After many brutal years of fighting with the Middle East, it seems like the US Army is shifting its focus. Nearly two decades of war taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan has exhausted our troops as well as equipment. What we have learned from the war in Ukraine as well as the rise of China, has led to renewal, reform, and focus on somewhere else. That somewhere seems to be Asia.Suggested read: 3M Earplug Lawsuit Update – $6 Billion Settlement Moving Forward

How Is the US Army Preparing for Conflict?

According to the 2025 fiscal budget, the US Army has increased spending limits for regional training, deployments and equipment. This is a 200% increase in the budget.Aside from the hefty budget increase, according to budget documents a whopping 1.5 billion has been requested to ensure peace in the region for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative section of the Defense Department.Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of the US Army in the Pacific told students at the Army War College, "From the Obama administration to the Trump administration to the Biden administration, it's been pretty consistent support for this region being the most consequential region, at the most consequential time, against the most consequential adversary."

The DoD is Increasing PDI Funds

The Defense Department put $9 billion dollars into the PDI fund for the 2024 year. Furthermore, the requested $464 million for training, deployment, and equipment and will cover around 40 U.S. Army Asia Pacific Pathways Exercises. The Pacific Pathways Exercises help prepare future US Army members for different conditions.At a roundtable budget meeting last week, Army Secretary Gabe Camarillo said that this was the most money the US Army has ever put in a request for. Camarillo said, "As I always say, all of those nations in the Pacific, they all have armies, and they appreciate the opportunity to train with us, to do joint exercises, and so, we have endeavored to fund those exercises to the fullest extent we can."

An Upcoming Career Rotation for the US Army

Maj. Gen.Chuck Lombardo who is the head of training the Soldiers of the US Army, told Millitary.com “We are sustaining a career rotation, and that is not a temporary duty station; that is a rotational force. Stryker Brigade supported the 2nd Infantry Division, and that is continuing in '25. There will be a heavy, heavy increase in the Pacific campaigning."Training missions which typically focus on tactics and weapons took a new route this year. They focused on a mock entry into Taiwan to protect against a potential Chinese invasion. In the past few years, there have been reports of Chinese drones circling Taiwan. Chinese drones have also been following US ships through the Taiwan Strait.Related read: Can You Sue the Military?

Are Other Branches Preparing for the Change?

In February, the Air Force and Space Force announced that they would be making some of the greatest changes in history to prepare for a direction change. Furthermore, they will be bringing back warrant officers and changing training.Regarding the US Army, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said, “We are running out of time. It's not that I enjoy sounding like a broken record, it's that China has spent the last two decades building a military that is prepared to deter and defeat the future US Army if we intervene in the Pacific.”Read next: What Is the Gucci Glock? The High-Tech Pistol Used for NNSA Security