Pentagon restores name of US Pacific Command

The Pentagon is restoring the name of the US Indo-Pacific Command to the US Pacific Command, it said on Tuesday, reversing a 2018 decision. The renaming will not change the command’s area of responsibility, which stretches from the western part of India to America’s Pacific coastline, the Department of War said in a statement.

Its “fundamental mission and its unwavering commitment to maintaining a free and open theater alongside regional allies and partners” also remain unchanged, it added. The name change “honors the command’s deep historical roots, fostering a sense of pride and collective spirit among all who serve in the Pacific,” the department said, without giving additional details.

The US Pacific Command was established by former President Harry Truman after World War II. It operated under that name for over 70 years before being renamed as the US Indo-Pacific Command in 2018, in a nod to the growing importance of the Indian Ocean in US strategic thinking.

The 2018 name change also came as part of broader efforts by Washington to counter China’s growing influence across the Asia-Pacific domain.