Task Force Talon Cases Its Colors, Passes Command Ahead of Historic Redesignation

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — Task Force Talon, the U.S. Army unit that has stood as Guam's shield against ballistic missile threats for the past thirteen years, changed command July 6, 2026, in a ceremony that marked not only a transition of leadership but the beginning of the end for the unit's name itself.

During the proceeding, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garnett relinquished command and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joshua Urness assumed responsibility for the organization, a position of trust that carries the unit into the most significant restructuring of its history. In the coming months, the formation known since 2013 as Task Force Talon will be administratively deactivated and reactivated as the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, scheduled to stand up in October 2026.

The redesignation is more than a change of lettering on a guidon. It reflects a deliberate expansion of how the Army defends Guam.

For thirteen years, Task Force Talon has anchored the island's defense on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. That system is a proven capability positioned well forward in the Pacific, but it defends a single layer, built to intercept a specific slice of the ballistic missile threat. The activation of 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is designed to make room for additional, integrated systems to come to Guam, knitting together a fuller, layered picture of the airspace rather than relying on one capability alone. The result is intended to be a more complete and resilient defense of the American territory and the strategic hub it represents across the Pacific.

The ceremony was hosted by U.S. Army Col. Joseph C. Scott, commander of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, who presided over the transfer of the colors.

"The number of joint partners, local, civic, and governmental leaders at today's ceremony is a testament to the importance of our Soldiers' mission, and the great relationship this organization has established and strengthened, with our partners across Guam and beyond, since Task Force Talon first arrived on this lovely island back in 2013," Scott said.

Task Force Talon was activated in 2013 as the first air defense task force the Army stationed forward in the Pacific, built around THAAD and responsible for the Defense of Guam mission. Over its lifetime it grew into more than a single battery, combining its THAAD firing element with a Guam Army National Guard security force company, signal and support Soldiers, and close joint partnership with the 36th Wing and Joint Region Marianas. Operating under the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the task force maintained a continuous state of readiness, standing watch over one of the most strategically vital pieces of U.S. territory in the Pacific.

That record now passes to Urness and, ultimately, to the colors of a regiment with deep lineage of its own. The 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment traces its history through both World Wars, Korea and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and in recent years has served as a proving ground for the Army's air defense modernization. The battalion inherits not only Task Force Talon's mission but a legacy of excellence, discipline and teamwork that the outgoing team leaves behind.

Urness described the day in plain terms. The change of command cased Task Force Talon's colors and administratively sunset the task force. In October, he said, the unit will activate as an air defense artillery battalion built to incorporate the additional air defense capabilities headed to the island.

As the ceremony closed, the message was one of continuity through change. The name on the colors will change. The mission will not. The Soldiers charged with defending Guam will continue to stand ready, now under a new designation and a defensive architecture built for the threats of the years ahead.