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Guam oversight hearing spotlights GOVA audit, director outlines modernization plan and Chancery move
Summary
The Guam Legislature reviewed an OPA performance audit that found staffing shortages, data‑security risks and overcrowded offices at the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs (GOVA). Director Joe Saint Augustine described staff expansions, a Utah partnership for a Veterans Information System and a planned move to the former Chancery building by Feb. 2026
An oversight hearing of the Guam Legislature’s Committee on Health and Veterans Affairs on Nov. 13 focused on a 10/20/2025 Office of Public Accountability (OPA) performance audit that found critical operational challenges at the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs. The audit flagged insufficient staffing, inadequate office space and weak data management and information security that together slow claims assistance and put veterans’ personal information at risk.
"Everything is stated in our 45 page report," Vincent Duenas, supervising accountability auditor, told the committee while summarizing OPA Report 25‑11. OPA’s review found that GOVA served up to an estimated 24,000 veterans and family members while operating with a single‑digit staff in key roles; the report also noted the veterans registry had only 2,196 entries added since 2017 in one dataset used by auditors.
Director Jose 'Joe' Saint Augustine said GOVA is pursuing a multi‑part modernization program. "For the first time in decades, GOVA is undergoing a complete transformation to modernize its operation," he said, describing recruitment funded…
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