Embedded Files
08/26/2025 - Saipan Sen. Celina Babauta wrote to General Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, requesting his support in advancing the establishment of a CNMI National Guard component.
In her August 18, 2025 letter, Babauta said, "The CNMI has already laid the foundation at the local level. In 2002, then-Governor Juan Nekai Babauta enacted Public Law 13-32, authorizing the formation of a CNMI National Guard. Our islands hold a distinctive political relationship with the United States under the Covenant of 1976 (Public Law 94241), granting U.S. citizenship while respecting our local self-governance and traditions."
She added, "Yet, under current federal law, the CNMI remains excluded from the definition of “State” in Title 32 of the United States Code, which encompasses the 50 States, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Until Congress remedies this statutory omission, the CNMI cannot establish its own Guard unit despite both local readiness and demonstrated community commitment."
She noted that the Guam National Guard recruits from the CNMI surged by 2400 percent from 2019 to today.
Senator Babauta outlined three specific requests for support from General Nordhaus:
Advisory Role – Formally advising Congress and the Department of Defense that statutory authority is required for the CNMI to stand up its own Guard unit.
Readiness Planning – Reaffirming the feasibility study’s findings and identifying the most appropriate unit type for the CNMI, with emphasis on civil support and engineering capacities.
Operational Preparation – Working with local authorities to ensure that, when Congress acts, the CNMI will be prepared to implement and sustain its Guard unit without delay.
Babauta also wrote to CNMI Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds. "Congress has previously considered this issue. In 2015, it directed the National Guard Bureau to study the feasibility of a CNMI Guard. That study confirmed viability. The next step is clear: Congress must amend Title 32 to include the CNMI in the definition of “State,” thereby granting authority for the establishment of our Guard. Your cooperation will be indispensable in advancing this legislation. The establishment of a CNMI National Guard would not only correct a longstanding inequity but also bolster the United States’ strategic presence in the Western Pacific, aligning directly with the Pacific Deterrence Initiatives mandated by Congress," she said.
Report by Thomas Manglona II
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