The Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz's natural resources team and contractors with Pacific Federal Management out plant host plants for the endangered Mariana eight-spot butterfly, Mason Range, MCB Camp Blaz, Guam, June 13, 2025. Out planting efforts officially began at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz’s Live Fire Training Range Complex to enhance habitat for the Mariana Eight-Spot Butterfly. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Chelsey Suarez-Pierce)
U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, conduct a cadence run during a unit physical training event on MCB Camp Blaz, Guam, June 13, 2025. This PT event marked Col. Ernest Govea’s final opportunity to train with the Marines of Camp Blaz before conlcluding his tour as commanding officer. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brayden Daniel)
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Ernest Govea, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, presents a plaque and shakes hands with Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Soto, out-going sergeant major, MCB Camp Blaz, during a relief ceremony at MCB Camp Blaz, Guam, June 11, 2025. Soto, MCB Camp Blaz’s first sergeant major, relinquished his duties during a ceremony aboard the installation. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Afton Smiley)
On April 3rd, at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, Tabernaemontana rotensis adolescent trees are vibrant and healthy within the Caiguat Forest Enhancement Site. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chelsey Suarez-Pierce)
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Robert Taylor IV, network chief, Headquarters Company, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, prepares to kick the soccer ball to a teammate during an intramural soccer game on Naval Base Guam, Guam, May 16, 2025. MCB Camp Blaz assembled an intramural soccer team, ‘Camp Blaz Boonie Dogs’, to boost camaraderie while representing Camp Blaz in a competitive environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Afton Smiley)
U.S. Marines and volunteers place flags at the top of veterans’ headstones in preparation for Memorial Day at Guam Veterans’ Cemetery, Piti, Guam, May 24, 2025. During the Saturday before Memorial Day volunteers assisted the cemetery staff with placing American flags for the service members that are laid to rest here. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Afton Smiley)
U.S. Navy sailors and civilians with Public Works Department, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz pose for a group photo, MCB Camp Blaz, Guam, May 22, 2025. The Public Works Department team is celebrating National Public Works Week, May 18-24, and all their accomplishments toward the build up of Camp Blaz. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Afton Smiley)
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Soto relinquished his duties as the senior enlisted leader during a Relief Ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, Guam, June 11, 2025. Soto was appointed on Feb. 16, 2023, and he made history as MCB Camp Blaz’s first-ever Sergeant Major since its official activation in 2020. Upon arrival, Soto has played a crucial role in strengthening the Marine Corps community on the island, fostering leadership, and enhancing readiness throughout the command. “I want to show you what right looks like - I want to show you Camp Blaz,” said Soto. "These young men and women are charged to come out here every single day to make a difference, to be good stewards, and to represent the Marine Corps and Camp Blaz. They are out here to protect the Indo-Pacific, so you and I can sit here at ease and at peace. This is because of Marines like this behind me standing in formation. They don’t miss a beat." During his tenure, Soto was integral in the establishment and operationalization of the installation. He was instrumental in the relocation of the first Marine Corps unit from Okinawa, shaping key policy decisions and strategic direction, and supporting quality of life improvements to enhance morale and operational readiness.
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BLAZ, Guam — When stepping onto any forested landscape on Guam, visitors are greeted with lush greenery—vibrant with a variety of leaves, vines, and blooming flowers. But beneath this picturesque scenery lies a more complex reality, the magnitude of invasive species impacts that threatens the island’s native flora and fauna.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BLAZ, Guam —The first new enlisted barracks at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz opened May 16, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the development of the U.S. Marine Corps’ newest installation. “This marks the beginning of life on Camp Blaz’s Main Cantonment,” said Col. Ernest Govea, commanding officer, MCBCB. “Marines and Sailors are going to finally be able to live on the base and have an improved quality of life and readiness.” In the morning, Marines and Sailors, previously housed on Andersen Air Force Base, began moving into their new home. In the coming weeks, Marines and Sailors living aboard Naval Base Guam will transition into the new facilities. “It is really unique to be able to be the first person to move into a barracks room, and that will probably never happen again in my career,” said Lance Cpl. Juan Dela Cerda, an administrative clerk with the S-1 section of Camp Blaz. “Besides how unique it is, it’s just nice to have a place to call my own.”
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BLAZ, Guam — Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz celebrated a historic milestone, Thursday, with the grand opening of its first chow hall on Guam. The chow hall located on North Ramp, Andersen Air Force Base is open to all active duty servicemembers on Guam. The opening ceremony took place April 25, 2025, underscoring the dedicated effort by the food service Marines and support personnel who worked tirelessly to bring the project to fruition. The new facility is designed to provide nutritious and diverse meals in a modern setting, supporting the physical readiness and morale of Marines stationed on the island. “Our food service program is designed to provide a well-balanced meal for the service member,” said Master Sgt. Kelvin Tapia, the acting food service officer for Camp Blaz. “Our program’s mission is to ensure the fighting force is eating healthy and sustaining themselves. [This is] not just for Camp Blaz but for all the rotating forces in the Pacific.”