Air Force Secretary: “We must be ready for war in the Indo-Pacific region”
During the May 29, 2025, commencement ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall addressed 909 newly commissioned officers, emphasizing that the Indo-Pacific region will be the central battlefield for their generation.
“The Indo-Pacific will be your generation's fight, and you must deliver the most lethal force this nation has ever had — or we will lose,” Kendall said.
He stressed that after 25 years of focusing on low-intensity conflicts in the Middle East, the U.S. must now pivot to homeland defense and deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Today’s competition with China is broad and unpredictable; there will be no safe zones,” he added, highlighting the need to rethink and evolve traditional assumptions about air and space power.
Kendall also announced that next month the Air Force will participate in “the largest exercises since the Cold War” in the Indo-Pacific theater.
Concluding his remarks, he reminded the cadets that some of the Air Force's most decisive achievements have come from junior officers and expressed confidence in their readiness for future challenges.
“Congratulations, Class of 2025. Welcome to the Air Force and Space Force. We have great expectations for you,” said Kendall.
