Guam troops headed to Middle East, Caribbean to back US-led war against terrorism and anti-narcoterrorism
Dozens of select members of the Guam Air National Guard are being deployed to the Middle East and the Caribbean in support of the Department of War's anti-terrorism and anti-narcotics campaigns
Dozens of select members of the Guam Air National Guard are being deployed to the Middle East and the Caribbean in support of the Department of War’s anti-terrorism and anti-narcotics campaignsBrigadier General Karin Watson, adjutant general, said the deployment is in response to a call of duty. “We train for days like this. We sweat, we sacrifice and we push through the grueling hours so that when the call comes, we don’t hesitate. Well, that call has come,” Watson told the guardsmen who gathered Friday at the Barrigada headquarters. Guam has one of the highest per-capita enlistment rates in the U. S, making it a strong recruiting ground for the military. Approximately 70 members of GUNG are joining the Central Command’s Operation Inherent Resolve and the Southern Command’s Operation Southern Spear. “Trust your training, trust your faith, trust in your own abilities, trust your leadership and always look out for your wingman,” Watson advised the guardmen. “Do your jobs with excellence, represent our island of Guam with honor and bring yourselves and each other home safely,” she added. It acknowledges Pacific people face cultural, language and accessibility barriers, with specific measures to be “established through implementation planning”. Wolfgramm says cultural care is not an optional extra. It can help young people understand that their culture and identity are part of their wellbeing. “When we weave cultural care into mental health delivery, we’re declaring to that young person that you have always been part of a long Pacific history,” she says. “It moves our young people away from ‘do I belong to my culture?’ to a question of ‘well, I’ve always belonged, I just need to find out where’. ”The pressure on young people is also showing up on Youthline’s 24-hour helpline. Jack Nielsen, Youthline Community Engagement Lead, says the service answered more than 28,000 calls and contacts last year, while an average of four young people a day are now being connected with emergency services because they are at immediate risk of harm. One in 10 callers is now under 12. Speaking on Pacific Days, Nielsen says his Sāmoan father used to tell him, “‘Don’t fa’amā us, don’t embarrass our family’, but we’re here to say, ‘look, these days, it’s okay not to be okay’. ”Nielsen says young people need support before problems become crises and should have a say in how services are designed. “The solutions and a lot of the answers to helping our young people are our young people themselves,” he says. That approach is reflected in the Government’s strategy, which includes a commitment to co-design a youth mental health and addiction roadmap with young people. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the strategy is backed by a three-year implementation plan with 50 actions, including faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response. The strategy also notes that Pacific people will make up a growing share of New Zealand’s population and have a younger age profile than the national average. For Wolfgramm, the real test is whether young Pacific people feel they belong. “You were never broken, you were never a burden, and you were never outside of the village,” she says. Providers say the challenge now is turning that message into accessible, culturally grounded support before a young person’s struggle becomes a crisis……PACNEWS