Category: Security

Source: United States Army

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — The U.S. Army’s 3d Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF) held a change of command ceremony June 18, 2025, on historic Palm Circle, as Brig. Gen. Michael D. Rose relinquished command to Col. Wade A. Germann. The ceremony marked the conclusion of a transformative and impactful command under Brig. Gen. Rose and the start of a new chapter for the Army’s cutting-edge multi-domain force operating in the Indo-Pacific.

Brig. Gen. Rose, who assumed command of 3MDTF in June 2023, played a crucial role in enhancing the Task Force’s readiness and integration with Joint and regional partners and allies across all domains. Under his leadership, 3MDTF participated in key exercises across the theater as part of OPERATIONS PATHWAYS, demonstrating the synchronization of long-range precision fires, cyber, space, and information operations to project combat power across the Indo-Pacific Theater.

Presiding over the ceremony, Gen. Ronald P. Clark, Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, commended Brig. Gen. Mike Rose for his exceptional leadership and contributions to the 3d MDTF.

“I’m exceptionally grateful for the tremendous efforts of our outgoing commander, Brigadier General Mike Rose,” said Clark. “You have generated lethality through tough and realistic training and applied exquisite effects with land forces who can fight on and from the land in combined, joint, and multi-domain environments.”

Clark highlighted several Army firsts executed by 3d MDTF, including the first employment of the Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (AML) and first Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) live fire west of the international dateline.

During his tenure, Brig. Gen. Rose emphasized experimentation, interoperability, and speed, driving the 3MDTF to implement concepts crucial for deterrence and joint campaigning. His time in command accelerated the integration of Australian and United Kingdom personnel, transforming 3MDTF into a combined headquarters to become an embodiment of AUKUS Pillar 2 agreements. Furthermore, the unit’s participation in major exercises, such as Talisman Sabre, Yama Sakura, and Valiant Shield, highlights its expanding operational reach and its ability to coordinate effects in real-time across the Indo-Pacific.

During his speech at the ceremony, Rose said, “We’ve gone from a concept to a campaign-ready force in record time. We’ve planned, rehearsed, and executed operations to span thousands of miles. We’ve operated across every domain — land, sea, air, space, and cyber — and we’ve integrated with every service in the Joint Force.”

Emphasizing the importance of 3MDTF’s integration with the Joint Force, partners, and allies, he continued, “We’ve trained and deployed with our allies and partners across the region — from Japan to the Philippines to Thailand, Korea, Singapore, India, and more. And most importantly, we’ve done our part to contribute to deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, creating new dilemmas — dilemmas for our adversaries — deterring aggression, and assuring allies and partners that the Army stands ready.”

Col. Germann assumes command with more than two decades of operational and strategic experience. His prior assignments include roles in joint and combined environments, and his leadership will continue to advance 3MDTF’s mission in support of integrated deterrence and dynamic campaigning.

After taking the podium, Col. Germann expressed his gratitude.

“I’m humbled to lead and work with the incredible men and women of the 3d Multi-Domain Task Force who stand before us today on this field and represent not just those here, but many others who are not here because they’re currently out on mission across the Indo-Pacific.”

Established in 2022, 3MDTF is the Army’s newest Multi-Domain Task Force and the second assigned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Area of Operation. Headquartered at Fort Shafter, 3MDTF increases lethality of the Joint Force through the layering of kinetic and non-kinetic effects across multiple domains, enhancing deterrence and strengthening regional security.

The 3MDTF’s unique structure and capabilities reflect the Army’s modernization priorities and commitment to campaigning in competition, crisis, and conflict, and assuring partners and Allies throughout the Indo-Pacific.

“The change of command ceremony is a defining moment in the life of any organization, and the 3d MDTF is no different. But as leadership changes, our mission remains the same. We will continue to present complex dilemmas to our adversary across multiple domains to prevent war,” said Gen. Clark.

3MDTF remains ready to fight and win across all domains — anytime, anywhere.

HUNT FORWARD!

Source: United States Army

CAMP CHAMBERLAIN, Maine – Engineers with the Maine Army National Guard are hard at work this spring, conducting critical training to keep their skills sharp and simultaneously providing a valuable and direct service to their communities.

Through the Guard’s Innovative Readiness Training program, Soldiers in the 133rd Engineer Battalion performed a variety of community development projects in locations across Maine.

The Guard specifically selects projects to maximize training value for the Soldiers performing the work and for the economic and social impact on the community where the projects are taking place.

“Engineers, as part of their mission essential task list, have to conduct construction training, both vertical and horizontal, to stay ready,” said Maj. Adam Davis, executive officer for the 120th Regional Support Group who oversees many of the state’s engineer units and is a member of the panel that reviews projects for consideration. “Training typically involves collective projects that can include both those horizontal and vertical units, and the best way we found in the state of Maine to identify these opportunities is to partner with communities that have identified the need for this kind of support.”

The collaboration that has developed between the Guard and the communities that request engineering support is of significant economic benefit, not just for the services that can be born out of these newly rehabilitated grounds but also because of the savings seen in construction costs.

A lack of funding availability for these projects is a prerequisite for most applications, Guard leadership said.

“We find construction projects that otherwise would not be able to be done usually based on funding constraints,” Davis said. “The community provides the building plans, permits and such, and we provide the manpower, expertise and equipment to make these projects happen. It’s a win-win, to say the least.”

Heather Kerner, a resident of Canaan, Maine, and former president of the Lake George Regional Park, offered testimony about the recreational value engineers from the Maine National Guard are providing to her community through one of these projects.

“The facility these guys are working on sits on a 320-acre parcel that only became available to the town in 1992,” Kerner said. “Since then, this building has not been widely used. With these improvements, we will look to use this facility for a variety of recreation opportunities all year long.”

Those opportunities include things like a summer camp for kids, as well as winter sports such as skijouring, ice kayaking and kite skiing, whose participants will have access to the newly renovated facility to use as a warming hut.

There are other benefits that communities reap when redevelopment projects, such as the Lake George hut, come to fruition through these collaborations.

In East Millinocket, a vast property that has been unused since 2014 is being redeveloped through a partnership between the Guard’s IRT program and the town, which took ownership of the property in recent years. The area was once home to a thriving paper mill that employed hundreds of residents. Since the mill closed, the site had primarily gone unused and was in disrepair.

Steps are underway to make the location functional and desirable to new businesses. The Maine National Guard is using heavy construction equipment on the property to move hundreds of tons of dirt and debris to make way for potential new construction.

“It will have a huge economic impact,” said former U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud.

Michaud worked at the mill for more than 30 years, is a lifelong resident of the area and has been an active proponent of economic reform in the town since the mill closed.

“The value of another business setting up here is several million dollars into the local tax base and does not even count the jobs from the business itself, the restaurants and all the other businesses that support people in the community,” Michaud added.

A key element of the program is its emphasis on collaboration between the Maine National Guard and local, state and non-profit organizations. Coordination ensures that IRT missions are logistically feasible, legally compliant and tailored to community needs. Additionally, the program helps to foster stronger relationships between the military and the public, improving trust and building relationships with residents who witness the projects as they unfold.

Ultimately, the program enables Soldiers to apply their skills in real-world environments during peacetime, providing mutual benefit for the military and the local communities. This dual-purpose approach strengthens unit cohesion and improves readiness for deployments while also supporting community redevelopment in Maine.

Innovative Readiness Training- https://irt.defense.gov/

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