Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, speaks Oct. 12 as part of the Strategic Landpower Dialogue co-hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Strategic Landpower Dialogue is a public, on-the-record speaker series on security issues. It was launched Sept. 19 with a discussion featuring Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.

The event with Flynn will take place from 9–10:15 a.m. Eastern Oct. 12 at CSIS headquarters, 1616 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. It also will be livestreamed. To attend in-person or online, you must register here.

Flynn, who has commanded Army Pacific since June 2021, will discuss the role of land power in the Indo-Pacific and the U.S. Army’s contribution to the National Defense Strategy in the theater.

Before taking command of the Army’s largest service component command at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, Flynn was the deputy Army chief of staff for operations, plans and training, G-3/5/7, at the Pentagon. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Flynn has served in a variety of command, staff and leadership positions, including in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment.

As commander of Army Pacific, Flynn has repeatedly warned about the challenges in the Indo-Pacific, particularly from China. In mid-September, speaking at the 2023 Maneuver Warfighter Conference, Flynn issued a call to action to his fellow leaders and soldiers.

“Learn the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “The stakes to understanding what’s actually happening out here is really important.”

Flynn urged young leaders, especially, to consider seriously the growing challenge posed by China.

China will remain the pacing challenge for the U.S. over the next decade, so young leaders must be “prepared and thinking about the consequences of what will unfold” with China and its continued efforts to modernize and build up its military, Flynn said.

The Indo-Pacific is the most consequential theater with the most consequential adversary, Flynn said. The region is home to more than half the world’s population, two of the three largest economies, nine of the 10 largest ports, seven of the world’s 10 largest standing militaries and five of the world’s declared nuclear nations, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The Army, as the U.S. military’s linchpin force, plays an “enormously important role” in the region, Flynn said. “This is not an air and maritime theater,” he said. “This is a joint theater. It’s got joint challenges. The Army is an enormously important element of the joint force.”