The “Giant Voice” and the Camp Blaz Reactivation Ceremony
The image above protests the programmatic pomp that comprised much of the reactivation ceremony. Such dissent were marked by banners held by members of grassroots NGO Prutehi Guåhan which confronts the musical output of the Marine Corps. regiment band. Instead of being heard as a ‘sound of freedom’, jet engine noise of overflying aircraft and bombastic horns of brass instrumentation is challenged by the everyday experiences of local communities. In regards to this specific ceremony, a group of fighter jets ripped through the sky over Asan Beach, National Historical Park in the central part of Guam on January 26th, 2023 as the official reactivation of Marine Corps. Base Camp Blaz was underway. (Marine Corps Installations Pacific 2023).
Listen to Reactivation Ceremony here
Reccommended start time: 18:40
Moreover, residents are increasingly being conditioned to learn about missile defense technology and, what types of overhead activities and the sounds that accompany them such as various stages of, missile launch, burnout to intercepton. An educational video of explaining missile interception technology gives civilians insight to technical knowledge that can be placed in the concentric zone called the “tactical” where listeners determine the proximity of explosions, the trajectory of bullets, and the location. Given the impending locations of the Missile Defense Systems throughout the island, these sounds will usher in more concrete military action such as policies that require residents to vacate their homes for extended periods of time during intense military exercises.
