Guam Guard assumes THAAD mission; officials address China's missile launch

Today was a symbolic handover that marked the end of the tour for Team Binadu of the Guam Guard and the beginning of Team Kulepbla’s mission at the THAAD missile defense site.

“The THAAD battery cannot defend the skies over Guam without you defending the ground around it. The security of this island is dependent on how well each and every one of you execute your duties every single day,” said Task Force Talon Commander, Lt. Col. Jonathan Stafford. 

After a ten-month deployment, SECFOR VII, Team Binadu officially passed the torch, highlighted by their landmark achievement becoming the first unit to take down a drone over Guam using the FS-Lids system. 

Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio speaking to the soldiers on the base Friday morning. 

“Global events have given us a reminder about the perils that occur in the geopolitics of the world,” said Tenorio. “A stark reminder of the role and purpose that our island and our people have not only in the defense of our nation and our island but our role in making sure that there is peace in this part of the world–and in fact, the entire world.”

The transfer of authority takes place amid China’s recent launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean. 

Lt. Col. Stafford confirmed that the ICBM was never in the airspace of Guam, adding the ICBM passed over hundreds of kilometers in altitude in outer space. 

“Our THAAD radar is part of a network of sensors across the Pacific region, and our network of sensors, including the THAAD radar, were able to track the ICBM throughout its time in flight across the region–and so, during that time, we assessed that the ICBM was never any threat to Guam,” said Stafford. 

Meantime, Stafford did not confirm whether China had notified the U.S. about the reported planned test, only stressing again that the U.S. military was tracking the ICBM from the moment it launched.