Securing the Tip of the Spear
What does it mean to live in a place called the “tip of America’s spear?” This is something that Guam has been called frequently in recent decades, whether by politicians, military commanders or think tanks. It is a nickname defined by the strategic value of Guam to the United States. If one imagines the US as a warrior facing Asia, there are a long line of bases that extend west across the Pacific, almost like the shaft of a long weapon. Guam, as the westernmost US base, is like the tip. Something brandished against potential threats on the continent. Because of Guam’s location and its military value, we who call it home are used to both wars and rumors of wars. In recent years there has been increasing tension in the region between the United States and its potential rivals, whether it be Russia, North Korea and China. As such, Guam appears in news reports, in strategic studies and in the speeches of admirals as something that the US will use against others or as something that m