Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost takes command of U.S. forces in Japan

Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Calling it the "cornerstone of regional peace," the new commander of the U.S. Forces in Japan Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost said he plans on building upon the historic U.S.-Japan alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.

Jost took over the position on Tuesday during a ceremony at Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, replacing Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp as the commander in charge of U.S. operations in the region, overseeing Army, Marine Corps and Navy personnel totaling 54,000.

Jost said after the ceremony that he will work to stand beside Japan and make sure the Indo-Pacific remains "open and free."

"I will work tirelessly to prove my words true despite the understandable complexities of the world that we live in and inevitable challenges that we will face," Jost said.

The announcement comes as the alliance prepares to have a joint headquarters with Japan's Self-Defense Forces Joint Operation command.

"The decision to reconstitute USFJ, to expand its mission and operational responsibility will be the most significant change to USFJ since its creation and one of the strongest improvements to the alliance's military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in 70 years," said Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at the leadership change ceremony.

Jost is a fighter pilot by training, with more than 2,700 flight hours in the F-16 and F-35A among others. He is a 1994 graduate of the Air Force Academy.