By Frank Whitman
Guam Army National Guard soldiers providing security for the Guam-based Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system took part in a transfer of authority ceremony on Oct. 4 at Andersen Air Force Base.
The ceremony marked the eighth time a team of Guam Guard members has been deployed to the Guam THAAD site.
The ceremony marked the completion of the 10-month on-island deployment of about 100 members of the Guard comprising “Team Binadu.” It marked the start of a similar deployment for its replacement, Team Kulepbla, as soldiers in that unit took up the responsibility for the security of the THAAD missiles.
The transfer of authority took place a little more than a week after a ballistic missile launched by the People’s Republic of China passed over Guam before dropping harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean.
Officials insisted the missile posed no threat to the island.
“When that missile is going downwards in flight, that is when we engage it,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Stafford, commander of Task Force Talon told members of the Guam media during a short Q&A session with reporters after the ceremony. “The ICBM that flew over Guam was in a mid-course phase. It was very high up in space. It was never a threat to Guam.”
However, the launch prompted inquiries from the public about the nature of the missile and the seemingly sluggish procedure for notifying the public about it.
It was concern over the threat posed by that type of weapon that prompted the deployment of the THAAD system to Guam in 2013.
Stafford praised Team Binadu’s performance during the deployment. He began by explaining that the unit’s name Binadu is the CHamoru word for deer. Stafford said that when he asked about the name, he was told that binadu in Guam move in packs. “What I have learned over the past year is that this is definitely correct,” Stafford said. The unit “is truly a pack of Binadus in everything that they do.”
Stafford listed some of Team Binadu’s achievements. “First of all, they had no security violations during their entire deployment,” he said. “Anyone that tried to breach the perimeter security was quickly apprehended.”
The team also provided security for more than 75 VIP visits including members of Congress and Pentagon officials.
“Besides providing ground security, Team Binadu was also tasked to defend the immediate airspace over the THAAD site from drones using a system called FS-LIDS,” he said. “The FS-LIDS operators from Team Binadu made U.S. Army history during their mobilization by becoming the first unit to take down a drone flying over not only Guam, but the United States, using the new FS-LIDS system.”
The unit had a reenlistment rate of 186, exceeding retention standards for the Guam National Guard. It also finished the deployment with no physical fitness failures for overweight soldiers.
“A final accomplishment I want to point out is Team Binadu's robust community
service program,” Stafford said.
The unit’s community service projects included cleanup of the Child Development Center at Andersen, raising supplies for the local animal shelter, and cleanup of four beaches.
“The most notable project they took on was helping to clean Guam schools that were still damaged from the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar. Team Binadu cleaned 12 schools, six of which subsequently passed health inspections and reopened.
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Binadu’s more than 9,000 hours of community service during the deployment earned the unit the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, which is awarded to soldiers who conduct 100 hours or more of community service in one year.
Stafford addressed the incoming Team Kulepbla, the CHamoru word for snake.
Stafford said he was told the name was chosen because the team’s soldiers train to move like serpents across the terrain, are cunning and are masters of night operations.
The Team Kulepbla soldiers “will definitely have a chance to demonstrate all these skills while on this deployment,” Stafford said.
He also emphasized the round-the-clock critical importance of their mission.
“I need you all to be ready at all times, and to not get complacent during this mission,” Stafford said. “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 day.”
Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio pointed out the significance of Guamanians participating in the defense of Guam.
“We have this unique opportunity where the sons and daughters of Guam are able to actively participate in the defense of Guam,” he said.
Tenorio also noted the global context which has made the work of the soldiers so critical.
“Within the last week, global events have given us a reminder about the perils that occur in the geopolitics of the world,” he said. “Yet again, it is a stark reminder of the role and purpose that our island and our people have not only in 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.”
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