On 17 March, the U.S. government appointed him as Supreme Allied Commander South West Pacific Area, a command which included Australia and New Guinea in addition to Japanese-held areas.
Pada tanggal 17 Maret, pemerintah AS mengangkatnya sebagai Komandan Sekutu Tertinggi di Daerah Pasifik Barat Daya, komando yang memasukkan Australia dan Nugini di samping daerah yang dipegang Jepang.