JTF-M, JRM Leaders Meet with 38th Guam Legislature, Discuss Shared Priorities
ASAN, Guam — Leaders from Joint Task Force-Micronesia (JTF-M) and Joint Region Marianas (JRM) met with members of the 38th Guam Legislature last month to discuss the military-community relationship as part of a continuing effort to establish and maintain open lines of communication with local government officials.
Speaker Frank Blas, Jr., Vice Speaker Anthony Ada, Majority Leader Sen. Jesse Lujan and Majority Whip Shelly Vargas Calvo attended the session, which centered on the theme of partnership.
Blas opened the discussion by emphasizing the responsibility to repair and strengthen the relationship between the military and the Guam community, urging continued work with community partners to move forward as "One Guam."
JTF-M Commander U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Joshua Lasky thanked the senators for participating, noting that engagements like this help ensure transparency, and welcomed broader legislative participation for future sessions. "At the end of the day, if we find ourselves defending Guam, it will be as One Guam," he said.
Lasky provided an overview of JTF-M's mission and Guam's role in regional defense, highlighting the island's importance not only to its own security but to the defense of the broader region.
“Guam is such an important platform for protecting those around Guam,” he said. He also thanked the people of Guam for their strength and support, acknowledged there is more work ahead, and said the military is fortunate to have Guam’s partnership.
Civil-Military Coordination Council
The meeting continued with a brief overview of the topics discussed during the most recent Civil-Military Coordination Council meeting from July 1. Blas said he was thankful for the overview.
Housing, Healthcare, and Workforce Development
JRM Commander U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brett Mietus discussed military housing conditions and ongoing efforts to meet housing requirements as regional force posture continues to change. Topics included Overseas Housing Allowance rates, a move toward a more standardized military leasing approach, and a real estate/housing pilot program designed as a cost-effective approach involving partnerships with local developers. Mietus underscored the importance of meeting military housing needs while minimizing negative effects on Guam's local rental market.
Ada expressed appreciation for the focus on housing, specifically noting the importance of ensuring military demand does not outpace or distort housing availability for the local community.
U.S. Naval Hospital Guam Commanding Officer, Capt. James Demitrack, discussed the hospital's role in supporting both military beneficiaries and the local community. The hospital maintains a robust partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, including embedded VA clinicians and staff, and serves approximately 1,000 non-TRICARE veterans annually. It also accepts approximately 250 local emergency patients per year as part of its mutual aid agreement with the Government of Guam.
The hospital anticipates approximately 43 additional staff members in fiscal year 2027, supporting continued growth that complements rather than duplicates Guam's health care system.
Discussion also covered military construction, workforce requirements and opportunities for Guam residents.
Representatives addressed the role of H-2B visa workers in meeting construction requirements and reducing labor costs on major projects, as well as community workshops to help Guam residents compete for Department of War employment. Officials also discussed the need for apprenticeship programs tied to ship maintenance, and other efforts to grow and stabilize the local workforce, along with continuing progress on the Glass Breakwater project.
Throughout the meeting, senators and military leaders framed "One Guam" not solely as a defense concept, but as a shared responsibility spanning defense, housing, health care, employment, education, disaster response and the island's overall resilience.
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