ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Even as the Army grows its footprint and relationships in the Indo-Pacific, it is not looking for a fight in what the service’s top civilian leader calls a “complicated neighborhood.”

“Our goal is to avoid fighting a land war in Asia,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said. “This is all about deterrence. We want to lower the temperature in the relationship with China.”

A new combat training center in the Indo-Pacific, the first established by the Army in 50 years, will provide more realistic training and place troops forward and ready to operate in that theater, leaders said.

For the Army, the secret to remaining ready and relevant in the Indo-Pacific may be its little-known fleet of cargo and logistics ships.

The Army should think critically about its power and presence in the vast Indo-Pacific, an Army leader in the region said. 

“Power projection in [the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command], it’s definitely a challenge,” said Maj. Gen. Jered Helwig, commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command in Hawaii. “We have to really think through it. We have the opportunity now to do that, and we need to take advantage of it.” 

The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing four new podcasts in September, including a conversation with the Army’s top general in the Indo-Pacific and insights from a two-star general who has deployed 18 times.

The historic 11th Airborne Division is back on the Army’s active rolls.

With a focus on operations in extreme cold weather and high altitudes, the division was reactivated June 6 during ceremonies at Alaska’s Fort Wainwright and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Every day, around the world, the Army is playing a key role in deterring America’s adversaries and building strong relationships with partner armies, the service’s top civilian leader said.

“The Army is campaigning out in the world every single day,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said, referring to one of the primary lines of effort in the National Defense Strategy.

Facing challenges of the vast Indo-Pacific theater, the Army is accelerating its work to develop and provide advanced capabilities to soldiers, a senior leader said.

“We’re accelerating everything as fast as we can. It’s not going to take 15 years,” said Young Bang, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. “We’re changing the whole mindset. We’re changing how we do acquisition.”

The deterrence record on North Korea is spotty, warns Duyeon Kim of the Center for a New American Security.