Air Force

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived on Guam March 27 to meet with military and civilian leaders and speak with troops – his first visit to Guam since his January confirmation.

The visit was the second stop on Hegseth’s Pacific engagement tour, which began in Hawaii and will continue from Guam to the Philippines and Japan. Hegseth focused on strengthening alliances and bolstering warrior ethos among service members, further strengthening the United States’ deterrence posture in the region.

More than 600 service members from military commands across Guam gathered for a troop call at Andersen Air Force Base to kick off the visit. Hegseth praised them for their mission contributions, noting Guam’s strategic location in the Indo-Pacific region, and charged them to increase lethality and readiness.

“What unites us is who we are and our purpose as Americans,” Hegseth said. “We are in the business of warfighting. You are warfighters on behalf of our nation and we are [going to] make sure you have a military built and prepared for that fight … American leadership ensures the free world is protected – to advance American interests and the interests of our allies.”

The visit fell one day after the 80th anniversary of end of the Battle of Iwo Jima that occurred just 750 miles north northwest of Guam. During the troop call, Hegseth recognized a group of seven Iwo Jima veterans who traveled to Guam to attend commemoration events. He thanked them for their courage and fortitude, and for paving the way for Americans in the Pacific.

Commander, Joint Region Marianas Navy Rear Adm. Brent DeVore greeted Hegseth upon arrival along with other senior military leaders on island.

“The Secretary’s visit underscored the Department of Defense’s commitment to the security of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as the entire Micronesia region’s strategic importance to the Pacific,” DeVore said. “We highlighted our efforts and contributions to strategic deterrence, demonstrating U.S. strength and daily preparedness – and tangible examples of ongoing work in cyber security, missile defense, our construction projects throughout Guam, CNMI, and the COFA states, and infrastructure resilience.”

“We all emphasized the interconnectedness between the Department of Defense efforts and our local communities, in all we do,” he added.

During a military roundtable, Hegseth received briefs from installation commanders and key leaders throughout the region detailing capabilities and future growth on Guam. Commander, 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Palenske stressed to Hegseth the importance of the work the team is doing on Guam.

“Andersen Air Force Base is incredibly vital to the mission in the Indo-Pacific,” Palenske said. “Our strategic location and the exceptional readiness of our personnel reinforce our commitment to deterrence and combat readiness in the region. The capabilities showcased and discussed during this visit not only empower our forces but also strengthen our alliances and ensure we stand ready to respond to any challenge.”

The “Island Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 flew Hegseth in an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter for an aerial tour of the island. During the tour, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas Commanding Officer Navy Capt. Troy Brown briefed Hegseth on current and future construction and resiliency improvements on Guam including the Glass Breakwater, which was damaged during Typhoon Mawar. The breakwater is critical to harbor protection and the supply chain for the entire island.

Finally, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Gov. Arnold Palacios, and Guam Rep. James Moylan met with Hegseth to discuss military-civilian partnership from a local perspective.

“Our goal is achieve peace through strength,” Hegseth said. “By putting America first, that means working with partners and allies throughout the region, reestablishing deterrence and building capabilities right here. These islands are the tip of America’s spear in the Pacific.

“I want to be very clear to everyone in this room,” Hegseth continued. “… Any attack against these islands is an attack against the U.S. We recognize that, we understand that, and we are committed to that.”

JERICHO, Vt. – A U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician was recently selected as the honor graduate of the Basic Military Mountaineering Course at the Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vermont.

Spc. Calvin Battaglia, a U.S. Army EOD tech who serves with the 754th Ordnance Company (EOD), earned honor graduate by achieving the highest GPA out of the 50 servicemembers who attended the course at the Army Mountain Warfare School.

Army, Air Force and international students participated in the course where they learned the basics of mountain warfare and how to survive in the mountains. The course is designed to teach troops to battle the cold and conquer the mountains.

“I decided to participate in the course because the 754th EOD Company is located on Fort Drum and we support 10th Mountain Division,” said Battaglia. “The course has helped me to better serve as an EOD tech because of the skills it taught me in rigging ropes as well as making me a more proficient Soldier in the mountains.”

“The highlight of the course for me was definitely the high angle range because it taught us how to shoot accurately in the mountains,” said Battaglia.

The training was challenging and rewarding, said Battaglia.

“The biggest challenge for me was the knots test and to overcome it I studied each night for it,” said Battaglia. “Mountain warfare requires a lot of training to be proficient in and I would encourage the rest of my unit to attend the course.”

The 754th EOD Company “Yetis” are part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier multifunctional and deployable CBRNE formation.

Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.

In addition to conducting lifesaving and mission-enabling military operations overseas, Army EOD techs from the 754th EOD Company respond to military munitions discovered on and off post in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

EOD technicians also participate in Very Important Persons Protection Support Activity missions (VIPPSA), alongside the U.S. Secret Service ensuring the safety of the president, vice president, their families and visiting foreign dignitaries.

A native of Carlsbad, California, Battaglia has been in the Army for about two and a half years.

Battaglia said serving on a VIPPSA mission in Angola with the Secret Service has been his most memorable EOD mission.

“I decided to join the Army as an EOD tech because I found everything about the career field interesting and because of the challenge that is EOD school,” said Battaglia. “My future plans are to continue my path in EOD and get my team leader certification.”