News

U.S. AND JAPANESE GENERALS VISIT PALAU, HIGHLIGHTING CRUCIAL ALLYSHIP AND REGIONAL SECURITY
June 14, 2024 — In a significant demonstration of enduring allyship and commitment to regional security, Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Koku-Jieitai), and U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, Deputy Commander of Pacific Air Forces and Deputy Theater Air Component Commander to the Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, visited U.S. Airmen and Marines operating in Palau on June 14, 2024... MORE

Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, Koku-Jieitai Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Chief of Staff and U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, the Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the Deputy Theater Air Component Commander to the Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, visit Palau National Airport, Airai, Palau, June 14, 2024. The United States and Japan alliance remains postured and ready to ensure the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Nello Miele)

Joint Task Force Micronesia Holds Assumption of Command Ceremony
June 14, 2024 — Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, presided over the establishment ceremony of Joint Task Force-Micronesia (JTF-M) at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on June 14, 2024, where Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman assumed command... MORE

Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman exchange salutes during the Joint Task Force – Micronesia assumption of command ceremony on Andersen Air Force Base, June 14, 2024.

613 Air Operations Center strengthens ties with Japan’s Air Defense Command in landmark agreement
June 13, 2024 — In a move aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation, the U.S. Air Force 613th Air Operations Center has signed an agreement with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Air Defense Command at Pacific Air Forces Headquarters... MORE

Japan Air Self-Defense Force Col. Kohei Kurachi, Commander of the JASDF Air Defense Command Air Operations Center, and U.S. Air Force Col. Chris McFarland, Commander of the 613 Air Operations Center, sign the AOC and ADC standard operating procedure agreement, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Remains of Korean War Soldier to be buried in Wrightstown, New Jersey
June 13, 2024 — The remains of Army Pfc. Anthony J. Lopa, a Soldier killed during the Korean War, will be interred June 28 at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veteran Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, New Jersey. Maxwell Funeral Home, Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, will perform graveside services preceding the interment... MORE

First Royal Australian Navy Enlisted Sailors Begin Training at U.S. Submarine School
June 13, 2024 — GROTON, Conn.--The U.S. Naval Submarine School in Groton welcomed its first cadre of nine enlisted sailors and the second cadre of three officers from the Royal Australian Navy on June 3rd and 10th respectively. These 12 Australians will train alongside their American counterparts to operate conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). ... MORE

United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy Sailors enrolled in the U.S. Naval Submarine School’s Basic Enlisted Submarine School pose for a photo between training sessions aboard the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, Jun. 11, 2024.

Bersama Warrior 2024 first week wraps up with Mission Analysis Brief
June 12, 2024 — Forty members of the Washington National Guard and their Malaysian Armed Forces counterparts wrapped up a successful first week of the Bersama Warrior 2024 staff exercise with a mission analysis brief on June 8, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia... MORE

Exercise Leadership receives a mission analysis brief as Bersama Warrior 2024 wrapped up their first week of the command post exercise

U.S. Navy and Air Force special operations personnel conduct routine training in the Republic of Korea
June 12, 2024 — U.S. Air Force personnel and an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing arrived in the Republic of Korea on June 12, 2024, in support of an ongoing joint, combined exchange training iteration with U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command personnel... MORE

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider gunship assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron from Hulburt Field, Fla. lands at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea (ROK) June 12, 2024. The Ghostrider and its crews are participating in a regularly scheduled joint, combined exchange and training (JCET) event designed to positively affect the combat readiness of special operations forces (SOF) personnel in support of the mutual defense of the U.S. and ROK homelands. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jacob Cabanero)

3rd MLR conducts civil engagements and volunteers during summer exercise series
June 12, 2024 — In addition to enhancing their warfighting capabilities through bilateral military training, U.S. Marines and Sailors with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and Philippine Marines with 4th Marine Brigade, strengthened ties through community service and civil engagements during Exercise Balikatan 24, Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum, and the ongoing Marine Aviation Support Activity 24, on Luzon, Philippines, April 15 – June 12, 2024... MORE

U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, paint a local school during the maritime key terrain security operations event of Balikatan 24 at Itbayat, Philippines, May 7, 2024. The event was conducted alongside Philippine Marines with Marine Battalion Landing Team 10. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Malia Sparks)

RIMPAC to begin June 27
June 12, 2024 — Planning and preparations are being finalized for the 29th biennial Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), a multinational exercise involving 29 nations and more than 25,000 personnel, set to run June 27 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands... MORE

KATUSAs: 74 years of friendship and service
June 10, 2024 — United States Army Soldiers and Korean Augmentation To the U.S. Army (KATUSA) Soldiers stationed throughout the Korean peninsula participated in a variety of events and activities designed to strengthen the teamwork and comradery of military service members during KATUSA Friendship Week, June 10-14... MORE

Eighth Army's KATUSA Friendship Week 2024 began June 10 with formation runs at all three U.S. Army garrisons across South Korea.

ASD(A) Cyber Warfare and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Convene Workshop to Discuss Cyber Challenges Faced to Safeguard Critical Infrastructure
June 10, 2024 — From April 16-18, 2024, more than 90 experts in the fields of cybersecurity and operational technology throughout the Indo-Pacific region gathered to analyze and discuss the cybersecurity challenges of critical infrastructure in today’s constantly evolving cyber contested environment at the ‘Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Defense in the Indo-Pacific Region’ workshop, held in Honolulu... MORE

JPRMC-X | Closing Ceremony
June 10, 2024 — U.S. and Philippine Army soldiers and distinguished guests come together for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise held at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, from 1-10 June... MORE

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, the commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, alongside Philippine Army counterparts, salutes during the closing ceremony held at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines

Readout of Under Secretary of Defense Dr. William LaPlante's Visit to Japan
June 10, 2024 — Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) Dr. William LaPlante traveled to Tokyo, Japan to launch the Inaugural U.S. — Japan Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition, and Sustainment (DICAS) Forum with his Japanese counterpart, Masaki Fukasawa, Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency Commissioner (ATLA)... MORE

Army Reserve infantry unit participates in Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) in the Philippines
June 10, 2024 — In the heart of Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, U.S. Army Soldiers from Echo Company, 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, dove into the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise, adopting roles as opposing forces (OPFOR) for Exercise Salaknib 2024. From June 1 to June 10, they lent their expertise to the intricate maneuvers unfolding in central Luzon... MORE

US and Philippine Army Soldiers Establish a Joint Operations Center for the First Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable in the Philippines
June 7, 2024 — U.S. and Philippine Army Soldiers establish a Joint Operations Center (JOC) as part of Exercise Salaknib 2024. The establishment of a JOC marks a pivotal moment in fostering collaboration among multinationals during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise potion of Salaknib in Fort Magsaysay, located in central Luzon, from June 1 to June 10... MORE

U.S. and Philippines Army soldiers monitor personnel actions in the Joint Operations Center during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X) exercise on Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, 31 May 2024.

317 AW 'Explodes into Theater' with maximum endurance operation for Valiant Shield 24
June 7, 2024 — The 317th Airlift Wing successfully completed an expanded Maximum Endurance Operation to Guam with two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft equipped with external fuel tanks, June 4, 2024... MORE

A C-130J Super Hercules assigned to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, gets refueled at Travis Air Force Base, California, during an extended Maximum Endurance Operation, June 4, 2024. Two aircraft equipped with external fuel tanks completed the MEO to Guam in support of Valiant Shield 2024. Exercises such as Valiant Shield allow the Indo-Pacific Command Joint Forces the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service and with our allies to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emma Anderson)

Carrier Strike Group 5 joins USS Blue Ridge, allies to begin Exercise Valiant Shield 2024
June 7, 2024 — Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) of Carrier Strike Group 5 (CSG-5) joined with surface vessels and aircraft from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s (INDOPACOM) joint forces and Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to conduct a formation sailing and fly-over event as part of the first-ever multinational exercise Valiant Shield, June 7... MORE

240607-N-ER894-1394 PHILLIPPINE SEA (June 7, 2024) The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), steams in formation with the flagship of U.S. 7th Fleet, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Robert Smalls (CG 62), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Higgins (DDG 76) and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), along with Japanese ships, Taigei-class attack submarine, JS Jingei (SS 515), Izumo-class helicopter carrier, JS Izumo (DDH 183), and Maya-class guided-missile destroyer, JS Haguro (DDG 180), as four F/A-18 Super Hornets attached to Carrier Air Wing 5, two U.S. Air Force (USAF) B-1 Lancer heavy bombers, four USAF F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft, four USAF F-16 Falcon fighter aircraft, two Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Mitsubishi F-2 multirole fighters, two JASDF Mitsubishi F-15 Eagle air superiority fighters, one USAF RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, and one USAF KC-46 Pegasus tanker conduct a formation fly over in support of Valiant Shield 2024 in the Philippine Sea, June 7. Exercises such as Valiant Shield allow the Indo-Pacific Command Joint Forces the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service and with our allies to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Dimal)

Allies Come Together in the Indo-Pacific: Valiant Shield 24
June 5, 2024 — U.S. Indo-Pacific Command joint forces, along with allied and partner forces, are scheduled to participate in exercise Valiant Shield (VS) 2024, June 7-18, on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and at sea around the Mariana Island Range Complex... MORE

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Concludes Tenth Visit to the Indo-Pacific
June 5, 2024 — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III concluded his tenth official visit to the Indo-Pacific region today... MORE

Malaysia, U.S. Continue to Strengthen Ties at Bersama Warrior 2024 Exercise
June 5, 2024 — The 10th annual Bersama Warrior exercise began June 1 with an opening ceremony led by Malaysian Armed Forces leaders and U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers, director of the Joint Staff for the Washington National Guard... MORE

Washington National Guard and Malaysian Armed Forces members participate in the Bersama Warrior 2024 opening ceremonies June 1, 2024, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Washington Guard and Malaysia have been partners under the State Partnership Program since 2017.