Story by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete/Guam National Guard
PELELIU, Palau – A delegation from the Guam National Guard attended the 2024 United States-Republic of Palau Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) in Peleliu, Sept. 16-17. Guam Guard delegates attended as both newly signed State Partnership Program (SPP) partners with Palau, and as part of the U.S. Core Delegation from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command led by Joint Task Force Micronesia commander, Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman.
U.S. Army Col. Manny Duenas, Guam Guard SPP director, briefed committee members on the newly acquired partnership with Palau and highlighted opportunities for interoperability and collaboration.
“By design, the SPP helps with security cooperation objectives and building capacity,” said Duenas. “There are a slew of areas that we can collaborate on with the Palauan government that will strengthen our partnership and bring us closer together as Western Pacific entities.”
The JCM originated in 1994, when Palau became a sovereign state, as a biannual, bilateral meeting between U.S. and Palau senior officials. Over time, the committee has grown to include participation from across the Pacific, with subjects encompassing national security, environmental regulation and protection, economic expansion for Palau, and others.
According to Duenas, Guam and Palau are at an advantage for partnered exercises, interoperability, and key leadership engagements because of their shared cultural history and strategic locations in the Indo-Pacific.
“We face similar challenges,” said Duenas. “We have a sense of urgency in the Guam National Guard to be very proactive in fostering this partnership and helping each other face these challenges together.”
Hosting the committee of roughly 120 delegates was His Excellency Surangel Whipps Jr., president of Palau and head of delegation. Whipps welcomed Duenas and other Guard SPP planners including Senior Master Sgt. Craig Quichocho and Master Sgt. Joshua Losongco. Whipps expressed his optimism for the State Partnership with the Guam Guard.
“This is about a partnership with our friends who we share similar values with regarding culture, freedom, democracy, and rule of law,” said Whipps.
Whipps also noted there are many Palauan men and women who serve in the Guam National Guard, which makes this State Partnership Program even more unique among the 54 states and territories.
“This new partnership gives Palauans serving in the National Guard an opportunity to come back and serve in Palau which makes it special,” said Whipps. “At the end of the day, all we want is peace. If you want true prosperity, it can only happen through peace.”
###
Photo Captions:
240917-Z-NN671-1106: A microphone is passed between a member of the Government of Palau and a U.S. Navy representative at the 2024 Mid-Joint Committee Meeting at the Peleliu South Dock, Republic of Palau, on Sept. 17, 2024. The JCM is a semi-annual meeting of U.S. and Palau officials to discuss action items involving the security, protection, and improvement of the infrastructure, economy, and people of Palau. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).
240917-Z-NN671-1141: U.S. Army National Guardsman, Col. Manny Duenas, State Partnership Program director, Guam National Guard, poses with Governor Emais Roberts, Peleliu State Government, at the Peleliu South Dock, Republic of Palau, Sept. 17, 2024. This was the first Joint Committee Meeting that the Guam National Guard attended as a state partner to Palau. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).
240916-Z-NN671-1060: Representatives from military branches across the United States Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. law enforcement, and Republic of Palau government attend the 2024 Mid-Joint Committee Meeting at the Peleliu South Dock, Republic of Palau, Sept. 16-17, 2024. This was the first JCM that the Guam National Guard had a seat at the table thanks to the new State Partnership Program with Palau that came into effect in late April 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).