Striking Deep and Digging In: 25th Infantry Division Transitions to the Defense at JPMRC 27-01

Official Statements

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “Schofield Barracks, Hawaii: War in the Pacific demands the ability to strike with precision across vast oceans while simultaneously surviving the brutal, human realities of the close battle. As Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) Rotation 27-01 crosses its midpoint, the 25th Infantry Division and its multinational partners are proving they can do both.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “Following the successful execution of the Long-Range Maritime Air Assault (LRMAA), a complex HIMARS Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) dry fire exercise and a grueling offensive push to seize key terrain across the Hawaiian archipelago, the exercise has now entered Battle Period 2. The script has flipped. The forces that aggressively seized the ground must now fight to keep it. “When you push enemy forces out of terrain, they will fight to take it back.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “That is why pivoting to the defense must be instinct,” said Lt. Col. Eugene Miranda, 25th Infantry Division director of public affairs. “Striking hard is one thing; digging in when you are exhausted tests our endurance in the close battle. That unscripted friction is exactly how the Army fights and prevails in the Pacific alongside our allies.” While Next-Generation Command and Control systems and Super-Intelligence (SI) tools are rapidly accelerating the speed of these complex joint fires, leaders on the ground emphasize that warfare remains a fundamentally human endeavor.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “Reflecting on the sheer physical exhaustion and friction of the offensive push, Maj. Gen. Jeff VanAntwerp, Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii, highlighted that shared hardship is the true catalyst for combat readiness. “You got to find a way today to be the leader that a week from now you’d wish you’d been,” said VanAntwerp.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “Anybody can perform when the weather is clear and conditions are good, but the friction out here is what actually drives the learning,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Mike Eilers, 25th Infantry Division senior enlisted advisor. “For a lot of these soldiers, this is the hardest week of their lives: sleeping out at PTA, shivering when the sun goes down, and pushing past physical limits. But on the back side of that hardship, they walk away saying, 'I did that.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “I am stronger and more capable than I thought.' That is how you build soldiers who seize big opportunities in combat.” This shared hardship extends directly to the division’s multinational partners, including forces from the Republic of Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, and France.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “Lt. Col. Andrew Batule, commander of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Mobile Brigade, highlighted the seamless integration of Singapore Armed Forces soldiers during recent combined offensive operations, describing them as aggressive, fast, and technically proficient. Because the allied forces had been working together since the initial planning and rehearsal phases, their execution in the field was fluid. “It’s been a joy to watch them fight alongside my Wolfhounds,” said Batule. That tactical synergy on the ground reinforces the command's broader perspective on allied integration.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “There’s something universal about soldiering... you get on the ground out in the dirt,” VanAntwerp added. “Nobody cares about politics, nobody even really cares about language. You can point and talk your way through the vast majority of these tasks.” A critical component of that survivability is Emissions Control (EMCON). In an environment saturated with commercial sensors and electronic warfare threats, physical camouflage is no longer enough.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “It’s really akin to the physical domain of cover and concealment. You got to have both,” Miranda explained, noting the division’s strict electronic discipline. “We’re applying those same concepts in the electronic domain.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “As forces continue to consolidate their gains and repel counterattacks from the opposing force, the division is already looking toward its next major operational hurdle to extend its reach even further with an upcoming HIRAIN mission to Kwajalein. By validating these critical expeditionary capabilities under realistic conditions, the division proves that the surest way to preserve peace across the Indo-Pacific is to remain undeniably prepared for combat.”

• 25th Infantry Division, November 13: “About the 25th Infantry Division: The 25th Infantry Division, "Tropic Lightning," is America's Pacific Division, headquartered at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. As the premier land force in the Pacific, the 25th ID provides combat-ready forces capable of conducting decisive operations across the Indo-Pacific. Through rigorous training and close partnerships with allies and the Joint Force, the division remains committed to warfighting excellence, regional stability, and being a responsible steward of the ‘āina and our local communities across the State of Hawaii.”