Photo By Sgt. Angel Heraldez | CAMP SMITH, Hawaii — U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Senior Military Official to the...... read more read more
CAMP SMITH, Hawaii — U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Senior Military Official to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander, Joint Task Force-Micronesia, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands Laura Stone and the RMI Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko each led a delegation to host the first bilateral RMI-U.S. Joint Committee Meeting with JTF-M at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquarters building in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 28-29.
“This is an exciting and historic time as JTF-M participates in the RMI-U.S. JCM for the first time. The JCM exemplifies the strength and unity we share and provides an opportunity to not only reaffirm our commitments, but to specifically address security, peace and prosperity for the Marshall Islands,” Huffman said. “This is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the unique challenges facing the community, expand upon the strong partnerships we have built over the years, and to ultimately get to work on actionable tasks.”
Senior leaders convened with a robust agenda, which included briefs from the delegations and centered on four lines of effort that define and articulate priorities. They included defense responsibilities and train and equip; internal security and law enforcement; maritime security/maritime domain awareness, and environmental threats and hazards exceptions. Through a whole-of-government approach, these priorities help to frame discussions and set the tone for open and transparent communications between the two partner nations.
Topics ranged from maritime security in the region and the island’s infrastructure improvements to increasing ship visits and establishing defense sites in the RMI. The RMI delegation outlined immediate and future opportunities that could lend themselves to DoD partnerships and investments.
“We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person today and to share the priorities that matter most to the people of the Marshall Islands,” said Kaneko. “While we recognize that the threats posed by our adversaries are real and pressing, it is equally important for us to know that we can rely on our U.S. military partners to increase presence in the region. By viewing our islands not just as distant nations, but as integral to the defense of the region and the U.S. homeland, we will enhance security and peace on our islands.”
The JCM is in accordance with the Compact of Free Association (COFA) Title III: Security and Defense Relations and promotes ongoing dialogue between nations to enhance security and defense responsibilities in the region.
Established in 2024, JTF-M synchronizes operations and activities across all domains, enabling a robust warfighting posture while enhancing partner nation capacity. Dedicated to promoting regional stability, JTF-M will perform homeland defense, Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA), and foreign humanitarian assistance through a whole-of-government approach within its assigned joint operations area.
For more information about JTF-M, visit https://www.pacom.mil/JTF-Micronesia/
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2025 21:23 |
| Story ID: | 497460 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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