Eighth Army’s “Fight Tonight” mission and enduring commitment to the Republic of Korea-U.S. alliance are being highlighted at the Land Forces Pacific Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, Hawaii, this week.
The premier forum for land power discussions in the Indo-Pacific region, LANPAC 2025 brings together representatives from 32 Indo-Pacific nations, including 16 chiefs of armies to address critical security challenges. The annual forum is hosted by the Association of the United States Army and supported by U.S. Army Pacific.
Representing Eighth Army is Brig. Gen. Sean Crockett, Eighth Army acting commander. Crockett will participate in discussions and meet with land forces leaders from across the region to discuss Eighth Army’s robust, effective and ready posture, along with the vitally important and effective relationship with the ROK military.
“The strategic land power network throughout the Indo-Pacific has never been stronger and LANPAC provides us the opportunity to strengthen our network,” said Crockett. “Eighth Army is a combined force operating under a unified command structure in South Korea as part of the ironclad alliance between our nations. This integration extends from tactical operations to strategic planning and stands as a leading example of how the deep level of trust and interoperability can maximize our collective defensive capabilities. We’ll discuss what Eighth Army brings to the fight, and meet with our Indo-Pacific counterparts on the shared security challenges that we face.”
The discussions taking place over three days this week explore the organizing, generating, and applying of land power within the complex geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific. Under the theme “Prevailing Through LandPower,” this year’s symposium focuses on deterrence and the preservation of a free and open Indo-Pacific through a robust network of allied and partner land forces.
Joining Crockett at LANPAC 2025 is Maj. Gen. Charles Lombardo, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division, commanding general.
“The combined division is the linchpin of Eighth Army’s deterrence posture on the Korean Peninsula,” Lombardo said. “Eighth Army and 2ID work with our ROK counterparts at an unprecedented level, sharing lessons learned, and combining formations to achieve a lethal partnership. We are focused on maintaining the ability to rapidly deploy, fight, and win should deterrence fail. This includes a focus on protecting key terrain, critical infrastructure, and the ROK population. The combined division isn’t solely a land force endeavor. We actively integrate with ROK and U.S. air, naval, and special operations forces to create a truly joint and combined all-domain defense.”
Lombardo and Crockett will discuss with LANPAC 2025 attendees how Eighth Army’s combined readiness is demonstrated through continuous training and exercises utilizing 45 live-fire ranges, U.S. Army Korean rotational forces, and transformation efforts, which are rooted in collaboration with allies and partners to ensure interoperability and shared readiness for future conflicts. Eighth Army is constantly evolving to make its formations more lethal, more ready, more resilient, and more survivable in defense of both homelands.
