Former TAG pens op-ed: "The Deluge, the Paper Cup, and Washington’s Lack of Urgency on Guam"

Guam is essential, but are we underprepared?  Former adjutant general of the Guam National Guard Mike Cruz shared his thoughts on Washington’s Lack of Urgency on Guam, in an opinion piece published on war on the rocks, a platform for analysis, commentary, and more on foreign policy and national security issues. 

The phrase "Guam is the tip of the spear" is often repeated, as it remains strategically critical to the United States' national defense, but questions remain: how sharp are current national efforts to defend it? And are those efforts keeping pace with escalating regional threats?

Cruz addressed these concerns in his piece, The Deluge, The Paper Cup, and Washington’s Lack of Urgency on Guam. Cruz highlighted China's growing military capabilities, arguing that Guam’s primary challenge is not surviving a single strike, but withstanding a sustained, multi-domain attack designed to cripple both military and civilian systems.

The former TAG also noting gaps in congressional action, specifically citing the removal of over $1 billion in submarine infrastructure funding from the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

Another major theme Cruz touches on? Civilian vulnerability.  He notes Guam’s current lack of an islandwide shelter system to protect the civilian population, compounded by the island’s already fragile infrastructure, which would be further stressed in a war scenario.

Still, the article offering concrete suggestions aimed at matching the urgency of risk, like: deployment of proven missile defense systems, civilian resilience: to include hardened shelters, improved warning systems, continuity planning for power and water, and medical resilience, ensuring the island's air and port infrastructure is recoverable, and expanding the defensive role of the Guam National Guard.

Cruz ultimately ending the opinion piece with “Guam deserves defenses built for the storm it faces — not the one we hope arrives more slowly.”