Overview

Guam Defense Forum 2025

Building Resilience. Advancing Security. Shaping the Future.

Welcome to the Guam Defense Forum 2025, a high-level strategic convening hosted by Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio. In an era defined by global uncertainty and increasing geopolitical competition, Guam stands at the forefront of the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy. This forum brings together senior military officials, local and regional government leaders and community stakeholders to engage in a two-day dialogue that will shape Guam and Micronesia’s role in national defense, civil resilience, and regional security.

As regional challenges grow more complex—from cyber threats and disinformation to natural disasters and great power competition—the Guam Defense Forum provides a critical platform to align local and federal priorities, promote civil-military collaboration, and strengthen community preparedness. It is more than a meeting—it is a movement toward a safer, stronger, and more secure western pacific. The Guam Defense Forum is designed to:

• Cultivate a shared understanding of our region’s strategic importance in the U.S. Indo-Pacific defense architecture.
• Support integrated civil-military planning and ensure continuity of governance in the face of emergencies or conflict.
• Identify critical infrastructure, communication, and public readiness gaps that may hinder crisis response and resilience.
• Demonstrate how defense investment can generate local jobs, stimulate economic growth, and diversify the island’s economy.
• Enhance interagency coordination to confront hybrid threats, including cyber security, information warfare, and regional instability.

Forum Format

The Guam Defense Forum features an interactive, solutions-oriented format that encourages open dialogue and actionable outcomes:

• Keynote addresses from influential defense and local government leadership
• Expert panel discussions exploring the forum’s central themes
• Structured networking and interagency dialogue sessions
• Final synthesis to consolidate forum findings and guide next steps

Expected Outcomes

By the close of the forum, participants will have:

• A shared strategic awareness of our region’s defense role and civil responsibilities
• Identified specific actions to harden infrastructure and ensure continuity of vital services
• Strengthened relationships across local, federal, and military sectors
• Developed actionable recommendations for future policy and resourcing decisions
• A reinforced position as a resilient and forward-operating node within the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy