Proximity, speed and complexity are just some of the many challenges in the Indo-Pacific, but the presence of land forces in the region offers a tangible deterrent to any potential adversary, said Gen. Xavier Brunson, commanding general of U.S. Forces Korea.

Speaking May 15 on the final day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, Brunson emphasized the important role of land forces in a region often thought of as an air and maritime theater.

“Our presence in Korea imposes and challenges the calculations of leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Russia and China, and provides options for our nation’s most senior leaders,” said Brunson, who also leads United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command. “In any conflict, time and distance are pervasive adversaries. We can, however, leverage our geography and positional advantage to great effect.”

By being present, U.S. forces and their allies and partners give “our adversaries pause,” Brunson said. “By being forward stationed, we effectively operate inside the adversary’s anti-access, area denial bubble and inside their headspace,” he said.

As the relationships between Russia, China and North Korea continue to grow, the U.S. military has gotten smaller as it has increased its technological capabilities, Brunson said. “We have smaller militaries with much more expensive and capable tools,” he said. “But ultimately, fighting comes down to the fundamentals of blocking and tackling.”

On the Korean peninsula, land power remains a decisive part of the arsenal of capabilities, Brunson said. “You can control the skies, you can control the seas, but ultimately you must control the ground to win and to achieve any lasting security,” he said.

Land power is the connective tissue of the joint force, supporting offensive and defensive missile batteries, command and control nodes, sustainment, maintenance, logistics and more, Brunson said. “A strong land presence allows us to maintain consistent contact with partners, set the pace of events in the region, … and it does so in a way that no other environment can truly replicate. Visible land presence speaks volumes far louder than any formal declaration.”

The U.S. and its allies and partners must continue to sharpen their posture, protection and sustainment, Brunson said. Posture includes positioning the right forces or capabilities with the right authorities, he said. In addition to having forces present, posture is a signaling instrument. “Our resolve is always on display,” he said.

Protection means adapting to counter modern threats such as drones and ensuring the right capability is ready when needed in all domains, he said. Sustainment addresses the tyrannical distances in the region and bolstering capabilities such as in-theater production, manufacturing and maintenance, Brunson said. “Korea has immense capability on its ports and shores,” he said.

Land power is a tangible expression of commitment that builds deterrence, Brunson said, but troops must work at it every day. “It’s the reason our dedicated service members train unceasingly, why our partners willingly exercise and train alongside us, and why positional advantage with a deep understanding of geography remain fundamentally important,” he said.

As threats continue to evolve, so must the U.S. military’s approach, Brunson said. “We must continually adapt, innovate and strengthen our land capabilities,” he said. “Deterrence doesn’t rest, and neither can we.”