ɪn ˈɜːli nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi tˈuː, hiː wʌz ɐpˈɔɪntᵻd dˈɛpjuːɾi kəmˈændɚ ænd tʃˈiːf ʌv stˈæf ʌv lˈænd fˈoːɹsᵻz ɪnðɪ ɐmˈɛɹɪkənbɹˈɪɾɪʃdˈʌtʃɔːstɹˈeɪliən kəmˈænd ˈæbdɐkˌɑːm, ɐ ʃˈɔːɹtlˈɪvd, suːpɹˈiːm kəmˈænd fɔːɹ ˈælaɪd fˈoːɹsᵻz ɪn sˈaʊθiːst ˈeɪʒə ænd ðə saʊθwˈɛst pɐsˈɪfɪk.
In early 1942, he was appointed deputy commander (and chief of staff) of land forces in the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), a short-lived, supreme command for Allied forces in Southeast Asia and the southwest Pacific.