Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following statement:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III concluded his thirteenth official visit to the Indo-Pacific this week.
Secretary Austin began his trip in California, where he provided the keynote address at the Reagan National Defense Forum. During his address, Secretary Austin noted the historic progress this administration has made to renew alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and upgrade U.S. force posture in the region.
As part of his fourth official visit to Japan since becoming Secretary of Defense, the Secretary took stock of major efforts to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan Alliance. He also met with service members deployed at multiple locations in Japan.
On December 9, Secretary Austin visited USS George Washington at Yokosuka, welcoming the crew to Japan following the ship's arrival last month. The GW is the only permanently forward-deployed U.S. aircraft carrier worldwide and marks a significant milestone for U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific.
On December 10, the Secretary first stopped at Yokota Air Base to meet with United States Forces Japan (USFJ) Commander Lieutenant General Stephen Jost. While there, the Secretary received a briefing on ongoing efforts to upgrade USFJ to a Joint Force Headquarters. He then visited Yokohama to meet with soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army's 5th Composite Watercraft Company – the first formation of its kind forward deployed outside the United States. He also met with Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen to thank them for the Government of Japan's strong partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration.
On December 11, the Secretary observed the 87th iteration of bilateral Exercise Yama Sakura and met with participating U.S., Japanese, and Australian forces at Camp Asaka. This was the first iteration of the exercise that formally incorporated Australian participation following the announcement from the Australia-Japan-U.S. Trilateral Defense Ministers' Meeting in November 2024.
Secretary Austin's trip came as the Department of Defense continues to achieve historic results with U.S. allies and partners to strengthen peace, stability, and deterrence in support of a shared regional vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.