Community Briefs – January 15, 2018

Military training
at Warning Area 517, FDM
ASAN, Guam—The U.S. military will conduct training at Warning Area 517 during the following dates and times:

• Jan. 16, from 12:30pm to 9pm 

• Jan. 17, from 2pm to 6pm 


The military will also conduct training at the island of Farallon de Medinilla during the

• Jan. 16 and 17, from 10am to 9pm 

• Jan. 18, from 12:30pm to 9pm 

• Jan. 19, from 11am to 3pm


It is recommended the public, fishermen, and marine tour operators monitor the Coast Guard broadcast notice to mariners for advisories. 


W-517 is activated south of latitude 12° 40’ 00″N. Santa Rosa Reef and Galvez Banks are open for public use. W-517 begins south of Guam and extends south-southwest in international waters.


The general location of the training on the island of Farallon de Medinilla will be in a 12-nautical mile radius of the island. (PR)

CHamoru commission meetings

The Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru yan i Fina’nå’guen i Hestoria yan i Lina’la’ i Taotao Tåno’ (Commission on CHamoru Language and the Teaching of the History and Culture of the Indigenous People of Guam) will hold a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, and its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. Both meetings will take place at the Fasilidǻt Edukasionǻt CHamoru, Guma’ Faninadahen Kosas Guahǻn Sinadót Antonio M. Palomo, board conference room in Hagåtña, Guahǻn, from 2pm to 4pm. The agenda items include approval of minutes and prioritize and establish deadlines on the commission’s strategic and implementation plan or Maga’ Plånu 2018 activities. For further information call chair Hope Alvarez Cristobal at 483-0097 or secretary Rosa Salas Palomo at 727-5522. (PR)

Military suspends RUTEX training; endangered species found
ASAN, Guam—Joint Region Marianas suspended the Realistic Urban Training Exercise event at Tanguisson after being notified that a native endangered species was in the area planned for the upcoming exercise.

The RUTEX training will continue as planned but specific training originally planned for the Tanguisson area will be relocated.

“With the exercise scheduled to start in that area in the next few days there was not sufficient time to ensure our activities would not disturb the local endangered species,” said Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, commander, Joint Region Marianas. “While the training is very important, it was determined that if time did not allow for proper mitigation that relocating the training was the best option.” (PR)

Underwater Navy training in Piti
ASAN, Guam—U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 will conduct underwater detonation training at the Piti Floating Mine Neutralization Site on Jan. 17, from 8am to 4pm.

EODMU-5 will detonate one 1.25-lb explosive at the designated deep water UNDET location, approximately one mile north of Cabras Island, one to two feet below the water’s surface.

For the safety of personnel and marine life, the area will be visually cleared by divers and by lookouts on the surface before, during and after the exercise. All activity will cease temporarily if a person or marine life is seen in the area. (PR)