TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the Defense Department has started phase one of upgrading U.S. Forces Japan to a joint force headquarters.
The department originally announced in 2024 that USFJ would be upgraded from a primarily administrative command to a joint force headquarters, meaning it would have more war-fighting and operational responsibilities.
Hegseth said the USFJ upgrade will help improve the command's ability to operate with Japan's Joint Operations Command. It was established last week, and is responsible for commanding branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
'It increases our readiness to respond to [any] contingency or crisis, support U.S. operations and help Japan and U.S. forces defend [Japan's] territory,' Hegseth said during a joint press conference in Tokyo Sunday.
Hegseth said that as part of the USFJ's upgrade, the Pentagon will soon add additional personnel to both Tokyo and USFJ headquarters at Yokota Air Base to conduct activities aimed at strengthening bilateral bonds with the U.S. military's Japanese counterparts, as well as deepening operational cooperation.
Hegseth also said reorganizing USFJ into a war-fighting headquarters would necessitate increased staff and the empowerment of USFJ's commander with the authority needed to accomplish new missions.
Hegseth told reporters that America and Japan seek peace.
'But, as my first platoon motto says, 'Those who long for peace must prepare for war.' We must be prepared, [and] we look forward to working closely together [with Japan] as we improve our war-fighting capabilities, our lethality and our readiness.'
Regarding China's growing threat in the Indo-Pacific region, Hegseth said America is committed to sustaining a ready, robust and credible deterrence throughout the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of operations, including across the Taiwan Strait.
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