FORT SHAFER, Hawaii -- For his first visit to the Indo-Pacific region as Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific, Gen. Paul LaCamera reaffirmed the U.S. Army's steadfast commitment to the defense of Japan during a visit Dec. 14-18.

Gen. LaCamera met with senior leaders from the Japan Ground Self Defense Force to include Gen. Goro Yuasa, Chief of Staff of the JGSDF, and Japan's Defense Minister, the Honorable Taro Kono, to discuss the bilateral cooperation between the two militaries in support of the U.S.-Japan security alliance.

Gen. LaCamera visited U.S. Army Japan headquarters and met with Soldiers and leaders, who had spent the past weeks participating in Yama Sakura, an annual bilateral exercise focused on refining the JGSDF's and USARPAC's planning, coordination and interoperability.

At Camp Ichigaya, Gen. LaCamera joined Gen. Yuasa, along with the commanders from Marine Corps Forces Pacific, the Third Marine Expeditionary Force, and U.S. Army Japan for a Senior Leaders' Seminar centered on military briefings and discussion on ways the respective forces can enhance the trust and cooperation between the U.S. and Japan for greater security and stability in the region.

Gen. LaCamera took command of U.S. Army Pacific, November 18, 2019. USARPAC is one of the land force components of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and is the largest Army Service Component Command with an area of responsibility spanning from the West Coast of the continental United States to India.

Prior to his current role, Gen. LaCamera served as the Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, Iraq and Syria.