Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, next week to preside over the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) Change of Command, meet with his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, and engage with service members.
On May 2, Secretary Austin will meet bilaterally with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, and he will also meet bilaterally with Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru. The three officials will then convene a Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting. Finally, Secretary Austin, Deputy Prime Minister Marles, Minister Kihara,and Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro will hold the second-ever meeting of defense ministers from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, where they will discuss ways to deepen defense and security ties among the four countries.
On May 3, Secretary Austin will preside over the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Change of Command, where he will deliver remarks recognizing outgoing commander Admiral John Aquilino, incoming commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, and the hundreds of thousands of American service members in USINDOPACOM's Area of Responsibility. He will also meet with distinguished guests on the margins of the ceremony and engage with service members on Oahu.
Secretary Austin will travel to Hawaii as the United States, together with allies and partners, continues to deliver historic momentum toward a shared regional vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.