Guam National Guard and Washington National Guard joins military exercise Alupang ACE in Palau, supports Valiant Shield 2026
BY KATIE AIZON
Journal Staff
Guam National Guard Soldiers land on Angaur Island Airstrip for Alupang ACE exercise. U.S. National Guard Photo by Capt. Duane Sablan.
Contributing to Valiant Shield 2026, the Guam National Guard joined the Washington National Guard in Palau to demonstrate expeditionary sustainment exercises providing logistics, medical, and communication support.
During the exercise, participating Soldiers and Airmen engaged in the exercise by utilizing a World War II runway on Angaur Island, creating a secondary landing zone for a C-130 aircraft, and set up communications and medical aid sites around the area. The exercise also helped to support the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, dispensing aircraft, personnel, and support across multiple smaller locations.
According to State Partnership Program Coordinator Capt. Duane Sablan, the exercise provided an opportunity for collaboration under the State Partnership Program. “When we learned that the Washington National Guard was looking for opportunities to operate in the PACOM area of responsibility, it was a natural fit to bring everyone together,” he said. “One of the greatest strengths of the State Partnership Program is the idea of ‘Partner with One, Partner with All,’ which combines the unique capabilities of other state National Guards to help meet our partners’ needs.”
U.S. Air Force C-130 lands on Angaur Island Airstrip in Palau on June 25, 2026. U.S. National Guard photo by Tech Sgt. Christian Brech.
The collaboration also included the Government of Palau, the U.S. Embassy, and the Anderson Airforce Base 36th Contingency Response Squadron. Alupang ACE contributes to Valiant Shield 2026, a biennial large-scale exercise focusing on exercises in multi-domain environments to demonstrate versatility, combined force, and respond to crises and contingencies across various operations. mbj
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