Combined Chiefs of Staff issued a directive designating the Pacific theater an area of American strategic responsibility.

All land forces in Alaska and Canada remained under the control of the U.S. Army's Western Defense Command.

[6] During the 1942 Aleutian Islands campaign Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald commanded Task Force 8 afloat.

Task Force 8 consisted of five cruisers, thirteen destroyers, three tankers, six submarines, as well as naval aviation elements of Fleet Air Wing Four.

On 10 March 1944, the Department of War approved the activation of an additional AAF headquarters for the Pacific Ocean Areas.

Activation of Headquarters, Army Air Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas (AAFPOA) at Hickam Field followed on 1 August 1944.

The Seventh Air Force, formerly the senior command, was made "mobile and tactichi" on 15 August by the reassignment of 112 units of various types to AAFPOA.

In preparation for the support of VHB units, the Hawaiian Air Depot was expanded and assigned directly to AAFPOA.