system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does the United States benefit from having territories/commonwealths like Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, etc.?
gpt
Guam is of strategic importance to the US. Look at a globe and notice the distance from mainland US to Asia and also notice how Guam's location provides a handy place to stage, refuel, base troops, or similar.