The threats require this kind of shift:
U.S. Army forces in the Pacific spent most of their training time preparing for humanitarian relief missions, evacuations from natural disasters, and efforts to build up allied security forces.
Not anymore. Since President Donald Trump has come to office, the administration has issued a new National Security Strategy focused on the persistent potential for military conflict with China and North Korea. The Army has shifted gears accordingly. ...
Volesky’s I Corps is unique; the Army has never before assigned an entire corps to one geographic region. The assignment shows the Pentagon’s seriousness about being ready to fight a major war in the Pacific.
Another data point: 20 percent of the Army is currently assigned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Flynn said.
“They’re committed because we do have multiple treaty allies out there, we do have multiple war plans out there,” he said. “That is a big difference from where we were some 15 years ago.
This fits well with my call for the Army to prepare to fight--with allies--in the Asia mainland if necessary. It isn't enough to be coastal artillery and air defense for the Navy anymore. The Army's core competency is large-scale land combat.
I Corps has a lot of scenarios to prepare for in a vast theater.
And remember that 20% means just three brigades. One in South Korea, one in Alaska, and one in Hawaii. So nobody is contemplating a march on Peking.
