Big Island hosts USPACOM International Military Lawyer Conference

Today, Pacific Command's 23rd annual Military Operations and Law Conference (MILOPS) wraps up on the Big Island, Hawaii. MILOPS is a yearly meeting of legal professionals from countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. With 26 nations represented, this year's conference covered a broad spectrum of complex issues facing the Asia-Pacific region from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to counter proliferation to Information Operations and cyber warfare.

While not a legal professional, my leadership gave me the opportunity to attend this year's conference to get a different perspective on the challenges facing our area of responsibility. As a Public Affairs Officer, I routinely work closely with our legal staff to ensure our desire to disseminate accurate and timely information is just that, accurate. The complexity of some of the issues we face in this region are extraordinary. What this "outsider" took great comfort in was the diverse group of committed men and women in attendance. Their passion for their profession and for the region as a whole was palpable.

Admiral Robert Willard, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, opened the conference on Monday lauding the participants' dedication to the rule of law and their willingness to come together to discuss difficult legal and policy issues confronting the region. He credited exchanges such as the MILOPS conference for directly affecting the region's readiness to conduct successful operations.

More than 200 attended the conference from Australia, Thailand, India, Loas, Malaysia, Canada, Japan, the UK, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Bangladesh, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Vietnam, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Mongolia, Maldives, and of course the United States.

If asked for the most significant take away from this conference, remembering I'm an outsider, it would simply be the resounding theme throughout the week of a need for collaboration between all nations to address myriad complex issues facing the region. There was tacit agreement in all the discussions and panel presentations that to continue to maintain the security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, nations must work together.


Capt. Matt Hasson
USAF

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PACOM Signs Energy Strategy in Cooperation with State of Hawaii

U.S. Pacific Command, in cooperation with the state of Hawaii, released its strategy Oct. 23 for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and assisting in the development of alternative, renewable sources of energy.

Signed by Maj. Gen. Stephen Tom, PACOM’s chief of staff, the strategy defines PACOM’s commitment to help the state in efforts to rely on 70 percent clean energy by the year 2030.

The PACOM Energy Strategy Cooperation with the State of Hawaii is a first of its kind, linking a Department of Defense (DoD), Combatant Command with the Department of Energy and a state government energy plan.

The goal of PACOM "going green" is to reduce the taxpayers burden while reducing DoD reliance on fossil fuels, develop renewable energy sources, reduce greenhouse emissions, emphasize sustainability and exercise global environmental leadership.

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