ASAN, Guam –
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Senior Military Official in Guam and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander, Joint Task Force-Micronesia (JTF-M), the FSM Secretary Department of Foreign Affairs Lorin S. Robert, and the U.S. Ambassador to the FSM Jennifer Johnson hosted a bilateral FSM-U.S. Joint Committee Meeting (JCM), Nov. 13-14.
The JCM was held in Chuuk, with some virtual participation due to Tropical Storm Man-yi, which prevented travel. The meeting underscored the mutual commitment and cooperation between the two countries to continue open conversations about security, international partnership and environmental stewardship in Micronesia. State leaders, FSM representatives, and U.S. military and Department of Defense leaders attended the event.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to build upon our relationships, to continue to strengthen our ties and to develop the partnerships we have fostered over the years,” Huffman said. “I look forward to making progress, and I look forward to building upon the tremendous Joint Committee Meeting that we had last time in Guam.”
Discussions centered around four goals and objectives – foster open discussions about security and defense between the U.S. and FSM, develop a pathway forward for posturing in the Pacific Islands, deepen and refine mutual security and defense priorities by developing lines of effort to strengthen the Pacific homeland, and plan for the next JCM in 2025.
“Our bilateral relationship is rooted in a long history of cooperation and friendship,” Johnson said. “Since the end of World War II, the U.S. and FSM have worked together to promote peace, security and prosperity throughout the region. While political regimes may transition, the enduring nature of treaties and commitment to our allies remain foundational,” she added,
“I look forward to fruitful dialogue and frank discussion through the next two days and properly addressing issues and taking action.”
Subject-matter experts from the U.S. and FSM provided briefs about various program- and construction-project updates in the region over the last six months as well as updates to the current state of security and maritime domain awareness.
This was the first FSM-U.S. JCM held since Huffman assumed responsibilities as the first commander of JTF-M in June.The mission of JTF-M is to synchronize operations and activities across all domains in the Indo-Pacific area, enabling a robust warfighting posture while enhancing partner nation capacity. Dedicated to promoting regional stability, JTF-M will perform homeland defense, Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA), and foreign humanitarian assistance through a whole-of-government approach within its assigned joint operations area.