Guest speakers included retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Larry Nicholson, former commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan who now serves as a distinguished senior fellow for Sasakawa USA and sits on boards of several veteran-related nonprofits; retired Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Adm. Ryo Sakai, a former surface warfare officer and JMSDF chief of staff; and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Col. Satoshi Masaka, a career infantry officer who currently serves as military attach\u00e9 for the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, director of JUMP and president and chairman of Sasakawa USA, served as moderator.<\/p>\n
Topics of discussion included the strong alliance between Japan and the United States and the hard work involved to build trust after WWII; other partners and ally countries in the Pacific like Australia, The Philippines, and South Korea; the security and safety of Japan; emerging security threats in the Indo-Pacific; long-term sustainable deployment in the Indo-Pacific; the safety and security of Taiwan; artificial intelligence; undersea military operations; what the future holds for VMI cadets; and the importance of building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with peers from different nations. \u00a0![\"Adm.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JUMPFeb32026HLM025-450x300.jpg\")
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Past JUMP events have been held at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps University, and Naval Station Norfolk, but this is the first time the event has been held at VMI. Over 50 cadets attended the dinner and panel discussion including J. Paul Sporleder \u201927, the cadet in charge of the Adams Center, a history major with a military history concentration, who plans to commission in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. He stated the event was a wonderful experience. \u201cI got to spend time showing the JUMP delegation around post, discussing international affairs, and learning from their experiences and different perspectives about the situation in East Asia.<\/p>\n