GUAM - A room full of engineers heard the reassuring news directly from NAVFAC Pacific's Vice Commander, Captain Paul Fuligini last December. Towards the end of his PowerPoint presentation as he updated the engineers on the progress of Guam military construction, he clarified the status of Government of Japan (GoJ) money.

GUAM - Within the span of one week in January two remarkably aligned meetings happened. First, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visits Japan and makes conciliatory gestures to the national government and Okinawans on the thorny issue of Futenma. Then, Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work arrives in Guam and concedes that the military's new firing range will be redesigned for unimpeded access to Pagat village and Pagat caves.

GUAM - The wheels of business turn best when information about market trends and emerging opportunities are easy to find and interpret. That's especially true when the learning curve for all stakeholders is steep and the pace of industry is accelerated, as will happen in Guam's multi-billion-dollar defense buildup.

GUAM - Even while the Guam real estate market was pinning its hopes on an earlier surge in Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and spending for the military buildup, signs of a slower ramp up have been afoot since 2006.