Guam government leaders, federal officials, local veterans and advocates gathered at Andersen Air Force Base from March 18 to 20 for the Veterans Summit, focusing on empowering Guam's veteran community through improved services, information sharing and collaboration as federal workforce reductions loom.
During her remarks, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero reassured attendees that veteran benefits would remain protected despite federal organizational changes, citing assurances from newly appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins.
"I met with the secretary of veterans affairs, and he personally assured me that the benefits of our veterans here are not going to be impacted," Leon Guerrero told the Guam Daily Post. "There are going to be organizational changes, but they are affecting decisions at the federal level because they are letting go of many employees."
The three-day summit, organized by veteran advocacy group HMI (I Hinannao I Magahet I Ininna - The Way, The Truth, The Light) alongside other veteran advocates and support organizations, provided a forum for veterans to access resources, learn about changing benefits and share feedback.
Industry support
Charles "Chuck" Hazzard III, president and CEO of DZSP 21, now an Amentum company, spoke to the Post about his organization's commitment to supporting veterans through hiring practices and subcontractor relationships.
"We're part of this big, broader company, Amentum... winning a lot of awards, military friendly, military spouse friendly, all these sorts of things, and how they hire vets and also work with veteran companies," Hazzard said.
Hazzard, a former Army veteran, shared his personal journey with VA benefits. "I didn't start my claims until 2020 because my best friend guilted me. He said if you don't get into VA, it won't be there for your son," he said, adding that his son also served in the Army.
Now an advocate for veteran registration, Hazzard said, "A lot are too prideful, I think. Myself included," and described how his company supports employee participation in HMI's veteran boot camps. "My guys took off, I bought them lunch and they came and gave them a mini boot camp. I'm trying to get more of our veterans to file their intent and start using these services."
Veterans helping veterans
Former Guam Senator Tom Ada, a veteran who retired from service in 1998, spoke about the summit's networking opportunities.
"You really get to see... a better view of the landscape of the players available to support veterans. The more we bring them together, the clearer the resources become," Ada said.
Ada, who only initiated his VA claims last year, explained his motivation: "My main objective... is to learn the process so that I can walk the walk. Then when I meet veterans, I can talk the talk because I've gone through it."
He praised HMI's boot camps, which are normally conducted over three nights for a total of nine hours but were condensed into a four-hour session during the summit. "I've attended four of their boot camps, and every time, there's new information to learn," Ada said.
Legislative support
Senator Sabrina Matanane, who chairs Veterans Affairs in the Guam Legislature, addressed the summit in a pre-recorded video, sharing personal connections and legislative initiatives.
"My father, Noberto Aguigui Salas, was a 25-year veteran of the United States Air Force. So, this Veterans Summit being held at Andersen Air Force Base makes me wonder if he had anything to do with it," Matanane said.
She cited Bill 85-38, recently introduced as the Veterans Empowerment Act, describing it as "written based on veterans' voices - their concerns, complaints, wants and needs."
"In a nutshell, 85-38 gives veterans the power to govern veterans. It allows you to choose leadership from among the veteran community - those who understand your pain and pride," Matanane said.
She also announced Bill 92-38, introduced the day before the summit, to designate November as Veterans Service Recognition Month, noting that "every single member of the 38th Guam Legislature has co-sponsored this bill."
Health care concerns, solutions
Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio spoke on the crucial role of nonprofits in addressing veterans' needs, saying they often act faster than government agencies.
"Sometimes the limitations of government... they need to be the issuer of information or validation rather than advocates," Tenorio said. "I think that's where we see a big pressure."
A key initiative highlighted during the summit was the governor's proposal to co-locate a Veterans Affairs clinic with the planned new hospital in Mangilao, providing veterans with easier access to health care services.
"If we co-locate the hospital with the veterans clinic, access to x-ray, procedures and laboratory services would be available to everyone," Leon Guerrero said, adding that Secretary Collins supports this "community care" approach.
Anthony Taijeron, a veteran and HMI president, emphasized the broader economic benefits of better veteran services, describing veterans as "homegrown tourists" who contribute significantly to the local economy.
"The more money our veterans make, the more they spend here," he said. "With tourism down, they become our homegrown tourists. If we get them their funding, they help our economy and create jobs."
Critical challenges
The summit also addressed the high suicide rate among veterans and service members. Tenorio announced that Guam is one of 12 jurisdictions nationwide awarded funding to improve suicide prevention, noting that Guam's suicide rate is twice the national average.
Veterans also expressed concerns about funding for the veterans cemetery expansion project. Bob Kelly, a local veteran and advocate, highlighted the urgency of addressing cemetery funding issues.
"There's a big concern about where funding for the cemetery is at because we're all getting older, and we'll need a place to rest in a few years," Kelly said.
Delegate James Moylan, who was in Washington, D.C., during the summit, outlined legislative initiatives he's pursuing to benefit Guam's veterans. These include addressing the disparity between local veteran counts and VA numbers, which show over 20,000 veterans registered with Guam Veterans Affairs but only about 6,000 enrolled in Veterans Health Administration programs. His representative on-island, Ralph Sgambelluri, provided remarks and staff assistance.
As the summit concluded, both government officials and veteran advocates emphasized the importance of registering with appropriate agencies to ensure accurate counts and adequate resource allocation.
"The more people that come to the table and the more people with a common goal and clear direction," Leon Guerrero said, "the greater the results will be."