Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Janae McCoy | DEDEDO, Guam (Oct. 21, 2025) – Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao meets Soldiers...... read more read more
Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, who also serves as the Senior Defense Official for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, visited Guam Oct. 20-21, his first visit to the U.S. territory since he was sworn into the role in Washington, D.C., Oct. 3.
This is Cao’s first time retuning to Guam since he arrived at age 4 as a Vietnamese refugee with his family.
Cao went on to serve a full military career first as an enlisted Sailor and later as a Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer, and retired at the rank of captain in 2021. During his visit, Cao met with Vietnam veterans and fellow Vietnamese refugees who were part of Operation New Life, the U.S. military and humanitarian effort in 1975 to evacuate and process more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees in Guam after the fall of Saigon.
"It’s great to be back at the doorway to freedom where I first tasted the American dream,” Cao said. “Now, one of my main responsibilities as Senior Defense Official for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is to ensure the infrastructure that supports the mission of all of our service members on Guam is taken care of – and that’s a symbiotic effort with the Government of Guam.”
Commander, Navy Installations Command Vice Adm. Scott Gray; Commander, Joint Task Force – Micronesia U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Josh Lasky; and Commander, Joint Region Marianas Rear Adm. Brett Mietus provided a regional overview alongside military leaders from units across Guam. Topics included quality-of-life issues for service members such as availability of family and unaccompanied housing, barracks, commissary services, recreation, and fitness centers. Discussions also focused on military construction, both current and planned, to support the incremental growth in military personnel on Guam projected at approximately 10,000 service members, Department of War civilians, and their families over the next 10 years.
Cao met with junior military personnel stationed at Naval Base Guam, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, and Andersen Air Force Base through numerous engagements. He took the opportunity to gain their perspectives and spoke about the importance of military readiness and supporting our service members to they can remain mission focused.
He met with Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero to discuss the civil-military cooperation and ways to collaborate to enhance the defense of Guam now and into the future. He stressed the importance of collaborating with the local government and community partners to improve infrastructure resilience on Guam to support the warfighter in an increasingly competitive regional military environment.
“Under Secretary Cao shared that he was here 50 years ago as a 4-year-old boy and part of the relocation and evacuation from Vietnam,” said Leon Guerrero. “He told me very confidently that the Pentagon, the White House, and Congress remain very focused on providing resources here to strengthen Guam’s role in the defense of our nation. We talked about Guam’s top priorities—our new hospital, cybersecurity, infrastructure, cabotage, workforce development, and transportation—and how these investments are critical to a solid defense posture.”
This year, the Navy is also celebrating its 250th birthday – a reminder of the Navy’s enduring commitment to a sustained forward presence, conducting safe and deliberate operations, strengthening deterrence, and working with allies and partners to advance a shared vision for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.
For more information on Cao, visit https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Flag-Officer-Biographies/BioDisplay/Article/4156165/under-secretary-of-the-navy-hung-cao/
For more information on Joint Region Marianas, visit [https://www.jrm.cnic.navy.mil.](https://www.jrm.cnic.navy.mil.)
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2025 08:11 |
| Story ID: | 550274 |
| Location: | AGANA, GU |
| Web Views: | 258 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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