U.S. Pacific Command was established by President Harry Truman in 1947, making it the oldest — and largest — of America’s combatant commands. (U.S. Pacific Command)
Eight years after President Donald Trump’s first defense secretary changed U.S. Pacific Command’s name to Indo-Pacific Command, the Pentagon on Tuesday switched it back.
“Restoring the legacy USPACOM designation honors the command’s deep historical roots, fostering a sense of pride and collective spirit among all who serve in the Pacific,” a Pentagon news release states.
PACOM was established by President Harry Truman in 1947, making it the oldest — and largest — of America’s combatant commands.
“From its critical role in establishing the post-WWII regional security architecture to its coordination of joint forces during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and countless humanitarian operations, the USPACOM namesake carries decades of military heritage and enduring regional partnerships,” the Pentagon said.
A memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and reviewed by The Associated Press said Pacific Command is a secondary title, similar to the Department of War, the news agency reported Thursday. Statutory references to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command will remain in effect unless Congress acts, the report said.
The INDOPACOM name change was announced in May 2018 by then-Defense Secretary James Mattis while presiding over a PACOM change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
“In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific oceans, today we rename the U.S. Pacific Command to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command,” Mattis said at the ceremony. “Over many decades this command has repeatedly adapted to changing circumstances and today carries that legacy forward as America focuses west.”
The 2018 name change also served notice to China that its designs on dominating the Indian Ocean were being challenged.
Since that time, New Delhi and Washington have deepened strategic and military ties.
But Trump’s tariffs last year and the war with Iran have strained relations. India’s foreign ministry lodged a “strong protest,” summoning a U.S. diplomat after a military strike during enforcement of a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz killed Indian crew members aboard an oil tanker.
The renaming move is part of a broader Defense Department pattern of restoring military names and symbols.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, soon after being confirmed in early 2025, announced he was restoring the name of Fort Bragg, which had been changed by the Joe Biden administration to Fort Liberty in 2023.
The Army base had originally been named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, but in a twist, Hegseth said the new namesake was World War II paratrooper Pfc. Roland Bragg.
Trump announced in June 2025 that he was restoring the names of seven additional military installations named for Confederate figures.
