North Korea is threatening to nuke Guam — here’s what the US military has there

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened North Korea with "fire and fury" unlike the world had ever seen, and shortly thereafter, Pyongyang responded by saying it might strike Guam.

More specifically, Pyongyang said that it was considering hitting Andersen Air Force Base with medium or long-range ICBMs to "to send a serious warning signal to the US," according to CNN. 

Guam, which is a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, is home to Joint Region Marianas, a US military command that includes Andersen Air Force Base. 

Here's what the US military has there.

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Guam is situated about 2,200 miles from North Korea, and about 4,000 miles from Hawaii. It's about 36 miles long and 6-12 miles wide, and only has a population of about 162,000.

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After the 1898 Spanish-American War, Spain ceded Guam to the US as an unincorporated territory. In 1941, Japan invaded Guam, which it held until US Marines took it back in 1944.

Before nearly 400 years of colonial rule, Guam was originally home to the indigenous Chamorros people for thousands of years, who still make up about 40% of the population.Wikimedia Commons

There are about 6,000 US troops currently in Guam, and the US military possesses about one-third of the island's land.

Airman 1st Class Christopher Quail/US Air Force

The shot above is of airmen from the 644th Combat Communication Squadron after a training exercise in June. 

This is Andersen Air Force Base, a strategic launching point for flights over the Korean Peninsula.

Wikimedia Commons

A number of B-52 Stratofortress', B-1 Lancers and B-2 Spirits are currently stationed at Andersen in support of US Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence.

A B-52 Stratofortress, B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fly over Guam after launching from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for an integrated bomber operation Aug.17, 2016.US Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joshua Smoot

This B-1B Lancer, attached to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, just arrived at Andersen Air Force Base from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota on July 26.

US Air Force

Joint Region Marianas, in addition to Andersen Air Force Base, also includes Naval Base Guam, which is pictured below.

Wikimedia Commons

The naval base is home to Submarine Squadron 15, which includes the USS Chicago, USS Topeka, USS Key West, and USS Oklahoma City (seen below).

Wikimedia Commons

The USS Buffalo, USS Frank Cable and USS Houston is also stationed at the naval base, according to a US Navy spokeswoman. 

Naval Special Warfare Unit 1, under which 4 SEAL teams are grouped, is also stationed at the naval base. Below is a sailor from the unit performing a free fall parachute in Guam.

Brian T. Glunt/US Navy

The base is also home to an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit and a
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron. 

There is also a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System stationed on the island that can shoot down incoming missiles. While the THAAD system has never been used in a real life scenario, it has been successfully tested multiple times.

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