U.S. Military Reaffirms Commitment to Palauan Communities Amid Ongoing Construction Activities

KOROR, Republic of Palau —U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Josh Lasky, commander, Joint Task Force-Micronesia re-affirmed the U.S. military’s commitment to the people of Palau during a visit to the country last week. During his visit, Lasky met with Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. and Palau National Security Coordinator Jennifer Anson. Lasky also met with Airmen from Civic Action Team Palau in Camp Katuu, Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, and Marines from the Marine Corps Engineer Detachment –Palau 26.1, receiving updates on current projects and activities, and operational challenges.

U.S. military activities in Palau, including construction of joint-use infrastructure that serves both defense and community needs, have been visible across the island nation in recent years. "We are here in partnership with the Palauan people, and that means listening as well as building,” Lasky said. "When our construction activities have affected local roads or community resources, our teams have worked to make repairs and address those impacts. We are committed to doing this work in a way that respects the communities we are working alongside, and we will continue to be responsive when concerns are raised."

Under Title 3 of the Compact of Free Association, the United States is responsible for Palau's defense. The joint-use nature of U.S. military construction means that infrastructure built to support defense requirements also serves Palauan communities — roads, docks, airstrips, and facilities that benefit residents alongside their defense function. Construction contracts include provisions for the maintenance and repair of local infrastructure affected by construction activities.

Over the past two years, U.S. military teams have also completed a range of community-requested infrastructure improvements across Palau, including:

·Construction of a half-mile access road to Palau's primary recycling center in Koror, improving capacity for waste management across the island. ·Installation of solar-powered lighting at a school in Aimeliek, addressing a health hazard for students caused by bat infestations. ·Restoration of the Peleliu Civic Center, preserving a community gathering space ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu. ·Deployment of specialized marine anchors to protect Palau's coral reefs from fishing net damage, supporting local food security and marine conservation. ·Ongoing training and certification of Palauan youth through the Civic Action Team Apprenticeship Program, with participants earning nationally recognized credentials in construction trades that remain in the community long after each rotation.

“These projects reflect a partnership built on mutual benefit,” said U.S. Embassy Koror Chargé d’Affaires Shankar Rao. “One in which the United States honors not only its defense commitments but its responsibility to the communities in which it operates.”

For more information about Joint Task Force-Micronesia and its activities across Micronesia, visit www.pacom.mil/JTF-Micronesia.