NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland -- The commander of Pacific Air Force shared his priorities with a large live and online audience during a keynote address at the Air and Space Forces Association’s annual Air, Space & Cyber Conference here today.
Gen. Kevin Schneider delivered his 30-minute address, titled “Preparing and Prevailing in the Indo-Pacific,” to nearly 5,000 attendees, underscoring the keys to success, namely Allies and partners united across the globe, the professionalism and talent of U.S. Airmen, and the progress of Agile Combat Employment in the Indo-Pacific region.
"In the last three and a half decades, there have been a lot of changes in the Indo-Pacific." Schneider remarked, reflecting on his early years as a young pilot stationed at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea, in the early 1990s. "While I worried [then] about the mass invasion of tanks, artillery, and rockets, now it's ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and nuclear rhetoric."
Reflecting on his extensive 36-year military career, Schneider discussed how the Indo-Pacific region has evolved. He noted that, while the geopolitical landscape has changed, certain challenges remain constant. Schneider highlighted the increased complexity and scale of current threats in the region, emphasizing that today's environment requires a more agile and adaptive approach than ever before.
He also placed a strong emphasis on Agile Combat Employment, a concept central to PACAF’s operations across the vast region.
“We disaggregate our forces from our main operating bases for survival,” Schneider said. “We then quickly reaggregate our forces for lethality, in the time and place of our choosing, and deliver effects.”
Schneider concluded by emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovation in maintaining PACAF's readiness.
“We have three asymmetric advantages that adversaries could never hope to have,” Schneider said. “One is the growing network of alliances and partnerships we enjoy. The second is the professionalism, discipline and strength of our people. The third is the inherent strength of the joint force.”
Schneider will feature again tomorrow as the senior member of a panel titled "Exercising for Great Power Competition." The panel will also feature Gen. John Lamontagne, commander of Air Mobility Command; Lt. Gen. David Miller, commander of Space Operations Command; and Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command. The session will be moderated by retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.