WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, will depart on his first overseas trip Oct. 21 to visit Sailors, Marines and government leaders in the U.S. Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.
Secretary Del Toro will meet with senior leaders in Hawaii, Japan, Republic of Korea, Guam, and Papua New Guinea to discuss the importance of international defense partnerships, and reinforce the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. He will also visit shore and afloat commands to better understand quality of life, and vital mission sets unique to the area of operation.
“The Indo-Pacific region is a priority for the Department of Defense and the Department of Navy,” said Del Toro. “To ensure U.S. dominance against an evolving threat environment, we must be present, persistent and powerful in our integrated maritime strategy. We must invest in the health, readiness and capability of our fleet and strengthen relationships with our naval partners in the region.”
The visit comes a few weeks after the Secretary released his Strategic Guidance for the Department of the Navy, which includes his priorities on maintaining U.S. maritime dominance, and bolstering strategic partnerships to further strengthen collaboration with partner nations in the region.