U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy Colby: "Those with Greatest Stake Must Strengthen Own Defense"; Hegseth Philippines Visit Statement Explicitly Notes "Expanding Burden-Sharing"

WASHINGTON

Elbridge Colby, U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy, said at the dedication ceremony for the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial held in Washington, D.C. on October 24 that "it is critically important that those with the most at stake continue stepping up their own defense and working aggressively together to enable their own security and regional stability." One day later, on October 25, the U.S. Department of War included "expanding burden-sharing across the region" among the objectives of Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to the Philippines in an announcement. Neither the speech nor the announcement explicitly mentions South Korea. The vocabulary of "stakes" and "costs" emphasized by Under Secretary Colby follows the same framework seen in his Seoul speech in January of this year and the National Defense Strategy (NDS).

Under Secretary Colby Mentions "Decisive Results" at Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial Dedication

The text of the speech was posted on the U.S. Department of War website on October 24. Under Secretary Colby stated that he was attending the dedication ceremony "this morning" on behalf of Secretary Hegseth and the U.S. Department of War. The speech began by acknowledging ministers, ambassadors, distinguished guests including Secretary Burgum, and veterans in attendance. Under Secretary Colby said, "we gather to honor the veterans and families of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and to remember those who did not return."

Under Secretary Colby recounted that in August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the Kuwaiti people endured seven months of occupation. He stated that the United States responded with clear, proportionate, yet decisive military power "in pursuit of limited political objectives," and that many nations joined the coalition "bound by common interests and a shared recognition of what was at stake." Operation Desert Shield was the phase of defending Saudi Arabia and deploying and integrating coalition forces, while Operation Desert Storm was a "masterfully coordinated air, ground, and sea campaign," he said.

He summarized the lesson of this victory as follows: "when military force is applied in service of clearly defined political objectives, alongside willing and capable partners, it can—and will—produce decisive results."

Under Secretary Colby: "Those with the Most at Stake Must Step Up Their Own Defense"

Under Secretary Colby emphasized that this lesson is not confined to the past. "Peace and stability in the Gulf, in the Pacific, in Europe, and in our own backyard are preserved through strength," he said, adding, "This is the logic that underpins President Trump's peace-through-strength approach." Under Secretary Colby noted that over the past nine months, Iran had targeted civilian infrastructure, including in Kuwait, and attempted to close the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. and allied forces "resolutely deterred" these actions.

What followed was the core of the speech. Under Secretary Colby said: "it is critically important that those with the most at stake continue stepping up their own defense and working aggressively together to enable their own security and regional stability. The United States will remain a steadfast partner to those, like Kuwait, who answer this call." In the speech, the country named as the counterpart of this statement was Kuwait.

Under Secretary Colby: "Costs Borne by Americans Must Align with the Level of Interests at Stake"

Under Secretary Colby stated that the memorial serves as a reminder of the gravity required when employing military force. He noted that the U.S. Department of War's promise to service members is to wage war prudently and effectively, and to ensure that "the costs borne by Americans align with the level of interests at stake." "Desert Storm remains an exemplar of this," he said. He also mentioned that he would likely be able to see the memorial from his Pentagon office.

The speech concluded on the significance of the coalition. Under Secretary Colby stated that Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm demonstrated the impact of a partnership "rooted where interests align," forging an "enduring bond" between the American people and the peoples of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf partners.

U.S. Department of War Lists "Expanding Burden-Sharing" as Purpose of Secretary Hegseth's Visit to Philippines

On October 25, the U.S. Department of War issued an advisory titled "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to Visit the Philippines and Participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus." The release spans two sentences. The Secretary will visit the Philippines to "reaffirm the U.S. commitment to peace through strength in the Pacific." The Secretary will also hold "bilateral and multilateral meetings to strengthen deterrence, advance key alliances and partnerships, and expand burden-sharing across the region." In this announcement, only the statement of purpose relates to this article. The advisory did not specify the dates of the visit or the specific meeting counterparts.

Both Under Secretary Colby's October 24 speech and the October 25 advisory emphasized "peace through strength." The same direction was expressed in the speech through strengthening self-defense by those with the greatest stake, and in the advisory through expanding burden-sharing across the region. The U.S. Department of War did not explicitly link the two documents as part of the same continuum of logic. It must also be distinguished that the speech addressed the Gulf region while the advisory concerned a Pacific visit.

Under Secretary Colby's "Cost and Benefit" Vocabulary Connects to "Contribution" Rhetoric in Seoul Speech and NDS

In his October 24 speech, Under Secretary Colby stated that war must be waged prudently and effectively, ensuring that the costs borne by the American people align with the level of interests at stake. In a speech in Seoul on January 26, the same Under Secretary said that an alliance must be built on aligned interests, shared risk, "proportionate contributions," and mutual benefit. The National Defense Strategy (NDS) dated January 23, 2026, stated that the contributions of Indo-Pacific allies and partners are essential to deterring and balancing China.

While the vocabulary across the three documents overlaps, their targets differ. The October 24 speech focused on the Gulf and Kuwait, while the January Seoul speech directly targeted South Korea. The NDS addressed global alliances encompassing the Indo-Pacific and Europe simultaneously. In the October speech, the country named as a "steadfast partner" was Kuwait. The speech noted that the bonds formed during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm forged ties with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf partners.

Under Secretary Colby at Sejong Institute in Seoul in January: "Alliances Cannot Be Built on Sentiment Alone"

In a speech at the Sejong Institute in Seoul on January 26, 2026, Under Secretary Colby used the same vocabulary as in this speech. Noting that his visit to Seoul marked his first overseas trip since taking office as Under Secretary for Policy, he stated: "alliances cannot be built on sentiment alone. They must stand on aligned interests, shared risk, proportionate contributions, and mutual benefit." He assessed President Lee Jae-myung's decision to increase defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) and take on greater responsibility for South Korea's conventional defense as a "rational, pragmatic, and clear-eyed response," calling South Korea a "model ally." Citing Secretary Hegseth's 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue address and his December address at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Colby stated that the Indo-Pacific defense strategy centers on "deterrence by denial" along the First Island Chain. He also mentioned a "resilient, distributed, and modernized force posture" across Japan, the Philippines, and the Korean Peninsula. In a readout released on February 4 regarding the visit, the U.S. Department of War noted that Under Secretary Colby met with Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back, Director of National Security Wi Sung-lac, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, with discussions focusing on "alliance modernization, the ROK's efforts to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence and defense against the DPRK, and the importance of burden-sharing." In Japan, he subsequently met with Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi and Vice-Minister of Defense Taro Yamato, among others.

U.S. Department of War National Defense Strategy (NDS) Specifies "Contributions of Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners"

The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), issued by the U.S. Department of War on January 23, 2026, designated burden-sharing as one of four lines of effort. The document stated: "In the Indo-Pacific, the contributions of our allies and partners are essential to deterring and balancing the PRC." It also noted, regarding the benchmark set at the NATO Hague Summit of 3.5% of GDP for core military spending and 1.5% for security-related expenditures, totaling 5%, that the United States would "insist that allies and partners meet this benchmark not only in Europe, but globally."

There is a dedicated section for the Korean Peninsula. The NDS stated: "South Korea, with its powerful military, high defense spending, robust defense industrial base, and conscription system, can assume primary responsibility for deterring North Korea, backed by critical but more circumscribed U.S. support." The same document assessed that since January 2025, allies had begun to step up burden-sharing, "particularly in Europe and South Korea." Under Secretary Colby previously led the drafting of the 2018 NDS as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development from 2017 to 2018. His official biography notes that the document at that time "prioritized China's historic military buildup and emphasized the urgency of expanded burden-sharing by allies." The biography also states that he is the author of The Strategy of Denial (Yale University Press, 2021) and a co-founder of The Marathon Initiative.

R.O.K.-U.S. SCM Joint Communique Specifies 3.5% Defense Spending Goal and "South Korea's Leading Role"

The joint communique of the 57th R.O.K.-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), held in Seoul on November 4, 2025, was released on November 14. Minister Ahn Gyu-back outlined South Korea's plan to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP "as quickly as possible in accordance with ROK legal requirements," which Secretary Hegseth welcomed. Minister Ahn stated that South Korea would assume a leading role in the defense of the Korean Peninsula, a commitment welcomed and continuously supported by Secretary Hegseth. The communique also included the formulation of a roadmap to expedite meeting the conditions for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) and plans to pursue the Full Operational Capability (FOC) certification of the Future Combined Forces Command in 2026. The 58th SCM was agreed to be held in Washington during 2026.

Paragraph 13 of the communique assessed that both the R.O.K. and the U.S. made progress in cooperation with ASEAN member states. The communique cited expanding participation in multilateral exercises, expanding defense industrial cooperation, and expanding maritime security cooperation as shared tasks for both nations.

South Korea Does Not Appear in Speech or Announcement

There is no mention of South Korea or the Korean Peninsula in the October 24 speech or the October 25 announcement. The countries named as stakeholders in the speech are Gulf partners, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, while the October 25 advisory referred only to "across the region." Nowhere in the U.S. Department of War documents is there an explanation that these remarks were made with South Korea in mind.

Sources (KST)

• U.S. Department of War, "Remarks by Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby at the Dedication Ceremony for the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial in Washington, D.C. (As Delivered)," 2026-10-24: https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4633034/remarks-by-under-secretary-of-war-for-policy-elbridge-colby-at-the-dedication-c/
• U.S. Department of War Advisory, "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to Visit the Philippines and Participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus," 2026-10-25: https://www.war.gov/News/Advisories/Advisory/Article/4633052/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-to-visit-the-philippines-and-participate-in-the-a/
• U.S. Department of War, "Remarks by Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby at the Sejong Institute in South Korea (As Delivered)," 2026-01-26: https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4389207/remarks-by-under-secretary-of-war-for-policy-elbridge-colby-at-the-sejong-insti/
• U.S. Department of War, "Readout of Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby Visit to the Republic of Korea and Japan," 2026-02-04: https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4397166/readout-of-under-secretary-for-war-for-policy-elbridge-colby-visit-to-the-repub/
• U.S. Department of War, "2026 National Defense Strategy," 2026-01-23: https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/2003864773/-1/-1/0/2026-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY.PDF
• U.S. Department of War, "57th Security Consultative Meeting Joint Communique," 2025-11-14: https://media.defense.gov/2025/Nov/14/2003820640/-1/-1/1/57-SECURITY-CONSULTATIVE-MEETING-JOINT-COMMUNIQUE.PDF
• U.S. Department of War, Under Secretary Colby Official Biography (defense.gov)
• DVIDS (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command), Caption for Photo 9376665