This month, I completed a two-week, six-stop tour of the Pacific, beginning with a visit to the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. It was a fitting way to start the trip, a reminder that the U.S. Army is critical to forming the foundation for security in the Pacific.
The 25th Infantry Division, which in its early years earned the nickname "Tropic Lightning," marks its 75th anniversary this autumn. The men and women stationed there — and, indeed, all U.S. soldiers in the Asia-Pacific region — have been working to secure regional stability for much of the last century. Since President Barack Obama's strategic rebalance to Asia, they have been doing even more.
Today, the U.S. Army has a lot on its plate outside the region. It is at the forefront of the U.S.-led coalition's campaign against the Islamic State militant group, as well as efforts to support the people of Afghanistan.