Sailors and Marines from the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), including the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, dedicated two days this week to assist in the island’s recovery efforts following the passage of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which tracked north of the island last week.
Close to 100 volunteers from the fleet joined the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) Destination Development and Maintenance teams for a massive clean-up operation at Governor Joseph Flores Memorial (Ypao) Beach Park on Monday, April 20, 2026. The crew is scheduled to continue the efforts at the Paseo de Susana on Tuesday, April 21. The joint effort focuses on clearing significant amounts of debris, sand, and trash left scattered across the popular parks and beach areas by the storm.
On Monday, the volunteers were officially welcomed by key island and military leadership, highlighting the strong partnership between the Government of Guam and Joint Region Marianas. Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and Lieutenant Governor Joshua F. Tenorio along with Commander of Joint Region Marianas, Rear Admiral Brett Meitus addressed the group, expressing heartfelt appreciation for their help. Also present to welcome the group was GVB President & CEO, Régine Biscoe Lee, Department of Parks and Recreation Deputy Director, Warren Pelletier, Executive Director of Community Defense Liaison, Vera Topasna, and a representative from Senator Jesse Lujan’s office, highlighting the community-wide support for the event.
The clean-up initiative was supported by GVB and GHRA members who contributed essential resources for the hard-working volunteers. Hilton Guam Resort and Spa generously provided lunch for both days of the clean-up, while PIC Guam offered complimentary waterpark access and Baldyga Group offered complimentary beverages at The Beach Bar & Grill to the volunteers, a gesture of thanks for their service to the community.
USS Boxer (LHD-4) is the flagship of the Boxer ARG that made a scheduled port call in Guam together with USS Portland (LPD-27) and USS Comstock (LSD-45). The Boxer ARG carries a combat-ready naval force of over 5,000 Sailors and Marines capable of executing a broad range of missions around the globe, from full scale combat operations to disaster response and humanitarian assistance.
The community is strongly encouraged to extend a warm “Håfa Adai” welcome and spirit to the visiting service members during their time on island, recognizing their efforts both in regional defense and in community support.
