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Task Force Talon commander: 'We take this very, very seriously'

Task Force Talon gives the community a look at its capabilities to defend from enemy forces. 

It’s news of unidentified projectile launches out of North Korea seemingly baked into our normal, with the north’s specific threats against Guam with ballistic missiles dating back as far as 2012. Still, despite the seemingly common scare for the island and the region, the soldiers of Task Force Talon–charged with defending the Indo-Pacific from ballistic threats, are never letting their guard down. 

Reminding enemy forces of their capabilities to defend against any ballistic threats in the Marianas–in a show of the robust Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System on Site X. 

Capt. Riley Campell, Echo 3 THAAD commander, told KUAM News, “We are capable of engaging ballistic missile threats from North Korea and China as well. So we are here just to provide that coverage of any threat that from one of our adversaries to defend the island.” 

 “A threat from North Korea–we have a high capability to engage that threat. It’s not just factoring a military base; we are gonna defend all of Guam.” 

It’s defense of the island against North Korea’s advancing claims of its capabilities.  In 2022, the foreign nation confirming the test launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching Guam–in addition to its recent claims to have tested engines for a more stealthy missile capable of hitting distant U.S. targets in the region.  

Nonetheless, Task Force Talon remains confident. 

Lt. Col. Jonathan Stafford, commander, Task Force Talon, said, “We take this very, very seriously, and we are bringing the best soldiers and equipment to protect this island.” 

With its radar system, truck-mounted launcher, communication centers, and integrated deterrence, Task Force Talon is deliberately showing us that its THAAD system is here to defend.