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.
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.