In the midst of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the Chinese reaction of enveloping military exercises surrounding Taiwan over the past week and RIMPAC, recognition of the Indo Pacom Air and Missile Defense team was prioritized and made prominent. The Commander of INDOPACOM, Admiral John Aquilino, his Component Command Flag Officers and Australia recognized the 2022 Indo-Pacific Air & Missile Defenders of the Year in the center of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii. ​

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance hosted the 2022 Indo-Pacific Air & Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Friday, August 5, 2022. The event honored Air and Missile Defenders from the U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and the Australian Defence Force. The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Guardians demonstrated outstanding leadership excellence in air and missile defense in 2022 and directly contributed to the security of the United States homeland and our Allies and Partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Attending the ceremony to recognize the champions of the Indo Pacific included Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of U.S. INDOPACOM; Lieutenant General James Jacobson, Deputy Commander of Pacific Air Forces; Major General Jamie Jarrard, Deputy Commander of U.S. Army Pacific; Major General Brian Gibson, Commander of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command; Major General Chris Smith, Deputy Commanding General (Australia) of U.S. Army Pacific; Brigadier General Christopher Niemi, Director of Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements of Pacific Air Forces; Rear Admiral Daniel Martin, Director of Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Brigadier General Duke Ota, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, Headquarters Hawaii Air National Guard; Colonel Masahiro Okumura - Koku-Jieitai (JASDF) Liaison Officer to PACAF A5I; Lieutenant Colonel Koji Yanazume - Liaison Officer to 94th AAMDC; President David Lassner, University of Hawaii.

“It is about your leadership, your commitment to the Pacific. Because this is where it's at. Every major nation is in the Pacific. What happens here leads the world.”

“I’ve been in missile defense for 40 years, this is the tipping point. This is not North Korea or Iran, this is a game on. You got to play. So, I'm grateful for each one of you that are making these decisions of courage to make our country great, to make our world great, and to fight for the freedoms that we have all had. So what a night, I appreciate every one of you. Thank you for your leadership and your commitment.”

Riki Ellison at the 2022 Indo-Pacific Air & Missile Defender of the Year Ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 5th, 2022

This event marks the 33rd MDAA Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony on the Pacific rim, recognizing 580 awardees. In the Pacific, we have hosted seven missile defenders of the year ceremonies in Okinawa, seven in Alaska, six in Guam, five in South Korea, three in the Indo-Pacific event, and two in Japan.