SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii –
U.S. Army Pacific hosted the Combined Arms Seminar at the Joint Multinational Simulation Center Indo-Pacific here from June 10-12.
It was the first time the seminar was held outside of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.
The seminar provided an opportunity for leaders to understand and consider solutions to land power challenges in the Indo-Pacific’s complicated operating environment. The theater is sometimes considered an air/maritime theater, USARPAC leaders often say conflicts always involve people, and people live on land.
“The character of war is changing. But if wars of the future in this theater involving our Army are anything like the past, they will feature heavy ground fighting,” said Gen. Charles Flynn, U.S. Army Pacific Commanding General. “The Army, land power, indeed has a vital role.”
Each year, the Combined Arms Center conducts seminars to educate and inspire the force, driving change to create a Multi-Domain Operations capable Army by 2030. This year, holding the seminar in the Indo-Pacific, a unique, complex and consequential region, provides perspective to the leaders that are charged with leading change across the Army.
“My team is here to advocate and ensure we close gaps across multiple time zones,” said Lt. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., Commanding General of the Combined Arms Center. “We have to be in theater to understand. By the time we leave, we’ll have a [greater] depth of understanding.”
A distinguished group of more than 40 leaders – general officers, sergeants major, and members of the Senior Executive Service – participated in the seminar. The leaders represented organizations from across the institutional Army, including the Centers of Excellence, the Combined Arms Center, and Training and Doctrine Command.
“As you participate in discussions and listen to briefs, I ask each of you to consider the outcomes you seek to achieve. That is, consider what concrete actions you will take to improve our Army’s ability to meet the demands in our national priority theater, including defeating our principal adversary in large scale conflict should deterrence fail,” said Flynn.
The Combined Arms Seminar is just one way the U.S. Army develops leaders and modernizes the Army to lead the future fight. The Indo-Pacific, which has been labeled the priority theater, poses unique challenges. It covers half the globe, is home to more than half the world’s population including many Allies and partners. It is also where we compete with adversaries. Hosting the seminar gave U.S. Army Pacific an opportunity to inform and educate the leaders building the Multi-Domain Operations capable Army.