By Priya Batchu.
The 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment (TIAD) originated at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, on November 7, 2025. The 65-soldier Unit reflects the Army’s aim to operate in the information and cognitive domains. The purpose of the 1st TIAD is to enable the U.S. Army Pacific Commander to gain and maintain a strategic advantage through information dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.
(Editor’s note: This article has been edited based on input from the PAO of 1st TIAD. In the orginal article support to SOF was overstated.)
The 1st TIAD is a theater-level Army formation that supports U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Army Pacific, other units of INDOPACOM, and foreign allies and partners. The 1st TIAD focuses on shaping conditions, reinforcing parternships, supporting access agreements, and countering malign influence befor a crisis escalates.
The detachment is based in Hawaii. The INDOPACOM AOR incorporates the Pacific Ocean and approximately half of the Indian Ocean. This AOR spans over 36 nations across Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania.
The 1st TIAD is built around five integrated teams: Joint Assessments and Integration, Intelligence, Human Dimension, Engagement, and Information Warfare. The unique structure of the detachment allows it to bring together seven critical specialties:
- Cyber
- Intelligence
- Psychological Operations
- Public Affairs
- Electronic Warfare
- Civil Affairs
- Informtion Operations
The 1st TIAD’s design reflects lessons drawn the experiences of special operations and irregular warfare. The detachment is borrowing from lessons learned in the SOF community. Irregular warfare and information maneuver must integrated across all phases of competition. [1]
The Army is establishing three TIAD units. TIAD milestones within the year have reached across the globe. The 2nd TIAD, supporting U.S. Army Cyber Command, activated in October 2025. The 3rd TIAD is expected to activate at U.S. Army Europe and Africa in the fall of 2026, covering Africa and Europe. The main focus of 3rd TIAD will be countering Russia’s cyberattacks, political pressure, and propaganda, supporting NATO where information warfare is a reality.
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Author: Priya Batchu is an M.A. Candidate at New York University’s Business and Economic Reporting Program.
Image: Lt. Col. Joshua Simms, executive officer for the 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment, stands before the unit at the beginning of the activation ceremony November 7, 2025, at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The activation ceremony of 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment marks a strategic shift in the Army’s ability to gain and maintain information advantage to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army Photo by Russell K. Dodson)
Footnotes:
[1] See article below about the SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium.
References:
“1st TIAD Takes on Gray Zone Warfare at SOF and Irregular Warfare Symposium“, by Capt. Avery Smith, DVIDS, December 15, 2025. Col. Sean Heidgerken, commander of the newly activated 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment, and Dr. Golfo Alexopoulos, professor and director of the University of South Florida’s Institute for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies discussed the role of information in irregular warfare at the 14th annual SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium held in December.
“Army’s Information Vanguard: 1st TIAD Activation Signals Strategic Shift”, DVIDS, November 17, 2025. On November 7, 2025, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) hosted the activation ceremony of the 1st Theater Information Advantage Detachment (TIAD) at the historic Palm Circle, Fort Shafter. This event marked a significant milestone in the Army’s evolution toward information-age warfare, as the 1st TIAD became the first of three regionally aligned detachments designed to operate in the information environment.
“TIAD Activation Marks New Chapter for ARCYBER”, DVIDS, October 6, 2025. U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) activated the second Theater Information Advantage Detachment (TIAD) during a ceremony held at the Cyber Conference and Catering Center at Fort Gordon Friday, October 3, 2025