U.S. Forces Japan Commander Stephen Jost (Air Force Lieutenant General) warned that about 55,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan will be transitioned to a unified command over the next few years. He explained that this aims to integrate new capabilities to achieve a more distributed and resilient combat posture.
On the 28th, Commander Jost noted in an article contributed to the Asahi Shimbun that "transforming the primary mission of U.S. Forces Japan into a command that integrates all operations from alliance management to humanitarian support, disaster relief, and armed conflict is a monumental task." This is interpreted as a mention of the potential expansion of U.S. Forces Japan's missions.
The U.S. Trump administration is reviewing the overall posture of U.S. forces deployed in the Indo-Pacific region ahead of the expected announcement of a new National Defense Strategy (NDS) as early as August. Previously, in March, the temporary National Defense Strategy guidelines identified "containing China" as the top security priority. Japan has proposed and is currently negotiating the "One Theater" concept, which integrates the Korean Peninsula, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea into a single operational theater.
The U.S. and Japan promised to reform U.S. Forces Japan in line with the establishment of Japan's Self-Defense Forces Integrated Operations Command last July, including agreeing to transfer some command authority from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to U.S. Forces Japan.
In particular, to enhance the linkage of command and control between the U.S. military and the Self-Defense Forces, they agreed to establish a unified military command for U.S. Forces Japan, which would have certain command authority and play a coordination role with the Self-Defense Forces. However, although Japan launched the Self-Defense Forces Integrated Operations Command last March, the promise has become uncertain due to a change in the U.S. administration. Currently, the operational command authority of U.S. Forces Japan lies with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, and there are predictions that some will be transferred, and the rank of the commander could be elevated to four-star general.
In the contributed article, Commander Jost introduced that a new organization called the "Self-Defense Forces Integrated Operations Command Cooperation Team" (JCT) has been established to serve as a liaison with the Self-Defense Forces Integrated Operations Command, stating that "JCT aims to enhance the response capabilities of the U.S.-Japan alliance to unexpected situations."
If the role of U.S. Forces Japan is expanded, changes to U.S. Forces Korea are also likely. The U.S., considering personnel and resources, is seeking "strategic flexibility" for U.S. Forces Korea, whose mission is limited to deterring North Korea, indicating a possibility of redeploying some U.S. Forces Korea based on new missions.
In fact, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated earlier this month regarding the possibility of reducing U.S. forces, "The U.S. cannot and does not need to be everywhere." The Wall Street Journal reported in May that plans are being prepared to redeploy about 4,500 U.S. troops from Korea to other areas within the Indo-Pacific region, but the Ministry of National Defense denied it, stating, "That is not true."