WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, following his recent trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Singapore, Senator Scott, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, shared the following photos and statement to highlight the meetings and briefings he received while in the Indo-Pacific. The primary purpose of Senator Scott’s trip was to see first-hand the hard work our men and women in uniform do to protect America’s national interests across the globe, and meet with leaders in allied and partner countries to share his commitment to strengthening military and economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific theater.

Senator Rick Scott said, “While Russia wages war in Europe, Communist China remains a grave threat to the national security of America and our friends, partners and allies across the Indo-Pacific. My visits with U.S. military commanders and government leaders in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Singapore made clear that America cannot take its eyes off this region or the increased aggression shown by Communist China. While this trip only reinforced my confidence in America's military being the strongest, most lethal, and most resilient fighting force in the world, we must acknowledge that this is not a military challenge alone. We cannot lose sight of the economic challenges we face as well and ensure we do not become complacent and fall behind. Every American and every business should take a stand and stop buying things made in Communist China or investing in Chinese-based companies – every dollar that goes to the Communist Chinese Party fuels their mission to end the American way of life and the freedoms we enjoy.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with the leaders of our allied and partner nations, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our service members for working hard every day so Americans at home can have the opportunity to wake up and live the American Dream. There is still a lot of work to be done, and much more I will say following this trip, but I am confident that America will move in the right direction if we continue to support and work together to build strong and secure economic and military alliances within the Indo-Pacific theater.”

HAWAII

While in Hawaii, home to the headquarters of Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Senator Scott received briefings from Pacific Air Forces, a Major Command of the United States Air Force and the air component of the United States Pacific Command, and toured the flight line. Additionally, he visited the USS Arizona to pay his respects to those who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

GUAM

 While visiting Guam, Senator Scott toured Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base, a pivotal point of strength and sea power for the Western Pacific, and received briefings from Task Force TALON, the U.S. Army’s premier artillery air defense; 36^th Air Wing; and Helicopter Sea Combatant Squadron 25. He also had the opportunity to meet with Floridians stationed in Guam. Additionally, he met with members of the Guam Chamber of Commerce and met with Governor Lourdes “Lou” Aflague Leon Guerrero of Guam.

THE PHILIPPINES

While in the Philippines, Senator Scott met with Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines MaryKay Loss Carlson and attended meetings hosted by the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, Department of Foreign Affairs, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and received briefings from Filipino and American military leaders related to defense and security in the region. In addition to the meetings, Senator Scott visited Camp Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and was briefed on the P-8 missions the armed forces carry out while completing search and rescue, reconnaissance and patrol missions in the West Philippine Sea.

SINGAPORE

While in Singapore, Senator Scott had meetings with the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, Jonathan Eric Kaplan; Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Gam Kim Yong; Singapore’s Minister of Defense, Dr. Ng Eng Hen; and Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, to reiterate his support for strong national security and hear their priorities for the region. He also met with the American Chamber of Commerce of Singapore. In addition to these meetings, Senator Scott met with Rear Admiral Mark A. Melson, Commander of the Logistics Group Western Pacific CLWP/CTF 73, to tour his facility which commands theater logistics and sustainment in order to conduct Distributed Maritime and Expeditionary Advanced Based Operations in competition, crisis and conflict for the U.S. Navy.

 See more photos from Senator Scott’s visit on his Twitter HERE.

 Download High-Resolution Photos HERE.

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