Amphibious, maritime force leaders collaborate for Free and Open Indo-Pacific

FORUM Staff

In its 10th iteration, the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS) unveiled a new motto: Stronger Together. It is a reminder that regular collaboration among Allies and Partners is the foundation to respond to crises and perform at a high level to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

PALS 24 drew delegations from 24 nations to Seoul, South Korea, in early June 2024 to foster collaboration among leaders of amphibious and maritime forces. They shared knowledge and operational insights to boost relationships and contribute to regional stability while supporting mutual international interests.

Lt. Gen. Kim Kye-Hwan, commandant of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Marine Corps, and Lt. Gen. William M. Jurney, commander of United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, (MARFORPAC), were co-hosts. Participants also came from Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and the United Kingdom.

“We use events like PALS to maintain and develop relationships so if any nation in the Indo-Pacific is in trouble, we already know the person on the other end of the phone,” Jurney said. “As combined force leaders, we use PALS to think and talk through complex issues that may arise in the region because no one nation stands alone. Our forces are stronger together.”

The symposium included engagements, panel discussions and briefs on topics such as amphibious force contributions across military operations, operational challenges in a maritime environment and modernization throughout the combined force. Leaders also presented a brief on technology-based solutions for maritime domain awareness, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Other discussions centered on humanitarian aid and disaster response, developing combined amphibious operational concepts, countering natural resource exploitation, and coordinating with law enforcement.

In response to increasing transnational and nonmilitary threats, Kim emphasized the importance of security cooperation among Indo-Pacific nations.

“We exchanged practical and broad views on ways to promote military cooperation and mutual interests in each country, and that these efforts will contribute to the expansion of the role of landing forces and to the Indo-Pacific region and further to international peace and prosperity,” Kim said.

MARFORPAC, the Marine Corps’ largest operational command, established PALS in 2015. The recent iteration was the second hosted by the ROK Marine Corps, and previous hosts include the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the Indonesian Marine Corps, demonstrating the depth of commitment among the U.S. and its Allies and Partners to build a more capable combined force across the Indo-Pacific.