Obama Discusses National Security During Worldwide Troop Talk

By Amaani Lyle DoD News Features, Defense Media Activity

FORT MEADE, Md., September 11, 2015 — President Barack Obama addressed a variety of national security topics during his unprecedented live multimedia Worldwide Troop Talk here today.

The president’s broad discussion ranged from Russia’s effect on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the Middle East to the future of U.S. cyber efforts. It took place at the Defense Media Activity’s television studio.

“Here at Fort Meade, we do some of the most important work in helping to coordinate our efforts to make sure that we are bringing to bear all elements of American power against those who would try to do us home here in the homeland or overseas” he told the military audience gathered in the studio.

In addition to the troops with him in the studio on Fort Meade, Obama answered questions and addressed issues brought up by service members around the world, who spoke over teleconference lines or submitted them through social media channels.

‘An Incredible Job’

“We’ve done an incredible job in going after and systematically dismantling the core al-Qaida network that was operating primarily in the Fatah region between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the president explained in response to a question from a deployed service member about the situation in Syria.

Radical violent extremism, Obama said, has “metastasized” and spread to other areas. He noted that currently ISIL has settled in Syria as “ground zero” for violence, which he said calls for U.S. presence and air domination.

“We are pounding [ISIL] every single day,” Obama said. “Our airmen are doing extraordinary work with the support of all the other service branches, and we’re providing training, assistance and support to the Iraqi security forces on the ground, as they continue to push back ISIL from the territory that they have taken.”

Leverage Air Power

Obama explained that the United States’ strategy has consistently been to leverage air power to support the Iraqi security forces’ ground efforts and, where when possible, the efforts of opposition groups inside Syria to push back ISIL.

These push-back efforts, he said, include thwarting their financing, networks, supplies and infrastructure.

However, Obama lamented that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has brought such destruction upon his people and cities, and created sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni populations inside Syria, so the country has become “a magnet for jihadists throughout the region.”

Also, the president explained, if Assad remains in place, he will have alienated so much of the Syrian population that a peaceful ceasefire and political settlement will not be possible. “You’ll continue to have this vacuum that’s filled by extremists,” he said.

According to the president, the “good news” is that Russia and the United States share concerns about countering violent extremism and concur that ISIL remains a danger.

Converging Interests

“Despite our conflicts with Russia in areas like Ukraine, this is an area potentially of converging interests,” the president said. “The bad news is that Russia continues to believe that Assad, who is their traditional partner, is somebody … worthy of continuing support.”

The president recounted that Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored his advice in recent years to cease financial support and arms sales to Assad. “[Putin] did not take my warnings and as a consequence things have gotten worse,” he said.

As the situation in Syria deteriorated, Obama said the Syrian president has  invited Russian advisors and equipment in, but that won’t change the United States’ core strategy to continue pressure on Iraq and Syria.

“We are going to be engaging Russia to let them know that you can’t continue to double down on a strategy, if it’s doomed to fail,” the president said.

“If they’re willing to work with us and the 60-nation coalition that we put together, then there’s the possibility of a political settlement in which Assad would be transitioned out and a new coalition of moderate, secular and inclusive forces could come together to restore order in the country,” he said.

Persistent Threats

Still, the president acknowledged significant threats from terrorist organizations and ideologies persist in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and North Africa.

The military must also be prepared for traditional threats, from a new Pacific region, where historically the United States has underwritten the security and prosperity of a region that returned after World War II, and where the U.S. role continues as the cornerstone of NATO.

Ultimately, Obama stressed the need to work at every level to ensure service members have the strategy, resources, equipment, and training they need to succeed.

But, the president asserted, in this era those elements are not just a matter of “tanks and rifles.”

Cyber Adversaries

“Cyber security is opening a whole new era in which we have to watch out for our adversaries,” Obama said of the new theater for potential conflict.

Obama said he’s seen State and non-state actors have demonstrated an increasing sophistication of hacking and the ability to penetrate systems previously thought to be secure. “Offense is moving faster than defense,” he noted.

At least part of the problem, he said, lies in the original design of the internet. “It was not designed with the expectation that there’d end up being 3 or 4 or 5 billion people doing commercial transactions … they thought this would be an academic network to share papers and formulae.”

Although the United States continues to best understand cyber, the president acknowledged that other countries such as Russia, China and Iran have “caught up.”

Coordinated Response

As a result, Obama said the United States in recent years has developed a coordinated response, bringing together the military and other government agencies with the private sector to better strengthen defenses.

There is still work to be done, and the president anticipates the United States will need to do more and coordinate with other actors more effectively.

“We going to have to both strengthen overall networks, but we’re also going to have to train millions of individual actors, small businesses, big vendors, [and] individuals in terms of basic cyber hygiene and be much more rapid in responding to attacks,” he said.

“One of our first and most important efforts has to be to get the states that may be sponsoring cyberattacks to understand there comes a point at which we consider this a core national security threat, and will treat it as such.”

On a more personal note, looking down the road to a time when he will no longer be commander in chief -- his term concludes on Jan. 20, 2017 -- Obama said one of the things he will miss most will be working with service members, whom he described as “ambassadors who spread good will” at enormous sacrifice to themselves.

Obama: Nation Must ‘Never Forget’ Missing Service Members

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2012 – “As long as members of our Armed Forces remain unaccounted for, America will bring our fullest resources to bear in finding them and bringing them home. It is a promise we make not only to the families of our captured and our missing, but to all who have worn the uniform,” President Barack Obama said in his proclamation declaring today National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

The proclamation reads:

“For more than two centuries, Americans have bravely served our Nation as members of our Armed Forces. Many have made profound sacrifices to uphold the ideals we cherish, carrying wounds that may never fully heal and dark memories that will never fade. Today, we pay solemn tribute to service members who bore war's tragic costs as prisoners of war and those missing in action. We stand with the families who have known the lingering ache of a loved one's uncertain fate. And as a Nation, we reaffirm a most sacred obligation: that we must never forget the men and women who did not come home, and that we must never stop trying to return them to their families and the country they fought to protect.

“As long as members of our Armed Forces remain unaccounted for, America will bring our fullest resources to bear in finding them and bringing them home. It is a promise we make not only to the families of our captured and our missing, but to all who have worn the uniform. Our Nation continues to recover the remains of fallen heroes we lost in the Vietnam War, the Korean War, World War II, and other conflicts. And as these patriots are finally laid to rest, we pray their return brings closure and a measure of peace to those who knew and loved them. During this day of recognition, let us honor their sacrifice once more by expressing our deepest gratitude to our service members, our veterans, our military families, and all those who have given so much to keep our country safe.

“On September 21, 2012, the stark black and white banner symbolizing America's Missing in Action and Prisoners of War will be flown over the White House; the United States Capitol; the Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the Selective Service System Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; United States post offices; national cemeteries; and other locations across our country. We raise this flag as a solemn reminder of our obligation to always remember the sacrifices made to defend our Nation.

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 21, 2012, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I urge all Americans to observe this day of honor and remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Obama proclaims Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Week

American Forces Press Service

President Barack Obama said the employers of Guard members and reservists are taking care of those who serve in the nation's military by "hiring and retaining members of the Guard and Reserve, and by creating a culture of military support in the workplace," in his proclamation  declaring Sept. 16 through Sept. 22 as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.

"During the 236 years since our fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were first put to paper, ordinary citizens have always stood ready to defend them as members of the United States Armed Forces," the proclamation reads. "Today's service members represent the latest in the long line of heroes who have answered their country's call, and their exceptional service in a post-9/11 world has secured their place alongside the greatest generations. As essential components of our military, the National Guard and Reserve have helped carry that legacy forward. This week, we honor their service and sacrifice, give thanks to their employers, and reaffirm our commitment to giving our troops, our military families, and our veterans the opportunities and support they have earned.

"During National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week, let us pay tribute to the brave men and women who keep our Nation safe and celebrate their devoted employers, whose support is vital to the strength of our military."

Tim Flatley, executive director of the Wisconsin Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, spoke of the tremendous value the 140 Wisconsin volunteers bring to the organization.

"From our historical role as an educator to service members and employers in their rights and responsibilities under the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), on to today with our Employment Initiative, in each case the taxpayer is getting great value for the dollar invested to operate this program," Flatley said.

Ongoing USERRA education activities and a well-trained ombudsman corps ensure that only sound cases are referred to the U.S. Labor Department for investigation, he continued. As part of its education efforts, ESGR organizes visits that allow employers to see and understand both the training requirements and the valuable skills provided with military service.

Obama highlighted First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's "Joining Forces" initiative as well as the VOW to Hire Heroes Act as among efforts to put unemployed and underemployed veterans back in the workforce. In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker launched a similar initiative with the "Year of the Veteran ."

More than 4,800 ESGR volunteers nationwide leverage business and civic networks to connect employers seeking good workers with service members seeking good jobs, Flatley noted.

"Making the connection is the most significant role we can play," he said.

Obama: Lives Lost on 9/11 Ushered in Stronger Nation

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Eleven times, the nation has marked another Sept. 11 come and gone and paused in remembrance, reflection, unity and purpose, President Barack Obama said here today during a service at the Pentagon Memorial.

Joining the president on stage before a somber audience were Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Behind them, a large American flag hung from the top of the Pentagon, draping over the side of the building like the one firefighters and soldiers unfurled that morning in 2001 during rescue and recovery efforts after hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.

“This is never an easy day,” Obama said. “But it is especially difficult for all of you -- the families of nearly 3,000 innocents who lost their lives -- your mothers and fathers, your husbands and wives, your sons and your daughters. They were taken from us suddenly and far too soon.”

The president said no one can imagine the pain that surviving families and friends have endured or how difficult it has been for them to carry on and rebuild their lives.

“But no matter how many years pass, no matter how many times we come together on this hallowed ground, know this: that you will never be alone,” Obama said.

“Your loved ones will never be forgotten,” he added. “They will endure in the hearts of our nation because, through their sacrifice, they helped us make the America we are today -- an America that has emerged even stronger.”

The president noted that those who boarded the ill-fated airliners or went to work at the World Trade Center or the Pentagon on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, had no inkling of what was to come.

“Most of the Americans we lost that day had never considered the possibility that a small band of terrorists halfway around the world could do us such harm,” Obama told the Pentagon audience.

“Most had never heard the name al-Qaida,” he said, “and yet it's because of their sacrifice that we've come together and dealt a crippling blow to the organization that brought evil to our shores. Al-Qaida's leadership has been devastated, and Osama bin Laden will never threaten us again. Our country is safer, and our people are resilient.”

Most of those who died on Sept. 11 had never worn the nation’s uniform, the president said, but they inspired more than 5 million Americans to enlist in the military services and do everything their country has asked over the past decade.

“Today, the war in Iraq is over. In Afghanistan, we’re training Afghan security forces and forging a partnership with the Afghan people. And by the end of 2014, the longest war in our history will be over,” Obama said. “Meanwhile, countless civilians have opened their hearts to our troops, our military families and our veterans.”

In 2001, memorial services were held for Americans of different races and creeds, backgrounds and beliefs, Obama said. “And yet,” he added, “instead of turning us against each other, tragedy has brought us together.”

American’s fight is with al-Qaida and its affiliates, not with Islam or any other religion, the president said. “This country was built as a beacon of freedom and tolerance,” he continued. “That’s what's made us strong, now and forever.

On a day when others sought to bring the nation down, its citizens choose to build it up with a National Day of Service and Remembrance, the president said.

“This anniversary allows us to renew our faith that even the darkest night gives way to a brighter dawn,” he said. “Today we can come here to the Pentagon and touch these names and kneel beside a building where a single stone still bears the scars of that fire.”

In Pennsylvania, anyone can visit the field of honor where one of the hijacked airliners crashed on 9/11 and remember the heroes who made it sacred, he added. In New York, water cascades into the footprints of the Twin Towers, and a new tower rises above the New York skyline.

“Though we may never be able to fully lift the burden carried by those left behind, we know that somewhere a son is growing up with his father’s eyes, and a daughter has her mother’s laugh -- living reminders that those who died are with us still,” Obama said.

When the history books are written, the president said, “the true legacy of 9/11 will not be one of fear or hate or division. It will be a safer world, a stronger nation, and a people more united than ever before.”

Earlier, on a cool morning that was much like the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the president and First Lady Michelle Obama began the day with a simple ceremony of their own at the White House. Soon after 8:30 a.m., hundreds of White House staff gathered on the South Lawn in the shade of the portico and in patches of sun. Most stood with hands crossed in front of them, speaking in whispers.

At 8:45 a.m., two Marines appeared before the door beneath the portico leading onto the South Lawn. Another pair of Marines presented the colors -- one holding the flag, the other a trumpet.

At 8:46 am, about the time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, a full Marine color guard emerged from the doors, taking up a place on each side of an aisle left for the president and first lady.

The couple walked slowly down the grassy strip and stood with heads bowed as the Marine trumpeter began playing taps, then held hands as they walked back into the White House.