SASEBO, Japan -- The crew of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) hosted Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) admirals, who toured the ship while moored at Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, June 1.JMSDF Vice Adm. FUKUDA Tatsuya, commander, Fleet Escort...

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --Service members and aircraft from the U.S. Air Force’s 374th Airlift Wing (AW), Yokota Air Base, Japan and the Indonesian Air Force will participate in Cope West 2022 (CW22), a bilateral, tactical airlift exercise at Abdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base, Malang,...

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers landed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on June 3, 2022, for a Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment.The personnel, aircraft and assets arrived from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, to conduct PACAF...

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's trip to the Indo-Pacific comes at a critical junction for the region, senior defense officials speaking on background said.The secretary will give a major speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, visit with defense leaders and American...

U.S. Embassy in Mongolia -- The Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command have announced their participation in Exercise KHAAN QUEST 2022, scheduled to take place at the Five Hills Training Area, Mongolia, June 6-17, 2022.Khaan Quest 2022 is a regularly scheduled, multinational...

SUVA, U.S. Embassy in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu -- The U.S. donated 23,400 life-saving doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Kiribati through the COVAX Facility – a partnership co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the...

OKINAWA, Japan -- Holding camouflaged defensive positions in the jungles of northern Okinawa, U.S. Marines readied to repel an attack from an opposing force aiming to seize the island during a combat rehearsal, dubbed the “Counter Assault Exercise,” from May 9 to May 12, 2022.The Counter Assault...

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- U.S. Indo-Pacific command joint forces are scheduled to participate in exercise Valiant Shield (VS) 2022, June 6-17, on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and at sea around the Mariana Island Range Complex.Participants include USS Ronald...

PHILIPPINE SEA -- The U.S. Navy and Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) concluded Carrier Strike Group Exercise 2022 in the Philippine Sea, June 4.The combined forces of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 and Maritime Task Flotilla (MTF) 7 operated together during this bilateral exercise aimed at strengthening...

PHILIPPINE SEA -- Aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111), the Battle of Midway carries special meaning for the 353 “Quiet Warriors” who are forward-deployed with, and sail alongside, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.The ship’s namesake, Adm. Raymond A...