HONOLULU, Hawaii –
Deputy Under Secretary of the Army Mario Diaz said the Army must drive institutional change from multiple angles to achieve transformation and realize success in multi-domain operations, speaking to the Land Forces in the Pacific conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 16.
Diaz delivered the event’s final keynote remarks, repeatedly stressing the crucial importance of routinely working alongside allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, and clearly expressing how Hawaii and Guam are integral for all aspects of the National Defense Strategy.
He spoke about how the Army’s transformation for multi-domain operations requires a multi-dimensional approach, executed by Soldiers training and experimenting with equipment – but also by Army leadership analysis of the service’s systems, processes, structure, budget, authorities, and much more.
Though multi-domain operations, the Army’s current operating concept, was developed in the institutional Army and is being refined and implemented in the operational Army, it is also being debated, deconstructed, and decided upon in offices in the Pentagon.
“Equally important is demonstrating Army capabilities, forward, frequently, and with the full support of our allies and partners,” Diaz said. “The joint logistics over the shore pier in Gaza, the deployment of mid-range capability in the Philippines, equipment set download in Australia, and forward employment of the Multi-Domain Task Force all will create legitimacy, and more importantly, trust that the Army is a vital contributor to the joint force, in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere.”
The Army’s transformation comes at a time when competing priorities and current conflicts offer both challenges and opportunities for bringing systems and capabilities together to field, train, and deploy multi-domain operations capable forces. Diaz said the Army must balance many requirements and support them with scarce resources, but that does not mean delaying transformation. Instead, it means very deliberate decision making and effective communication with national leadership.
Diaz lauded the accomplishments and work being done by U.S. Army Pacific and joint services, with allies and partners, to build the strategic landpower network and joint interior lines. He urged continued focus on the challenges and dilemmas that confront the network in the Indo-Pacific, noting that the Army needs to do more joint planning, especially with the U.S. Air Force, and also that the Army must identify where it should anticipate fighting sustained combat and how artificial intelligence might impact multi-domain operations.
LANPAC 2024 wrapped up May 16 with closing remarks from Gen. Charles A. Flynn, commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, who urged the attending international army and industry leaders to focus on working together as a strategic landpower network. Flynn said this is central to preventing war.
“As I said in my opening remarks, the objective is to not have a war,” Flynn said. “We have to do everything we possibly can, every day, to make sure that happens. That’s really the most important thing we can do – we must do – together.
Throughout the conference, an international body of ally and partner military members, industry, and government officials joined the U.S. Army in sharing insights and talking about how to address current and future security challenges.
This was the 11th iteration of the annual, Indo-Pacific focused international military forum, and the largest ever, with over 2,000 attendees representing more than two dozen countries.