The activation ceremony took place October 16 at Andersen Air Force Base. The unit falls under the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
The battalion will support Guam’s defense and provide the Army’s contribution to the Guam Defense System. Its work includes maintaining readiness and integrating the equipment and procedures needed for a coordinated defense.
“The Soldiers developed new procedures, relationships, and integration required to connect sensors, command and control systems, launchers, and interceptors to promote a unified defensive architecture,” said Lt. Col. Joshua Urness, the battalion commander. “It’s only fitting that 3-43 ADA now stands up the Army’s contribution to the strategic Guam Defense System.”
Guam supports U.S. joint operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. Air and missile defenses protect the forces and infrastructure needed to sustain those missions.
“Your vigilance will have strategic consequences,” said Col. Moseph Sauda, commander of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. “Your readiness will assist in shaping regional stability, and your professionalism will ensure millions living under the umbrella of peace that your discipline helps to maintain.”
Task Force Talon established its air defense presence on Guam in 2013, operating the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. THAAD is designed to intercept ballistic missiles during the later stages of flight.
The task force worked with other military services and the Guam Army National Guard to maintain readiness. The shift to a battalion carries that experience into a permanent formation as the Army develops its integrated defenses.
The battalion also retains the lineage of the 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. Its predecessor was established in the Philippine Islands in 1916.
