ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The Army must continue to build enduring advantage as it prepares the force for the future fight, Deputy Undersecretary of the Army Mario Diaz said on the last day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu.

“Building enduring advantage is about people, it’s about formations, it’s about procedures and it’s about policy,” Diaz said May 16 during his keynote presentation. “It’s about building and composing a future Army, for the Army we need and the Army we can afford.”

Transparency is critical as the Army looks to work more closely with industry to rapidly provide the force with much-needed capabilities, a senior leader said.

“I think transparency and working with industry is critical,” said Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology. “You all have some amazing expertise. I think it’s great to get a room together with leaders as well as industry so we can spin and riff off each other and understand the technology and capabilities you have.”

Mastery of the fundamentals is crucial in the Indo-Pacific, a region where soldiers may find themselves operating anywhere from the Arctic to the jungle to a megacity, a panel of experts said May 15.

“If you’re not well versed in the fundamentals, you’re not going to be able to do collective tasks,” said Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, commanding general of 8th Army in South Korea. “You have got to be able to do the basics, the fundamental blocking and tackling, at the platoon, at the company and at the battalion, synchronizing all those efforts.”

Soldiers serving today must never forget the sacrifice and legacy of those who came before them, Army veteran and Gold Star father Allen Hoe told a group of about 120 emerging leaders.

Speaking May 14 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANPAC Leadership Forum, held in conjunction with the association’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, Hoe highlighted for the young leaders the service, sacrifice and heroics of native Hawaiian soldiers who served from World War II through today.

Cooperation between the U.S. Army and its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific continues to grow rapidly, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific said.

“Our activities are moving quickly from bilateral to multilateral,” Gen. Charles Flynn said, adding that engagements and cooperation have “increased tenfold over the last three to four years.”

Every member of the joint and combined force is necessary to deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific, the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet said.

“We need everybody here,” Navy Adm. Stephen “Web” Koehler said during a keynote address May 15 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu. “Everybody needs to be part of the game.”

From all-volunteer forces to conscript armies, NCOs serving across the Indo-Pacific must work together to prepare for an uncertain and evolving future battlefield, a panel of senior enlisted leaders said.

Speaking May 14 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, senior enlisted leaders from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Singapore discussed the evolving role of NCOs in land power across the Indo-Pacific.

Strong partnerships and a sense of urgency are critical to maintaining a safe and open Indo-Pacific, a panel of experts said May 14 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition.

“Everything we do here is inherently joint, and what we do here really matters,” said Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commanding general of I Corps. “The things we’re going to accomplish of significance in this region will take all of us together.”

In remarks to open the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 LANPAC Symposium and Exposition, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific emphasized the importance of land power in a region often considered a maritime domain.

“Land power is the security architecture that binds this region together,” Gen. Charles Flynn said May 14. “While all forms of military power are important in this region, land power is often overlooked or just discounted.”