Guam Guard, Team Binadu awarded medal for aiding public school reopenings

For this former Guam Department of Education student turned soldier in the Guam Army National Guard, the phrase "Always ready, always there" isn't just a motto. It's a lifelong promise.

“I was born here and raised here, and I always want to give back,” said Capt. Tom Borgonia. 

Captain and commander Tom Borgonia of the Guam Guard's Sector VII, Team Binadu, was honored Thursday for his commitment to the public school system that helped shape his journey.

“I went to Tamuning Elementary, Jose Rios Middle School, and John F. Kennedy High School,” Borgonia said. 

Alongside his fellow soldiers, he received the military outstanding volunteer medal for helping to clean up 12 GDOE schools across the island.

“We understand that a lot of the soldiers also had kids in GDOE–So, I wanted to find a way where we could help the family and the community getting schools open so they could stop the double sessions really, would play a part,” he said. 

Team Binadu even lent a helping hand at Southern High School, one of the last GDOE schools yet to reopen.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Stafford, Commander of Task Force Talon, shared what 8,000 hours of community service looked like.

“Painting schools, moving debris out of classrooms, pressure washing, pulling weeds–all that hard manual work–that’s what they went out there and did,” said Lt. Col. Stafford. 

Stafford is also preparing to bid farewell to Team Binadu as the Guam Guard begins its eighth rotation of security forces at the THAAD missile defense site, joining the Guardian Angels of Task Force Talon.

And while it’s a bittersweet moment, the mission continues. Stafford left a message for the incoming Team Kulepbla to be ready to defend their island home.