cyber and kinetic) available from our national and local government officials as we work on dealing with those who may seek to do us harm.
Israel has their “Iron Dome” a 360-degree integrated air and missile defense system to protect them from adversaries surrounding them. It has proven to be an extremely effective tool in protecting their citizens and property.
There will always be nay-sayers, but before being overly critical it may be prudent to consider the positive functional reality and need for such a system for Guam as well.
The planned $1.47 billion 360-degree Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System being proposed by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA – my work resembles that acronym) at the Department of Defense will do the same for Guam and our region.
The real key to making this very effective defense tool work for our island home is to get it installed, up and running as rapidly as possible.
That may well include skirting some of the normal political impediments that generally face such programs.
Then-acting Governor Joshua Tenorio was notified by Rear Admiral Benjamin Nicolson on behalf of Vice-Admiral J.A. Hill that the Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to publish a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register.
Such action initiates the public comment period for an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposed 360-degree Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System for Guam.
This is something long overdue given our critical geographic position in this great blue nation called the Indo-Pacific region.
We could very well become the Pacific version of the Fulda Gap that existed during the cold war in the European theater for so many years.
According to Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio, “This marks the beginning of the EIS process, which is a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act. Our administration will closely examine their plans as soon as they are made available, and the relevant government agencies will provide the appropriate responses. We also encourage the public to participate in the upcoming scoping process and provide public input.”
As this process unwinds it is critical to ask ourselves: How many of the people involved in such decision making and circumstances have ever been engaged in a situation that would require such protection and therefore can truly understand the critical nature and need of such a system for Guam?
The public comment period began on May 5th and will continue through June 27th.
There have been three scoping meetings scheduled for next month. They will be held on June 14th at the University of Guam Fieldhouse, at Okkodo High School on June 15th and at Southern High School on June 16th. All meetings will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the days mentioned above.
Please take the time to share your thoughts on the critical importance of getting this layered defensive and offensive system up and running as rapidly as possible for Guam.
At the same time take the time to voice your thoughts on the need for another defense access road that would run from the Naval Base Guam installation to the back gate of Andersen Air Force Base given the reality that we presently have only one critical highway that connects Naval Base Guam, Naval Magazine, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz and Andersen Air Force Base.
Please take the time to research and understand the extremely critical nature of this effort and what it means to us all not only today but to the longer term progress for Guam and our position in this Great Blue Nation we call home.
Harden Up Guam!
Esta.
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Lee P. Webber is a businessman and civic advocate, the former publisher of the Pacific Daily News, a former president and publisher of the Honolulu Advertiser, and a former director of operations for USA Today International/Asia
