Tom Mancinelli, acting undersecretary of the Navy, right, toured Guam by helicopter on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — In his first visit to Guam as acting undersecretary of the Navy, Tom Mancinelli said the Department of Defense would not do “anything about Guam without Guam” as he discussed with Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio on Wednesday the importance of the Indo-Pacific region and reaffirmed the Pentagon’s commitment to working with Guam on shared goals such as the military buildup.
Mancinelli and Deborah Rosenblum, acting deputy undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, visited Guam as part of a weeklong trip to the Indo-Pacific, meeting with local and military leaders as well as service members, Navy public affairs said in a press release issued Saturday.
The release highlighted Mancinelli’s acknowledgement of Guam as a strategic hub for “critically important activity for the Navy and the Department of Defense.” During the meeting, he expressed gratitude for the support the island’s leadership has given to the military, service members and their families.
“I’m grateful for the close partnership that the Department of Defense shares with Gov. (Leon Guerrero), Lt. Gov. Tenorio and other local leaders on island. Together, we are committed to ensuring that Guam remains secure and resilient,” Mancinelli said in the release.
Leon Guerrero used the opportunity to speak toward the need for increased federal investment in Guam and additional support for infrastructure, health care and Typhoon Mawar recovery efforts, the Navy said in the release.
The priorities she shared placed emphasis on defense and balancing community needs with national security demands, the release indicated.
“Our administration remains fully committed to promoting peace and stability in the region, with a primary focus on ensuring Guam’s security in the face of growing threats,” Leon Guerrero said in the release. “The relationships we’ve established with the Department of Defense and our federal partners create a strong foundation for advocating for the needs of the people of Guam while navigating the unprecedented military expansion on the island. It is vital that we continue building upon these partnerships, from our local federal and DOD collaborators to (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) and the Pentagon.”
Working together is important, Mancinelli said, adding, “we won’t do anything about Guam without Guam.”
“The acting (undersecretary’s) engagements in Guam also included meetings with the commander of Joint Task Force-Micronesia, Rear Adm. Greg Huffman; the commander of Joint Region Marianas, Rear Adm. Brent DeVore; Guam Delegate James Moylan; and leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force. He also spoke with service members at Naval Base Guam, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, Task Force Talon’s Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense site and Andersen Air Force Base, and met with the Armed Forces Committee of the Guam Chamber of Commerce,” the release said.
Andersen Air Force Base said on its Facebook page that Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi stopped by during the trip to receive an update on how partnerships are being strengthened while expanding combat capability.
