Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi traveled across the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility to engage key allies and partners amidst a dynamic and evolving security environment Oct. 10-18.
The trip also offered the senior leaders a firsthand look at the progress Airmen have made in reoptimizing the service for Great Power Competition.
"We are making significant investments in our own capabilities, supporting our allies and partners as they invest in theirs, and standing with our Indo-Pacific friends as they expand relations not just with us, but with each other," Allvin said.
The initial stop at Travis Air Force Base, California, recognized the tremendous accomplishments mobility Airmen stationed at the "Gateway to the Pacific" have achieved and the leading role they will play in any future conflict.
"In a potential fight against a very capable adversary, mobility Airmen will be at the tip of the spear and under fire conducting logistics in a highly contested environment," Allvin said. "You'll be responsible for getting the Joint Force into theater, sustaining the fight, maneuvering in Agile Combat Employment, as well as defending and recovering from attack. We all must recognize this is our new reality and actively prepare for it accordingly."
Flosi emphasized to Team Travis the importance of readiness, adaptability, and the role the Air Force upholds in today's security environment.
"We are the nation's and the world's most capable and lethal all-volunteer force on planet Earth," he said. "Whenever the Chief [Allvin] and I travel and we are out on the flightlines across the world, we see our Airmen delivering airpower in a way no other nation can deliver."
Allvin and Flosi then visited Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and observed how 36th Wing Airmen are bolstering their ability to project airpower and strengthen partnerships across the region.
"This great team is showing our allies what a disciplined and well-organized unit, committed to being a trusted, reliable partner known for upholding standards, discipline, and integrity in all of our activities, is capable of," Flosi said. "Their dedication reinforces our security posture while strengthening alliances, ensuring we collaborate to uphold stability in the region...this is where America's day begins!"
Next, Allvin and Flosi travelled to Tokyo to participate in an Air Force Forum and Air Chiefs Conference, emphasizing the ironclad U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and other national security objectives.
"Real progress is being made as we move beyond bilats into multilateral events," Allvin told leaders from over 20 nations. "The more partners we pull in, the more impactful we all will be. This is a true asymmetric advantage over the pacing challenge."
Allvin also met with Japan's Minister of Defense, Gen Nakatani, and participated in a trilateral meeting with Gen. Uchikura Hiroaki, chief of staff, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreño, commanding general of the Philippine air force.
"It was a privilege to meet with many leaders during this impactful forum hosted by our Japanese allies," Allvin said. "This event exemplified how our defense ties with Japan's Air Self-Defense Force and other key partners in the region are meeting the challenges we face."
On the sidelines of the conference, Allvin and Flosi visited Yokota Air Base to hear firsthand from Airmen about the challenges they face, the ways Yokota AB overcomes those challenges to keep the mission moving, the partnerships that make it happen and wins across the team. The leaders then conducted an all-call for Team Yokota to deliver enterprise updates and answer questions from the force.
"Our National Defense Strategy is clear - this is our pacing theater," Allvin said. "I am clear-eyed about the threat we face today, which is why this is my second visit to the region in six months."
After their engagements in Japan, the senior leaders traveled to South Korea, where Allvin met with Republic of Korea Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su. "Challengers to a free and open Indo-Pacific are real, from the Korean peninsula to the South China Sea," Allvin said. "That is why our ironclad alliance with the ROK has never been more important. Together, we continue to strengthen our interoperability and sharpen the combined readiness of our forces."
While in South Korea, Allvin and Flosi visited Osan Air Base and held an all-call, which concluded with a discussion focused on standards and accountability.
"Take a hard look at the culture of standards in your organization," Flosi said. "Our ability to execute our mission, do our nation's bidding, hinges on an organization of Airmen who believe in and enforce standards."
The last stop of the trip was Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, where Allvin and Flosi reinforced the strategic importance of the base and Alaska at large.
"Alaska is a hotbed for Great Power Competition because it is where the Arctic and Indo-Pacific regions intersect," Allvin said. "It is imperative that we can rapidly and effectively project power into both these (areas of responsibility). Our reoptimization efforts will increase our ability to do just that … Despite challenging Arctic conditions, JBER Airmen are moving out to shape the strategic environment and reoptimize how we generate readiness and project power."
At the conclusion of the trip, Allvin reflected on his engagements and experiences.
"The Airmen that Chief Flosi and I met with across the theater are all in," he said. "They understand the threat and they recognize this is our time of consequence. Moreover, they are moving out to reoptimize our Air Force and their enthusiasm was evident everywhere we travelled."
