The Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency welcomed 29 new officers into its ranks following the graduation of its 15th training cycle on Dec. 18 at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort, officials announced.
The graduates completed an extensive training program from February through December that included coursework at the Guam Community College Criminal Justice Academy, customs and quarantine technical training, on-the-job instruction, firearms qualification, physical abilities testing and all requirements set by the Guam Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.
“We are fortunate these graduates stayed the course as we continue efforts to restore our officer workforce,” CQA Director Ike Peredo said in a statement. “Threat detection at our borders is our mission. We expect this increase of officers to boost detections and help prevent the compromise of public health and safety, and Guam’s environmental and economic resilience.”
The graduating class includes 20 men and nine women, with officers of Korean and Taiwanese descent who have proficiency in Korean and Mandarin. Officials said the group brings diverse professional backgrounds, including law, finance, health care, physical fitness and heavy equipment operation, skills considered valuable to customs enforcement duties.
During the ceremony, graduates received certificates from CQA and the POST Commission, along with recognition from the Office of the Governor of Guam, the 38th Guam Legislature and Congressman James Moylan. Valedictorian honors were awarded to Victoria Bang, with Jeremy Chargualaf named salutatorian. With this class, CQA’s officer staffing increased to 153, as the agency continues efforts to rebuild its workforce.
