US Continues Strategic Rebalance to the Pacific

Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet conducted an all hands call at Commander Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) in Singapore, Dec. 18, during a trip to strengthen maritime partnerships in support of America’s rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

Following two days of leadership engagements in Vietnam, the visit to Singapore marked Harris’ 19th trip to the region in 2014.

Harris said:

We have a strong partnership with Singapore for all the right reasons.

Your work here is critical as we continue our strategic rebalance to the Pacific.

During the question and answer session, Harris highlighted rotational deployments of littoral combat ships (LCS) to Southeast Asia, including USS Freedom’s (LCS 1) inaugural deployment last year and USS Fort Worth’s (LCS 3) recent arrival to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility as part of a 16-month deployment. He underscored the forward presence of LCS as a crucial part of the U.S. Navy’s ongoing support to the rebalance.

He also highlighted the 20th anniversary of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), a series of bilateral exercises held annually to enhance interoperability with nine regional navies.

Harris responded to questions from the audience on a wide range of topics, including the 2015 budget, deploying new platforms, sexual assault programs and ship maintenance. In closing, he emphasized that the Navy’s continued forward presence is critical to the future of the fleet.

COMLOG WESTPAC is the U.S. 7th Fleet’s provider of combat-ready logistics, operating government-owned and contracted ships to keep units throughout 7th Fleet armed, fueled, and fed. Additionally, COMLOG WESTPAC is 7th Fleet’s Theater Security Cooperation agent for South and Southeast Asia.

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Press release, Image: US Navy