The new commanding officer of Andersen Air Force Base says they've fully recovered from the multi-billion dollar destruction by Typhoon Mawar. General Thomas Palenske says the command is also ready and able to meet its mission to help deter Chinese aggression in the IndoPacific.

"The first thing we're going to do is ensure that every time the Chinese Communist Party looks over at Andersen airbase, they look at the readiness of this base, the resilience of our airmen and the capabilities we have out here, and they say today is not the day to make a provocative move. So we've got to win the deterrence, nobody wants to get into a fight with China. And so the best way is to ensure that because of our posturing and our readiness at Andersen airbase, the Chinese got it pretty clear in their minds that if they did something, they wouldn't win," he said.

He added, "If our competitors to the west sometimes make provocative moves everybody understands that this is the hub. This is the hub for the Pacific Theater and if we're going to do our integrated deterrence plan and incorporate the air power piece into that then Andersen is of critical importance, and the island of Guam quite honestly is of critical importance so there's resources shifted in this direction in a way that hadn't been done since the 2010 timeframe and the Air Force has a laser like focus to make sure this base  has everything it needs."

Helping to protect Taiwan from Chinese aggression is also at the heart of Andersen's mission, and to be successful the airbase needs to keep up with the growing needs.

"We're out here for a reason, and thats to win the deterrence against the Communist Chinese Party. I think we're doing a pretty good at that right now, and then transform as the operational environment shifts out here in the Pacific then alot of the infrastructure and the way Andersen is set up is kinda geared toward the way it was in the 2010 timeframe so we've got to transform and make this base ready for the next phase," said the general.

Transformation was General Palenske's first major task upon assuming command in June, as Supertyphoon Mawar inflicted what he says was some $4.3 billion in damage.

"A lot of the challenges that the base took was due to infrastructure challenges, some sustainment issues that we probably could've done better in the last ten years. And so now I'm basically lobbying to get this place not just put back together in the way that if we get hit again with another typhoon it'll turn out alot better than it did," he shared.

"We've got alot of work to do," he admitted. "We've put in about $138 million so far of the $4.3, and that's basically to seal the buildings so they quit leaking, but we've still got to, just to bring it back to the way it was its probably going to take another two to three years. We're fully mission capable. its just not to the standard that we want for our airmen to work in and the working environment we're looking for for our airmen."

And in fact, in building up the base General Palenske says they may need to spend more than double the $4.3 billion currently planned, noting, "We're also doing other enhancements, at least looking at projects or enhancements to make it even more resilient by additional milcon, additional buildings. so, in total when you add all that up for all the components of the Air Force, including the Space Force and the reserves - that adds up to about $10 billion worth of work. So there's alot planned for what we've got going on out here."