U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, traveled to Brunei Jan. 22-24, reinforcing the strong U.S.-Brunei relationship.

He met with senior government and military officials including Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defense II, the Honorable Pehin Datu Lailaraja Maj.Gen. (Ret.) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Royal Brunei Armed Forces Commander, Maj. Gen. Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan, Royal Brunei Armed Forces Deputy Commander, Brig. Gen. Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohammad Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Royal Brunei Air Force Commander Col. Haji Haszahaidi bin Haji Ahmad Daud, and U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Caryn R. McClelland.

During his visit, Rudd also attended briefings at Tuker Lines, where British Forces Brunei is headquartered, and spoke with students at the Defense Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces. Each engagement focused on shared priorities of building deeper trust through people-to-people ties and increasing opportunities for military partnership.

The U.S. and Brunei established diplomatic relations in 1984, with defense cooperation serving as a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship over the last 40 years. Both nations cooperate in a variety of military exercises and exchanges, including the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), and the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises.

USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win.

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