Structure of INDOPACOM and Comparable U.S. Agencies for Asia-Pacific Region

The Institute of World Politics

Dr. Gordon W. Rudd will discuss the staff structure of Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and comparable U.S. agencies focused on the region. ***This lecture is part of the Asia Initiative Lecture Series.*** About Lecture: INDOPACOM is a U.S. regional Combatant Command covering most of Asia and the Pacific. It is based in Hawaii and has an Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine, and Special Forces Component Commands, also located in Hawaii. All of these commands have formations located in Asia and the Pacific. These commands have an integrated staff system – to be covered in this presentation. The Department of State and other USG Agencies have comparable regional offices that only loosely align with INDOPACOM, but are not subordinate to it. Theater engagement, i.e. working with friends and allies in the region, is critical to the success of INDOPACOM. About the Speaker: Dr. Gordon W. Rudd has served as Professor of Strategic Studies, U.S. Marine School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) since January 1998. Prior to working with SAW, he spent two years (1996-1998) as Professor of Strategic Studies with the U.S. Marine Command and Staff College. During the period 2003-2004, he was detached for nine months to serve as field historian in Iraq with Office of Reconstruction & Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). From 1972 to 1995, he served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He has had troop service in infantry, airborne, mech, and Special Forces formations. He has served as a Joint Service Officer (JSO) and Foreign Area Officer (FAO). Overseas assignments include: Panama, Lebanon, Israel, Korea, Iraq, Bosnia, and Turkey. His operational experience includes participation in Lebanon 1984-85 (UNTSO), northern Iraq 1991 (PROVIDE COMFORT), and Bosnia 1994 (UNPROFOR). His military training and education courses include: Infantry Basic and Advanced Courses; Ranger, Special Forces, Scuba, and HALO courses; DLI – French; USA Command & General Staff Course (non-res); USN Command & Staff Course (resident). In addition to his full-time teaching, Dr. Rudd has taught military history courses at the Darden School of Business of the University of Virginia and for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. While at SAW, he has taught classes at the Marine the Expeditionary Warfare School, the Marine Command and Staff College, and the Marine Corps War College. Dr. Rudd is the author of two books: - Humanitarian Intervention: Assisting the Iraqi Kurds in Operation Provide Comfort, 1991, published in 2004. - Reconstructing Iraq: Regime Change, Jay Garner, and the ORHA Story, published in 2010. His current research interests include military history, particularly WWII, comparative politics, and regional studies. Dr. Rudd earned his doctorate in history from Duke University in 1993. He earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Virginia Polytechnic & State University in 1972. He has earned masters degrees from the Naval War College (1988), Duke University (1990), and St. John’s College (1999). ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18