Fort Shafter, HAWAII— Too often mistaken for an air and maritime domain, the Indo-Pacific is a joint theater requiring joint solutions. A group of congressional staffers spent one week in the U.S. Army Pacific’s area of operation learning first-hand the capabilities only the Army can provide in the country’s priority theater.
“You can’t talk about this region without using a map,” said USARPAC Commanding General Gen. Charles Flynn to the delegation, standing in front of a map spanning from eastern Europe to the west coast of the United States.
“I know what you’re thinking, that’s a lot of blue, but people have a tendency to live on land and six out of ten people in the world live right here, in this region,” said Flynn.
Over the course of the week, the delegation met with leaders from USARPAC units on Hawaii and at Joint-Base Lewis McCord in Washington.
“It was important for us to give them a taste of how the Theater Army trains to operate in an area with the most diverse terrain in the world—jungle, desert, mountainous and arctic environments,” said Lt. Col. Bill LeFever, who orchestrated the visit.
For the first time in about 20 years, a congressional staffer delegation made a trip to Hawaii for a tradition known in the National Capital Region as “Army Day,” a day for personal and professional staff of members of congress to receive a comprehensive understanding of installations, training areas and mission of U.S. Army commands.
The delegation learned about the Theater Army’s initiatives to see, sense and understand the problem set in the region and increase interoperability with the joint force, allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific.
They learned jungle survival skills at 25th Infantry Division’s Lightning Academy, experienced a sail on an Army Logistical Support Vessel and felt the power of a M4 carbine at the range.
“The Lightning Academy staff taught the delegation learned how to make fire and the different ways to purify water,” said LeFever. “The group also saw a demonstration of Soldier’s ziplining across a gulch and repelled off a forty-foot tower.”
At the range, they were shown different weapon systems, wore body armor with a full rucksack, and received hands-on training in the different firing positions with two 10-round magazines.
The breadth of demonstrations and briefs the staff members received highlighted the uniqueness of the Indo-Pacific region and how the Theater Army is the linchpin to the joint force. The staff delegation stated that one of their key-take-a-ways was the number of U.S. Army exercises in the Indo-Pacific and the scope of Army contributions to deterrence and interoperability.
The Theater Army in the Indo-Pacific is very active with our efforts to advance wargaming, warfighting, and campaigning in the region,” said Flynn. “We hope each staffer brings back to their congressional members an understanding of the ways this Theater Army generates and provides decisive landpower and how we signal this country’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
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