USCINCPAC Camp H.M. Smith

• Strategic Headquarters: Camp H.M. Smith serves as the headquarters of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), one of the Department of Defense's unified combatant commands. • Namesake: The camp is named after General Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, a legendary Marine Corps general known for his pivotal role in the Pacific during World War II. • Original Purpose: The facility was originally built in 1942 as the Aiea Naval Hospital to care for casualties from the Pacific theater during World War II. • Post-War Transition: After WWII, the hospital closed in 1949 and remained unused until the site was selected in 1955 as the new headquarters for the US Pacific Command (PACOM). • Command Move: In 1957, the headquarters for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command (CINCPAC)—now USINDOPACOM—officially moved to Camp H.M. Smith from the Makalapa Compound at Pearl Harbor. • Marines and Multi-Service: While operated by the Marine Corps, Camp H.M. Smith houses personnel from all branches of the U.S. military, as well as allied and partner nations. • Scenic Location: The camp is situated on the hills above Aiea, Oahu, offering panoramic views of Pearl Harbor and the southern coast of the island. • Cold War Role: During the Cold War, Camp H.M. Smith was a critical nerve center for U.S. military operations and planning in the Asia-Pacific region. • Joint Task Forces: The camp has hosted the command and control elements for numerous joint and multinational exercises and operations, including disaster relief efforts across the Pacific. • Historic Hospital Tunnels: The original naval hospital included a network of tunnels, used for patient movement and storage, some of which remain a feature of the base’s infrastructure today.