In a strategic move to enhance its defense capabilities, the U.S. Army is modifying its organizational structure with the creation of the Multi-Domain Command-Pacific (MDC-PAC). This new command will integrate the 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, as announced at the 2026 Land Forces of the Pacific Symposium and Exposition in Hawaii.
At the symposium, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commanding general of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, highlighted this development as a forward step in military strategy, diverging from past practices where formations were only created post-production of equipment. “We made the formations to test and integrate the equipment, and we’re adjusting,” McFarlane remarked, emphasizing the need for agility in organizational changes.
The new command will see a merge of the 7th ID’s two Stryker brigades and a combat aviation brigade with a multi-domain task force. This merger aims to enhance capabilities in areas such as fires, space, electronic warfare, cyber, and intelligence across the Indo-Pacific region. Soldiers from the 1st MDTF will transition to the 7th ID starting mid-June, aligning with successful Corps-level exercises that simulated a two-star merger scenario.
Lt. Gen. McFarlane expressed, “We have opportunities to make sure we’ve got the right mix of capabilities with a two-star command.” He noted the Stryker brigades’ role in providing ground security and emphasized the importance of extending the command’s reach across the joint operational area.
This organizational change underscores the U.S. Army’s commitment to strengthening Indo-Pacific collaboration amid rising threats from China and North Korea. Brig. Gen. William Parker, commander of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, stressed the significance of alliances, stating, “We don’t fight alone, and we haven’t fought alone for a long time.”
The announcement coincided with the conclusion of Exercise Balikatan, the largest annual bilateral military exercise between the U.S. and the Philippines. Notably, this year’s exercise, which spanned 19 days, included participation from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, France, and Canada. U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo commented on the exercise’s evolution: “Balikatan 2026 marked a strategic evolution from a bilateral exercise to a full-scale, multinational mission rehearsal for the defense of the Philippines.”
