A great deal of grief and rage is what more than a handful of people from the community expressed during a town hall held Monday night.

The discussion centered on the Department of Defense’s plans to construct a 360-degree air and missile defense system right in our backyard.

Noah Lee Quinata Austin was among those outraged that elected leaders aren’t doing more to stop the military from bringing this system to his island home.

"People out here, it’s hard," he said. "You think this is every one that cares, it’s not. This is just everyone that has the time and energy who is pissed off enough to come here and show their face. Most people I talked to around me share my same concerns but they feel powerless. What can I do? I can’t do nothing. It’s just going to go on. And when there is people such as ourselves that are so politically powerless, we need our elected officials to step up. We need you to fight for us, please."

It's a call for politicians to act before it’s too late.

"My children’s lives, all of our children’s lives are at stake. We are talking about a war with China where we get destroyed for imperial purposes," Austin said.

Monaeka Flores of Prutehi Litekyan is no stranger to the public eye and protesting for peace.

"It’s going to take more land away from CHamoru people, it’s going to make us more vulnerable when we are already so vulnerable here on our island," she said. "We have to look at all these existing problems and measure this as a new challenge, a new risk. Not to mention, these reactors will be all around the island, not just on the base but in the community, and how it's going to impact our relations with other people and visitors coming to Guam."

The group during the more than three-hour-long town hall each holding signs stating:

“Stop Making us a Target for War”

“Stop Provoking War”

“No War for the Marianas”

The town hall comes less than a month before the military is set to host a series of public scoping meetings to share more about the defense system.

Former Guam delegate, Dr. Robert Underwood, shared the Pacific Center for Island Security’s analysis on the system.

"From the pieces of the puzzle we can put together there are certain things that become clear. The first is that (the system) will be a critical reordering of our lives here in Guam. This is a paradigm-shifting project that will affect each and every one of us who call this island home."

Underwood said the system would only make Guam the first line of attack from enemy forces, saying the island would become quote “a sacrificial lamb.”

"We do know that it is going to burden the community with additional Guam lands being impacted," he said. "We also know the system will be mobile and moving around the island. We know the threat to the community is being spread beyond the bases and into the broader community."

Underwood accused the military of putting the island through a guessing game, adding the feds already know what they want on these sites.

"That Guam is being used as an experimental test site for missile defense development in general," he said. "Guam is being shaped into a laboratory for a conflict eco-system in the Indo-Pacific and we have no real choice on the matter."

He adds the current THAAD missile defense system is already an alternative that should be enough, while calling on senators to hold the DoD’s feet to the fire.

The discussion included more questions of whether the system would actually defend Guam, and specifically those living outside the military bases…

Multiple GovGuam agency heads also showed up sharing how they are meeting to gather comments, and work to ensure the military’s plans do not have any negative impacts to the environment and those living here.

Sen. Joanne Brown sharing ultimately the island can’t be left as “sitting ducks.”

"At the same time, we are also letting our enemies know what are defense system is and how we are going to be able to respond to whatever action they are going to take. It’s a very challenging and very different world, and very scary one. The question is do we stay on Guam or do we leave? Do we stay and fight? What do we do? I think for most of our residents it is going to be really eye-opening."

The system is being led by the missile defense agency, the Army, the Navy, the air force, and the federal aviation administration.

Speaker Therese Terlaje pointed out the nearly two dozens sites the military is eyeing.

"The most important part of what we’ve learned is very little but they established that 20 sites have been selected based on extensive siting studied to confirm alternative site selection, optimize system performance, and optimize facility and decide," she said.

The defense system’s draft environmental impact statement is expected by spring 2024 – the public will then have 45 days to comment.

The final EIS and record of decision are expected early 2025 – giving the community 30 days from that point to review and give input.

The system, if all goes as planned, is expected to be activated in 2027.

Speaker Terlaje and Sens. Sabina Perez and Chris Barnett each sharing the work on their ends is far from over.

"We are still here. We are not giving up. And I just want to share why I don’t give up," Terlaje said. "I really believe that when the people of Guam are united and the leaders are united, we can make a huge difference. We have seen this but it’s rare. It’s a thing I am hoping that we are going to overcome. I think the stakes are high. This is our only home and we have children.

"History has taught us that when there is buildup, it most likely leads to war and we are talking about much more weapons of mass destruction," Perez said. "What you are saying today is so important for our people to hear. The more we can advocate for peace…what is it going to take to get that? And was it our idea who came up with this idea? I’d be quite honestly shocked if it was. We are still recovering from Mawar and now we have to deal with this. This is an injustice to our people."

"We have continuously lost these engagements and these battles with the federal government. Granted our political status really limits us, but if the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker, senators, mayors all stood in unison and spoke with that one Guam voice, we would be heard," Barnett said. "Would we get what we want? That remains to be seen but I think the thing I would like to see if for us to all be saying the same thing, and not for the legislature to be saying we want accountability and the other part of the government to be saying do whatever you want…We saw this in the recent past with the Eagles Field Lalo instance where we were brought to the table two years too late after negotiations had already been long underway."

Public scoping meetings are from 4 to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Aug. 2 at the Hilton’s Micronesian Room
Aug. 3 at the Micronesia Mall; and at the
Aug. 4 at Hagat Mayor’s Community Center

Comments will be accepted through Aug. 18.
Submit comments:

In person at public scoping meetings
Email: info@EIAMD-EIS.com
Website: www.mda.mil/system/eiamd.html
Mail: ManTech International Corporation
Attention: EIAMD EIS Project Support
PMB 403
1270 N. Marine Corps Dr., Suite 101
Tamuning, Guam 96913-4331