Growing up in Florida, my attention was across the Atlantic. My ancestors were European. My father served in the European Theater during World War II. It was only natural for me to be Euro-centric in my thinking. In my early military career, I served and lived overseas in England and later in Germany. It is common for the United States to be more focused on Europe than elsewhere in the world. Our most import alliance is with the 32 nations of NATO – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
President Trump is expanding that worldview, looking at other regions that have a predominant impact on the USA. His recent trip to the Far East included import trade agreements in WestPac, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and the colossus, China. Not surprisingly, the nominee to be chief of staff of the Air Force, General Kenneth Wilsabach, is a Pacific specialist. Interestingly, Wilsbach is a Gator Air Force ROTC graduate (1986). The economic powerhouse of the Western Pacific nations of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China and Australia is too great to ignore or relegate to secondary status.