HONOLULU -- Representatives from 27 of 36 nations from throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region - to include nine chiefs of armies - gathered in Hawaii to kick off the 5th annual Land Forces of the Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium & Exposition May 23.

"I'm very encouraged by the fact that 27 nations are here - and nine chiefs of armies - because we have to solve these complex challenges together," said General Robert B. Brown, Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific. "These things no longer impact small numbers. They impact everybody. The [internet] connectivity causes it to impact the entire world, no question about it."

The three-day symposium provides an opportunity for land force commanders from the U.S., along with joint and regional partners, to include Japan, Nepal, the Republic of Korea, and Vanuatu, to discuss critical topics that affect security and cooperation across the Pacific.

Gen. Brown chaired the first of thirteen LANPAC 2017 panels and forums that will discuss the readiness of land forces throughout the region, integration of those land forces into multiple domains, and the impact of people empowered by leadership and technology. The first panel, "Perspectives in Land Force Roles and Opportunities," highlighted the challenges and opportunities land forces face in the Pacific region that extends over nearly half the world's surface and is home to half the world's population.

The keynote address for Wednesday is scheduled to be Adm. Harry Harris, the U.S. Pacific Command commander.

Live streaming of the panel discussions can be found on the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/lanpac.