By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The United States supports the concept of the NATO Response Force but needs NATO allies to do their part so the force can live up to its intended purpose, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told European military leaders here today. "To be fully successful, it will require full allied political support, both in terms of pledges to the force and with regards to how it is used," Gates told officers attending the 15th Conference of European Armies.
Depending on progress in these areas and in other allied contributions, the U.S. is willing to do its share," Gates told participants at the conference, sponsored by U.S. Army Europe.
Gates traveled here directly from the NATO informal ministerial conference in Noordwijk, Netherlands, where defense ministers discussed the future of the NATO Response Force, established in 2002.
The group agreed to scale it back its ambitions to create a 25,000-member force in light of the alliance's other responsibilities, particularly peacekeeping missions.
"Ministers agreed to take forward the discussion on what we call the graduated approach," NATO spokesman James Appathurai said at the ministerial conference.
The future of the NRF had been in question because NATO members had been withdrawing pledges to contribute troops or equipment they said were needed for other operations.
NATO declared the NRF fully operational at its 2006 summit in Riga, Latvia. Since then, the alliance has reaffirmed the force's twin roles: to catalyze transformation and be prepared to respond to new crises and unforeseen needs in ongoing operations.
Gates has expressed concerns that the NRF wasn't living up to its intended purpose and hoped to make it "more usable," a senior defense official traveling with the secretary told reporters on background.
Gates specifically had hoped the NRF could play a bigger role in Afghanistan.
"There's no point in keeping it on the shelf, given the operational tempo," the official said before leaving Washington for the trip here.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
More Soldiers, New Firearms, Better Procedures, Make Iraqi Army Stronger
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - Vast improvements to Iraq's national army are leading to a force that will eventually stand on its own, a coalition commander said today. "They're increasing their capabilities to be able to do that every day," Army Brig. Gen. Robin Swan told online journalists and bloggers during a conference call from Baghdad. Swan heads up the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team with Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.
"From my foxhole, from a training, from an equipment standpoint, from an operational standpoint, the way that they're fighting today, the way that they're standing firm in their ground, really conducting some sophisticated operations throughout the country, most notably, certainly out in al Anbar province, but also up in Ninevah and here in Baghdad as well, so a lot of great improvement on that line," he said.
Although the army's logistics system is in its infancy, the general explained, parts of the system are improving.
"From the standpoint of unit-level logistics, they're getting better," Swan said.
Setting up bases where Iraqi soldiers can pick up supplies or even overhaul vehicles, as they can only at Taji national depot now, will take as long as 18 months to accomplish, the general said. That is why coalition experts are embedded with Iraqi soldiers to help determine solutions that make sense to Iraqis, he said.
"We have really very robust logistics-expert teams that are in every support unit ... trying to assist in establishing what the right logistics policies and procedures are," Swan explained. "That effort is beginning to pay some very good dividends."
For example, cumbersome and strict procedures had been in place to circumvent corruption and to keep dangerous items out of the wrong hands, the general explained. "Every ammunition requisition up till now has had to come all the way back from Baghdad, get 29 or 30 signatures, and then get issued back out," Swan said.
Now, new procedures are in place to allow trusted Iraqi commanders on the ground to directly authorize the release of ammunition, even via telephone, without compromising security, the general said.
Another significant development, the general explained, is the wide distribution of M-16 rifles to Iraqi soldiers, replacing antiquated AK-47s.
"They believe that it is a new, improved weapons system. They see coalition forces using it to great effect, and they take it as a mark of moving forward," Swan said. "It is, in my view, a badge of national pride for them to get the M-16."
New recruits to the Iraqi army continue to volunteer every day, the general said. Each is fully vetted, and those chosen are prepared to deploy with one of 13 divisions of the army that will patrol throughout the country by next year, Swan explained. Getting recently commissioned and noncommissioned officers into Iraqi formations as they are ready and continuing to mentor them is helping move the national army toward self-sufficiency, the general explained.
"Increasing capabilities of the tactical competence of soldiers, leaders and units, partnering, certainly with our formations and being able to continue that and to have access to coalition enablers is an important part of what they're doing," Swan said.
(David Mays works in new media at American Forces Information Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - Vast improvements to Iraq's national army are leading to a force that will eventually stand on its own, a coalition commander said today. "They're increasing their capabilities to be able to do that every day," Army Brig. Gen. Robin Swan told online journalists and bloggers during a conference call from Baghdad. Swan heads up the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team with Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.
"From my foxhole, from a training, from an equipment standpoint, from an operational standpoint, the way that they're fighting today, the way that they're standing firm in their ground, really conducting some sophisticated operations throughout the country, most notably, certainly out in al Anbar province, but also up in Ninevah and here in Baghdad as well, so a lot of great improvement on that line," he said.
Although the army's logistics system is in its infancy, the general explained, parts of the system are improving.
"From the standpoint of unit-level logistics, they're getting better," Swan said.
Setting up bases where Iraqi soldiers can pick up supplies or even overhaul vehicles, as they can only at Taji national depot now, will take as long as 18 months to accomplish, the general said. That is why coalition experts are embedded with Iraqi soldiers to help determine solutions that make sense to Iraqis, he said.
"We have really very robust logistics-expert teams that are in every support unit ... trying to assist in establishing what the right logistics policies and procedures are," Swan explained. "That effort is beginning to pay some very good dividends."
For example, cumbersome and strict procedures had been in place to circumvent corruption and to keep dangerous items out of the wrong hands, the general explained. "Every ammunition requisition up till now has had to come all the way back from Baghdad, get 29 or 30 signatures, and then get issued back out," Swan said.
Now, new procedures are in place to allow trusted Iraqi commanders on the ground to directly authorize the release of ammunition, even via telephone, without compromising security, the general said.
Another significant development, the general explained, is the wide distribution of M-16 rifles to Iraqi soldiers, replacing antiquated AK-47s.
"They believe that it is a new, improved weapons system. They see coalition forces using it to great effect, and they take it as a mark of moving forward," Swan said. "It is, in my view, a badge of national pride for them to get the M-16."
New recruits to the Iraqi army continue to volunteer every day, the general said. Each is fully vetted, and those chosen are prepared to deploy with one of 13 divisions of the army that will patrol throughout the country by next year, Swan explained. Getting recently commissioned and noncommissioned officers into Iraqi formations as they are ready and continuing to mentor them is helping move the national army toward self-sufficiency, the general explained.
"Increasing capabilities of the tactical competence of soldiers, leaders and units, partnering, certainly with our formations and being able to continue that and to have access to coalition enablers is an important part of what they're doing," Swan said.
(David Mays works in new media at American Forces Information Service.)
Santa Ana Winds Subside; Officials Expect to Make Fire Progress
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The Santa Ana winds in Southern California are subsiding, allowing firefighters – both military and civilian – to make progress against wildfires that are rampaging through the area, California National Guard officials said. C-130 airplanes equipped with modular air firefighting systems have flown five sorties and dropped almost 84,000 gallons of fire retardant since California officials activated them yesterday, National Guard Bureau officials said. The aircraft hit the Poomacha fire, northeast of San Diego.
California officials said 18 wildfires have burned 459,877 acres. Three fires burning on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have consumed 6,200 acres. The base is not being evacuated, but officials have relocated 6,100 personnel and family members to less-threatened places on the base, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "There are currently 600 other (Defense Department)-affiliated people being given shelter at Camp Pendleton," he said. "These are the people out in the community that are having their homes threatened or have lost their homes."
Three Navy bases -- Naval Base San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and Naval Air Station El Centro -- are billeting 2,670 Defense Department evacuees, according to a U.S. Northern Command release. All Defense Department components in the area are being tasked to account for all personnel as part of the declaration of Southern California as a federal disaster area.
There are 214 active duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians and 2,492 National Guardsmen engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Whitman said. In addition, the Defense Department is providing 18 fire engines, and about 17,000 California National Guardsmen are available for duty.
Eighteen military helicopters from the California Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force are participating in the firefight, and 14 fixed-wing aircraft, including the C-130s, also are involved.
Air Force U-2 surveillance planes flew some imagery missions in support of the firefighting effort. "Later today, it is expected that we may have a Global Hawk mission that may provide some imagery," Whitman said. The Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle that can loiter over areas for long periods of time and broadcast real-time imagery to ground systems.
"Our missions are flown in support of state missions," Whitman said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The Santa Ana winds in Southern California are subsiding, allowing firefighters – both military and civilian – to make progress against wildfires that are rampaging through the area, California National Guard officials said. C-130 airplanes equipped with modular air firefighting systems have flown five sorties and dropped almost 84,000 gallons of fire retardant since California officials activated them yesterday, National Guard Bureau officials said. The aircraft hit the Poomacha fire, northeast of San Diego.
California officials said 18 wildfires have burned 459,877 acres. Three fires burning on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have consumed 6,200 acres. The base is not being evacuated, but officials have relocated 6,100 personnel and family members to less-threatened places on the base, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "There are currently 600 other (Defense Department)-affiliated people being given shelter at Camp Pendleton," he said. "These are the people out in the community that are having their homes threatened or have lost their homes."
Three Navy bases -- Naval Base San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and Naval Air Station El Centro -- are billeting 2,670 Defense Department evacuees, according to a U.S. Northern Command release. All Defense Department components in the area are being tasked to account for all personnel as part of the declaration of Southern California as a federal disaster area.
There are 214 active duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians and 2,492 National Guardsmen engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Whitman said. In addition, the Defense Department is providing 18 fire engines, and about 17,000 California National Guardsmen are available for duty.
Eighteen military helicopters from the California Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force are participating in the firefight, and 14 fixed-wing aircraft, including the C-130s, also are involved.
Air Force U-2 surveillance planes flew some imagery missions in support of the firefighting effort. "Later today, it is expected that we may have a Global Hawk mission that may provide some imagery," Whitman said. The Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle that can loiter over areas for long periods of time and broadcast real-time imagery to ground systems.
"Our missions are flown in support of state missions," Whitman said.
Vice Chairman Receives Executive of Year Award
By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff received the Department of Defense Executive of the Year Award at the Government Computer News Awards Gala at the Washington Hilton hotel yesterday. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright received the award for his time as commander of U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
The Government Computer News awards, selected by the magazine's editorial team, recognize technology excellence in government by individuals who have shown innovation, dedication and excellence over the past year.
Sun Microsystems' Jim Clifton, who introduced the general, said Cartwright was a leader in technology for warfighters.
In accepting the award, the vice chairman said he had the opportunity to do so on behalf of the millions of active, Guard and reserve servicemembers and civilians who serve the nation. He also said servicemembers today deserve the same support as those from a past generation.
"I grew up like many of you with parents and grandparents that were part of the 'greatest generation," he said. "I am honored to look into the eyes and the souls of people that walk the streets of places like Fallujah and Ramadi (in Iraq); on aircraft carriers where the average age struggles to be 22; with companies on fire patrols that struggle to make the average age of 20. Think about who your children are. We owe to them -- those who are willing to serve, to fight and to die for us -- the opportunity to make sure that they can be the next 'greatest generation.'"
(Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff received the Department of Defense Executive of the Year Award at the Government Computer News Awards Gala at the Washington Hilton hotel yesterday. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright received the award for his time as commander of U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
The Government Computer News awards, selected by the magazine's editorial team, recognize technology excellence in government by individuals who have shown innovation, dedication and excellence over the past year.
Sun Microsystems' Jim Clifton, who introduced the general, said Cartwright was a leader in technology for warfighters.
In accepting the award, the vice chairman said he had the opportunity to do so on behalf of the millions of active, Guard and reserve servicemembers and civilians who serve the nation. He also said servicemembers today deserve the same support as those from a past generation.
"I grew up like many of you with parents and grandparents that were part of the 'greatest generation," he said. "I am honored to look into the eyes and the souls of people that walk the streets of places like Fallujah and Ramadi (in Iraq); on aircraft carriers where the average age struggles to be 22; with companies on fire patrols that struggle to make the average age of 20. Think about who your children are. We owe to them -- those who are willing to serve, to fight and to die for us -- the opportunity to make sure that they can be the next 'greatest generation.'"
(Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs Office.)
Chairman Supports All-Volunteer Force
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The all-volunteer force has made the nation's defense the strongest it's ever been, the U.S. military's top officer said this week, adding that he would not want to return to a Vietnam-era military by implementing a draft. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen made these comments in response to questions from Army officers about why the Defense Department will not support a draft to relieve forces stretched thin by repeated deployments in the war on terror. Mullen fielded the questions in "town hall" sessions with soldiers as he visited three Army installations this week.
Mullen, who was commissioned in 1968, said he saw first-hand the effects the draft had on the force as it wound down from the war in Vietnam. "I watched the military break apart. ... To the best of my ability, I'm never going to let that happen," he said. "You can read about it, but I was there, so I know; I understand the quality that we had back then."
Mullen said his comments were not intended as criticism of anyone who served then, but that the overall quality of the military is much higher now. "The quality, the professional level of our armed services right now, every single branch ... is so exceptionally high, and it's that which I believe we have to preserve," he said.
The admiral said the U.S. military now serves as a model that other nations look to as an example of how to train, fight, equip and develop a force. He said the fact that troops chose to serve is the foundation for that quality.
"The bedrock principle of this country is young people who raise their right hand and swear to support and defend the constitution of the United States," Mullen said.
During the town hall meetings, the admiral acknowledged the stress frequent deployments have had on the force, particularly the Army. But, he said, that may be fixed by a combination of growing the force and retooling the role of the National Guard and reserves as part of the total force. At the same time, he conceded, recruiters are facing leaner years to come even though they met their goals this year.
"The propensity for service is going down. Decision makers, who are dominated by parents and family and coaches and teachers, ... are not as supportive of the military service as they were a few years ago," Mullen said.
Also, the pool of eligible candidates is getting smaller, and there is more competition for recruits, he said. This has led to the Army allowing more soldiers to join this year with waivers for minor criminal offenses on their records.
Mullen heard complaints from officers that the increase in waivers from the Army has turned into more discipline problems for commanders. However, in another meeting with two Army lawyers during the visit, the chairman said the Army has yet to see any actual data that the waivers are leading to more discipline problems.
"I don't know if it's too soon or not. This is not an issue that is constant," he said. Mullen said it may just be too soon to actually quantify the problem with hard data, and that leaders need to monitor the issue.
When asked about the reserves' increasing role and future, the chairman said officials will have to determine an optimal mix of operational forces, with shorter call-up times and regularly scheduled deployments, and true strategic reserves.
"On the Army side, there is a tremendous (future) commitment to top-of-the-line equipment going to the Guard," Mullen said. "The dependency that we have on the Guard and Reserve in the fight that we have right now, we're going to continue to have that."
Managing all of these issues in a time of "great change" in the military and during a concurrent war is a challenge, the admiral said.
"Preserving this, making sure that we don't break our military, is a huge priority for me, and I've said, 'It's not broken, but its breaking,'" Mullen said. "So that's why this whole issue of reliving stress on the force is so important."
"This is the best military I think this nation has ever had. I'm old enough to remember when we were a draft force, ... and I am not anxious to return to that. The exceptional, professional military we have right now I wouldn't trade for anything. The stress is an issue, and it is one of great concern for me," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The all-volunteer force has made the nation's defense the strongest it's ever been, the U.S. military's top officer said this week, adding that he would not want to return to a Vietnam-era military by implementing a draft. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen made these comments in response to questions from Army officers about why the Defense Department will not support a draft to relieve forces stretched thin by repeated deployments in the war on terror. Mullen fielded the questions in "town hall" sessions with soldiers as he visited three Army installations this week.
Mullen, who was commissioned in 1968, said he saw first-hand the effects the draft had on the force as it wound down from the war in Vietnam. "I watched the military break apart. ... To the best of my ability, I'm never going to let that happen," he said. "You can read about it, but I was there, so I know; I understand the quality that we had back then."
Mullen said his comments were not intended as criticism of anyone who served then, but that the overall quality of the military is much higher now. "The quality, the professional level of our armed services right now, every single branch ... is so exceptionally high, and it's that which I believe we have to preserve," he said.
The admiral said the U.S. military now serves as a model that other nations look to as an example of how to train, fight, equip and develop a force. He said the fact that troops chose to serve is the foundation for that quality.
"The bedrock principle of this country is young people who raise their right hand and swear to support and defend the constitution of the United States," Mullen said.
During the town hall meetings, the admiral acknowledged the stress frequent deployments have had on the force, particularly the Army. But, he said, that may be fixed by a combination of growing the force and retooling the role of the National Guard and reserves as part of the total force. At the same time, he conceded, recruiters are facing leaner years to come even though they met their goals this year.
"The propensity for service is going down. Decision makers, who are dominated by parents and family and coaches and teachers, ... are not as supportive of the military service as they were a few years ago," Mullen said.
Also, the pool of eligible candidates is getting smaller, and there is more competition for recruits, he said. This has led to the Army allowing more soldiers to join this year with waivers for minor criminal offenses on their records.
Mullen heard complaints from officers that the increase in waivers from the Army has turned into more discipline problems for commanders. However, in another meeting with two Army lawyers during the visit, the chairman said the Army has yet to see any actual data that the waivers are leading to more discipline problems.
"I don't know if it's too soon or not. This is not an issue that is constant," he said. Mullen said it may just be too soon to actually quantify the problem with hard data, and that leaders need to monitor the issue.
When asked about the reserves' increasing role and future, the chairman said officials will have to determine an optimal mix of operational forces, with shorter call-up times and regularly scheduled deployments, and true strategic reserves.
"On the Army side, there is a tremendous (future) commitment to top-of-the-line equipment going to the Guard," Mullen said. "The dependency that we have on the Guard and Reserve in the fight that we have right now, we're going to continue to have that."
Managing all of these issues in a time of "great change" in the military and during a concurrent war is a challenge, the admiral said.
"Preserving this, making sure that we don't break our military, is a huge priority for me, and I've said, 'It's not broken, but its breaking,'" Mullen said. "So that's why this whole issue of reliving stress on the force is so important."
"This is the best military I think this nation has ever had. I'm old enough to remember when we were a draft force, ... and I am not anxious to return to that. The exceptional, professional military we have right now I wouldn't trade for anything. The stress is an issue, and it is one of great concern for me," he said.
Gates: NATO Must Increase Assets, Cut Caveats in Afghanistan
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M Gates urged European military leaders meeting here today to step up their countries' contributions in Afghanistan and eliminate restrictions on their forces that threaten the mission's success. The NATO alliance has made huge contributions leading the International Security Assistance Force, Gates told officers attending the 15th Conference of European Armies. U.S. Army Europe sponsors the annual ground-forces conference.
He noted that NATO leads 25 provincial reconstruction teams that are helping the Afghans build infrastructure, while some allies are conducting decisive military actions that are thwarting Taliban efforts. Meanwhile, Gates said, NATO is helping to build Afghan security forces. The Afghan army is now 47,000 members strong and represents every major Afghan ethnic group.
However, Gates expressed concern that, without more mentoring and liaison teams and other resources, momentum won't continue. "Our progress in Afghanistan is real, but it is fragile," he told the officers.
The secretary repeated the message he delivered yesterday to NATO ministers during their conference in Noordwijk, Netherlands: NATO needs to commit more resources to ensure the mission succeeds.
"At this time, many allies are unwilling to share the risks, commit the resources and follow through on collective commitments to this mission and to each other," he said. "As a result, we risk allowing what has been achieved in Afghanistan to slip away."
Another big problem is caveats, restrictions imposed by individual countries on how their forces can be used within NATO. Gates said this problem is "symptomatic of a deeper challenge facing NATO."
He compared the problem to a chess game in which one player enjoys full liberty of motion and another can move only a single space in a single direction. "One player is clearly handicapped," he said. "Similarly, restrictions placed on what a given nation's forces can do and where they can go put this alliance at a sizable disadvantage."
Gates said he recognizes countries' need for political oversight of their deployed ground forces and that each NATO country has a different political and economic landscape.
"While there will be nuances particular to each country's rules of engagement, the 'strings' attached to one nation's forces unfairly burden others and have done real harm in Afghanistan," he said.
Gates urged conference participants to get their governments to take another look at these restrictions. "As you know, better than most people, brothers in arms achieve victory only when all march in step toward the sound of the guns," he said.
"To that end," he said, "I'm asking for your help to make caveats in NATO operations, wherever they are, as benign as possible -- and better yet, to convince your national leaders to lift restrictions on field commanders that impede their ability to succeed in critical missions."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M Gates urged European military leaders meeting here today to step up their countries' contributions in Afghanistan and eliminate restrictions on their forces that threaten the mission's success. The NATO alliance has made huge contributions leading the International Security Assistance Force, Gates told officers attending the 15th Conference of European Armies. U.S. Army Europe sponsors the annual ground-forces conference.
He noted that NATO leads 25 provincial reconstruction teams that are helping the Afghans build infrastructure, while some allies are conducting decisive military actions that are thwarting Taliban efforts. Meanwhile, Gates said, NATO is helping to build Afghan security forces. The Afghan army is now 47,000 members strong and represents every major Afghan ethnic group.
However, Gates expressed concern that, without more mentoring and liaison teams and other resources, momentum won't continue. "Our progress in Afghanistan is real, but it is fragile," he told the officers.
The secretary repeated the message he delivered yesterday to NATO ministers during their conference in Noordwijk, Netherlands: NATO needs to commit more resources to ensure the mission succeeds.
"At this time, many allies are unwilling to share the risks, commit the resources and follow through on collective commitments to this mission and to each other," he said. "As a result, we risk allowing what has been achieved in Afghanistan to slip away."
Another big problem is caveats, restrictions imposed by individual countries on how their forces can be used within NATO. Gates said this problem is "symptomatic of a deeper challenge facing NATO."
He compared the problem to a chess game in which one player enjoys full liberty of motion and another can move only a single space in a single direction. "One player is clearly handicapped," he said. "Similarly, restrictions placed on what a given nation's forces can do and where they can go put this alliance at a sizable disadvantage."
Gates said he recognizes countries' need for political oversight of their deployed ground forces and that each NATO country has a different political and economic landscape.
"While there will be nuances particular to each country's rules of engagement, the 'strings' attached to one nation's forces unfairly burden others and have done real harm in Afghanistan," he said.
Gates urged conference participants to get their governments to take another look at these restrictions. "As you know, better than most people, brothers in arms achieve victory only when all march in step toward the sound of the guns," he said.
"To that end," he said, "I'm asking for your help to make caveats in NATO operations, wherever they are, as benign as possible -- and better yet, to convince your national leaders to lift restrictions on field commanders that impede their ability to succeed in critical missions."
Bush: Military Assets Available for Fire Aid
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - President Bush pledged today that military assets will continue to be available to state and local authorities fighting wildfires in Southern California. Bush visited areas affected by the fires, bringing with him officials from the federal government, including Army Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command. "The reason he's here, governor, is to listen to you, find out what assets we can continue to deploy to help you," Bush said to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about Renuart.
Bush noted that National Guard personnel already are providing very important assistance to authorities battling the 18 wildfires that have burned almost 460,000 acres in counties across Southern California. "The Department of Defense is in this to help you, through NORTHCOM," Bush said. "The military's got assets that we can help you with."
Bush thanked first responders and volunteers who have stepped forward to help citizens displaced by the fires. He emphasized that federal resources will continue to be available, and that he and the officials with him were in California "to assess the needs, to listen to the concerns, and to respond."
There are 214 active-duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians, and 2,492 National Guardsmen engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. In addition, the Defense Department is providing 18 fire engines, and about 17,000 California National Guardsmen are available for duty.
Eighteen military helicopters from the California Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force are participating in the firefight, and 14 fixed-wing aircraft, including C-130 airplanes equipped with modular air firefighting systems, also are involved.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - President Bush pledged today that military assets will continue to be available to state and local authorities fighting wildfires in Southern California. Bush visited areas affected by the fires, bringing with him officials from the federal government, including Army Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command. "The reason he's here, governor, is to listen to you, find out what assets we can continue to deploy to help you," Bush said to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about Renuart.
Bush noted that National Guard personnel already are providing very important assistance to authorities battling the 18 wildfires that have burned almost 460,000 acres in counties across Southern California. "The Department of Defense is in this to help you, through NORTHCOM," Bush said. "The military's got assets that we can help you with."
Bush thanked first responders and volunteers who have stepped forward to help citizens displaced by the fires. He emphasized that federal resources will continue to be available, and that he and the officials with him were in California "to assess the needs, to listen to the concerns, and to respond."
There are 214 active-duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians, and 2,492 National Guardsmen engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. In addition, the Defense Department is providing 18 fire engines, and about 17,000 California National Guardsmen are available for duty.
Eighteen military helicopters from the California Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force are participating in the firefight, and 14 fixed-wing aircraft, including C-130 airplanes equipped with modular air firefighting systems, also are involved.
Gates Calls U.S. Offers to Russia on Missile Defense Enough
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The United States has given Russia sufficient concessions regarding a proposed missile defense system in Eastern Europe and supports diplomatic and economic measures to rein in the Iranian missile threat, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. "I think we've gone pretty far," Gates said of measures he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered during their recent trip to Moscow to reduce Russian opposition to the missile system and reassure the Russians it wouldn't threaten them.
"I think that if you look at the four or five principal proposals we've put forward, they represent a very forward-leaning posture in terms of partnering with the Russians," Gates said.
He offered his assessment during a return flight to Washington following a five-day swing through Europe that included meetings with Czech and Polish leaders. The proposed missile defense system would include an X-band radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland.
The secretary also met today with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov during a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the NATO informal ministerial in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
Gates told reporters in the Czech Republic that he and Rice had suggested to the Russians ways to "encourage transparency and greater information on the part of Russia as to what is going on at these sites."
One would be to allow Russian observers. Another might be to build the system but delay its deployment until the United States provided "concrete proof of the threat from Iran."
Although the Russians have yet to respond formally, statements issued by the Russian news agency indicate the suggestions are getting a "nyet."
Gates told reporters today the big question is "whether the Russians are serious about partnering with us or whether this is merely a pose to try and stop us from going forward with the Czech Republic and Poland."
He said positive reaction he's gotten from European officials about the proposals he and Rice presented indicates "just how far-reaching they really are."
"I think we've leaned about as far forward as we can. We've offered a lot," Gates said. "And my view is, now I want to see some movement on their part."
Although the United States and Russia disagree over plans to build missile defenses, they share a recognition of the Iranian missile threat it will protect against, Gate said. "It was clear when I was in Russia that the Russians consider Iran a security threat," Gates said. "It's just a disagreement about when their missiles might be available to have a certain range."
While asserting that the United States will follow through with its plans to build defenses with or without Russian consent, Gates said the U.S. would prefer to head off the situation by using political pressure and economic sanctions to get Iran to give up its nuclear program.
"The focus that we all have is on using diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions to persuade the Iranian government that they are isolated (and) they need to alter their policies and ambitions," he said.
Gates expressed hope that "tightening the pressure and increasing the isolation of this government in Tehran" will convince the broad range of Iranian leaders that "it's not in their interest or the interest of the Iranian people to continue to pursue the course they are on."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - The United States has given Russia sufficient concessions regarding a proposed missile defense system in Eastern Europe and supports diplomatic and economic measures to rein in the Iranian missile threat, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. "I think we've gone pretty far," Gates said of measures he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered during their recent trip to Moscow to reduce Russian opposition to the missile system and reassure the Russians it wouldn't threaten them.
"I think that if you look at the four or five principal proposals we've put forward, they represent a very forward-leaning posture in terms of partnering with the Russians," Gates said.
He offered his assessment during a return flight to Washington following a five-day swing through Europe that included meetings with Czech and Polish leaders. The proposed missile defense system would include an X-band radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland.
The secretary also met today with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov during a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the NATO informal ministerial in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
Gates told reporters in the Czech Republic that he and Rice had suggested to the Russians ways to "encourage transparency and greater information on the part of Russia as to what is going on at these sites."
One would be to allow Russian observers. Another might be to build the system but delay its deployment until the United States provided "concrete proof of the threat from Iran."
Although the Russians have yet to respond formally, statements issued by the Russian news agency indicate the suggestions are getting a "nyet."
Gates told reporters today the big question is "whether the Russians are serious about partnering with us or whether this is merely a pose to try and stop us from going forward with the Czech Republic and Poland."
He said positive reaction he's gotten from European officials about the proposals he and Rice presented indicates "just how far-reaching they really are."
"I think we've leaned about as far forward as we can. We've offered a lot," Gates said. "And my view is, now I want to see some movement on their part."
Although the United States and Russia disagree over plans to build missile defenses, they share a recognition of the Iranian missile threat it will protect against, Gate said. "It was clear when I was in Russia that the Russians consider Iran a security threat," Gates said. "It's just a disagreement about when their missiles might be available to have a certain range."
While asserting that the United States will follow through with its plans to build defenses with or without Russian consent, Gates said the U.S. would prefer to head off the situation by using political pressure and economic sanctions to get Iran to give up its nuclear program.
"The focus that we all have is on using diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions to persuade the Iranian government that they are isolated (and) they need to alter their policies and ambitions," he said.
Gates expressed hope that "tightening the pressure and increasing the isolation of this government in Tehran" will convince the broad range of Iranian leaders that "it's not in their interest or the interest of the Iranian people to continue to pursue the course they are on."
Gates Arrives in Netherlands to Focus on NATO Issues, Challenges
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to discuss the way ahead for the alliance with his NATO counterparts and encourage members to live up to commitments they've made to help in Afghanistan. Gates and the other NATO defense ministers will hold two days of informal meetings -- meaning no official decisions will be made -- at this North Sea resort town to talk about ways to ensure NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo get the resources they need.
The group is expected to lay important groundwork for decision making at its next formal session, the April 2008 summit in Bucharest, Romania.
The ministers are slated to consider the NATO International Security Assistance Force's role in Afghanistan as part of broader international efforts to support national security, governance and development there.
Gates told reporters in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he attended the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial conference on Oct. 22, that he'll pressure NATO members here to live up to troop commitments they made at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.
"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen can't find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he told participants, some of them NATO members.
"This will be clearly the principal theme" of the Noordwijk meeting, he said.
All NATO allies have personnel in Afghanistan serving in some capacity, John Colston, NATO's assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning, noted during an Oct. 22 news conference here leading up to the informal ministerial conference.
He said the Noordwijk meeting "will not be a force-generation conference," but that he expects participants to focus on capabilities.
A senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters the secretary is likely to urge the alliance to take a hard look at the ISAF mission to evaluate what's working well, what needs improvement, and what needs to be built upon.
Colston predicted that the session will include talks about the best way to support Afghan national security forces while helping to establish stability and deal with narcotics issues in Afghanistan.
Talks also are expected to cover NATO's role in Kosovo as part of the Kosovo Force peacekeeping mission. Earlier this week in Kyiv, Gates urged the southeastern Europe ministers to keep their troops in Kosovo "regardless of what happens after Dec. 10," the deadline for negotiations on the disputed Serbian territory.
"We are giving the Troika talks a chance, but we are realistic," Gates told the group, referring to mediators from the United States, the European Union and Russia.
He urged NATO to complete its planning for missions directed by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who has advocated an EU-supervised independence for Kosovo that gives broad autonomy for its Serb minority. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Ahtisaari in 2005 as his special envoy to lead the political process to determine Kosovo's future status.
Gates said in Kyiv he opposes expanding KFOR's mandate. "The EU has an important role to play in Kosovo, and we support its efforts to establish a rule-of-law mission there," he said.
Plans to further expand the 26-member NATO alliance to include Croatia, Albania and Macedonia also will be discussed, although no decision is expected until April, when the ministers meet in Romania.
Gates met with the NATO aspirants in Kyiv to talk with them about progress toward satisfying NATO membership requirements.
The NATO agenda also includes talks about how the transformation of the alliance's defense capabilities is going. Ministers will discuss ways to ensure NATO continues to have the forces and capabilities to support its operations, including those of the NATO Response Force.
During an informal NATO-Russia Council meeting, the 27 ministers will address civil and military activities, as well as cooperation in Afghanistan and in the framework Operation Active Endeavour, NATO's counter terrorism operation in the Mediterranean.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to discuss the way ahead for the alliance with his NATO counterparts and encourage members to live up to commitments they've made to help in Afghanistan. Gates and the other NATO defense ministers will hold two days of informal meetings -- meaning no official decisions will be made -- at this North Sea resort town to talk about ways to ensure NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo get the resources they need.
The group is expected to lay important groundwork for decision making at its next formal session, the April 2008 summit in Bucharest, Romania.
The ministers are slated to consider the NATO International Security Assistance Force's role in Afghanistan as part of broader international efforts to support national security, governance and development there.
Gates told reporters in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he attended the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial conference on Oct. 22, that he'll pressure NATO members here to live up to troop commitments they made at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.
"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen can't find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he told participants, some of them NATO members.
"This will be clearly the principal theme" of the Noordwijk meeting, he said.
All NATO allies have personnel in Afghanistan serving in some capacity, John Colston, NATO's assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning, noted during an Oct. 22 news conference here leading up to the informal ministerial conference.
He said the Noordwijk meeting "will not be a force-generation conference," but that he expects participants to focus on capabilities.
A senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters the secretary is likely to urge the alliance to take a hard look at the ISAF mission to evaluate what's working well, what needs improvement, and what needs to be built upon.
Colston predicted that the session will include talks about the best way to support Afghan national security forces while helping to establish stability and deal with narcotics issues in Afghanistan.
Talks also are expected to cover NATO's role in Kosovo as part of the Kosovo Force peacekeeping mission. Earlier this week in Kyiv, Gates urged the southeastern Europe ministers to keep their troops in Kosovo "regardless of what happens after Dec. 10," the deadline for negotiations on the disputed Serbian territory.
"We are giving the Troika talks a chance, but we are realistic," Gates told the group, referring to mediators from the United States, the European Union and Russia.
He urged NATO to complete its planning for missions directed by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who has advocated an EU-supervised independence for Kosovo that gives broad autonomy for its Serb minority. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Ahtisaari in 2005 as his special envoy to lead the political process to determine Kosovo's future status.
Gates said in Kyiv he opposes expanding KFOR's mandate. "The EU has an important role to play in Kosovo, and we support its efforts to establish a rule-of-law mission there," he said.
Plans to further expand the 26-member NATO alliance to include Croatia, Albania and Macedonia also will be discussed, although no decision is expected until April, when the ministers meet in Romania.
Gates met with the NATO aspirants in Kyiv to talk with them about progress toward satisfying NATO membership requirements.
The NATO agenda also includes talks about how the transformation of the alliance's defense capabilities is going. Ministers will discuss ways to ensure NATO continues to have the forces and capabilities to support its operations, including those of the NATO Response Force.
During an informal NATO-Russia Council meeting, the 27 ministers will address civil and military activities, as well as cooperation in Afghanistan and in the framework Operation Active Endeavour, NATO's counter terrorism operation in the Mediterranean.
Chairman Asks Straight Questions, Gets Hard Answers
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen yesterday heard some hard truths when he asked hundreds of soldiers about their service. "All I want to do is start a family, buy a house and have some stability," an Army captain ready to leave the service to better meet the needs of his family said in Fort Sill, Okla.
"We need something better. That's just not good enough," another captain said of the 12-month home-station time between deployments.
Still another young officer said he was planning to end his military service, not because he was ready to be finished, but because his family was.
The newly appointed chairman, only four weeks into the job, stood in his Navy khakis in front of the battle-hardened Army officers and didn't even flinch. In fact, he said he welcomed their candor.
"I got that it's not good enough. And how do we change that as rapidly as we can, keeping in mind that there's reality out there ... for all of us that there are requirements?" Mullen responded.
"Your questions have very adequately described the challenges that we have," he said. "If there was an answer, then I could just grab it off the shelf and say, 'This is it.' But it's just not there. But I think it's very widely understood where we are."
Yesterday was the first leg of a two-day trip to visit three Army installations to talk to soldiers and gauge stress levels caused by the service's high operational tempo since the beginning of the war on terror.
This is the admiral's first trip as chairman to Army posts within the United States, and he held a handful of informal question-and-answer sessions with soldiers at Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Mullen also made a stop at an Army recruiting conference here. His wife, Deborah, is with him on the trip and is meeting with soldiers' families.
Second only to the war, the chairman said, his priority is resetting and revitalizing the force, and this trip will allow him personally to hear concerns of soldiers.
His first stop was at southwestern Oklahoma's home of field artillery, where the chairman fielded questions from the Army and Marine students in the Captain's Career Course. He then spoke to nearly 1,000 students in the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Today, Mullen will travel Fort Riley, Kan., where he will view military transition team training, have lunch with troops and visit patients at the post hospital. Fort Riley is home to 1st Infantry Division, the Army's oldest continuously serving division.
The admiral started yesterday's sessions by saying he is grateful for the sacrifices and duty of the servicemembers and families. He said the nation's force is serving at the most dangerous time he has witnessed in his 37-year career.
"We have, as a nation, asked the young people in our country for over 231 years to bear the burden of our national security and pay for it, as they are right now, with the ultimate sacrifice," Mullen said. "I am extremely grateful ... for your service."
The chairman told troops that ground forces are the "center of gravity." He promised no immediate answers, but took names and e-mail addresses and promised more detailed answers later.
He said uncertainty in the Middle East and other regions has made it nearly impossible to predict what the future would hold for U.S. servicemembers. "Our ability to predict based on what we understand the future is going to be is pretty tough. The world's getting more interconnected and more challenging, ... and what that speaks to is that we're living in a time of incredible change," he said.
"I think we're going to change everything about the military," he said, including how the force trains, recruits, educates and develops its troops.
He noted that many of these issues already are in the throes of change. "All those things are changing in front of us. Some things so rapidly that it is difficult to predict exactly where we are and, in some cases, where we're going," Mullen said.
Despite what might be considered indecisive indications, Mullen's sessions with the troops were anything but wishy-washy. In a booming voice, somewhat louder than one would expect from his grandfatherly demeanor, the chairman pledged his support to the troops and their families.
"Without family support we couldn't get the job done," he said. "We have to have a healthy force for the future, ... so where you are, what you're doing, ... whether you stay or go and make a difference in the armed services with us in the future is a big deal. I don't take that for granted. Your service, your family's service for what we're doing right now is truly extraordinary."
He also detailed his vision for extending dwell time between rotations. First, rotations need to allow for 12 months between 15-month rotations. Longer-term plans call for a flip, with 15 months dwell time between 12-month deployments. Eventually, Mullen said, he plans for 12-month deployments with 24 months between, and even sees a peacetime plan of 12-month deployments with 36 months between.
But he cautioned the mantra must remain "mission first" for the force and that changes would not happen soon. "We can't wave a wand and get there overnight. We understand that, but those are the goals. That's the vision," the admiral said.
Surge brigades starting their return at the end of this year will "prime that pump," and "how far and how fast we can get there after they get back is a question to be determined."
But, the chairman added, "I believe that the leadership has got to keep this issue front and center to know exactly where we are at all times."
The chairman also extolled the need for the Army to be able to return to its conventional skill-specific training that has, in many instances, been sidelined for deploying troops in favor of needed counterinsurgency training.
"I think it would be high risk to hang our hat on that this is going to be (counterinsurgency) for a long, long time. So we can't let these skills, which are critical warfighting skills, we can't let them atrophy," Mullen said.
How much the reserves will be used in the future is also a question that has to be answered by senior leaders and will have an impact on deployment rates for the total force. Mullen called the reserve components' performance since the start of the war on terror "absolutely stunning." But officials need to decide how much of the force will return to a strategic reserve and how much will stay as an operational reserve with shorter deployment-readiness times and more regular deployments.
"The dependency we have on the Guard and Reserve, we're going to continue to have," he said.
Finally, the nation's top servicemember called on the troops to demonstrate exceptional leadership during this time of difficult change.
"Leading in a time of change is particularly challenging," he said.
Mullen challenged them to help come up with ideas and solutions for some of the problems they identified today. "In addition to explaining what the problems are, we also need solutions," he said, and urged them to use their time at the schools to brainstorm ideas and submit proposals to their leadership.
But, most importantly, as leaders they have to take care of the troops, Mullen said.
"We can have the greatest missions in the world, we can have the greatest equipment in the world, (and) it's not going to make any difference if we don't take care of each other, if we don't take care of the people that make it happen," Mullen said. "You represent the most important resource. We've got to make sure we get it right for our people."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen yesterday heard some hard truths when he asked hundreds of soldiers about their service. "All I want to do is start a family, buy a house and have some stability," an Army captain ready to leave the service to better meet the needs of his family said in Fort Sill, Okla.
"We need something better. That's just not good enough," another captain said of the 12-month home-station time between deployments.
Still another young officer said he was planning to end his military service, not because he was ready to be finished, but because his family was.
The newly appointed chairman, only four weeks into the job, stood in his Navy khakis in front of the battle-hardened Army officers and didn't even flinch. In fact, he said he welcomed their candor.
"I got that it's not good enough. And how do we change that as rapidly as we can, keeping in mind that there's reality out there ... for all of us that there are requirements?" Mullen responded.
"Your questions have very adequately described the challenges that we have," he said. "If there was an answer, then I could just grab it off the shelf and say, 'This is it.' But it's just not there. But I think it's very widely understood where we are."
Yesterday was the first leg of a two-day trip to visit three Army installations to talk to soldiers and gauge stress levels caused by the service's high operational tempo since the beginning of the war on terror.
This is the admiral's first trip as chairman to Army posts within the United States, and he held a handful of informal question-and-answer sessions with soldiers at Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Mullen also made a stop at an Army recruiting conference here. His wife, Deborah, is with him on the trip and is meeting with soldiers' families.
Second only to the war, the chairman said, his priority is resetting and revitalizing the force, and this trip will allow him personally to hear concerns of soldiers.
His first stop was at southwestern Oklahoma's home of field artillery, where the chairman fielded questions from the Army and Marine students in the Captain's Career Course. He then spoke to nearly 1,000 students in the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Today, Mullen will travel Fort Riley, Kan., where he will view military transition team training, have lunch with troops and visit patients at the post hospital. Fort Riley is home to 1st Infantry Division, the Army's oldest continuously serving division.
The admiral started yesterday's sessions by saying he is grateful for the sacrifices and duty of the servicemembers and families. He said the nation's force is serving at the most dangerous time he has witnessed in his 37-year career.
"We have, as a nation, asked the young people in our country for over 231 years to bear the burden of our national security and pay for it, as they are right now, with the ultimate sacrifice," Mullen said. "I am extremely grateful ... for your service."
The chairman told troops that ground forces are the "center of gravity." He promised no immediate answers, but took names and e-mail addresses and promised more detailed answers later.
He said uncertainty in the Middle East and other regions has made it nearly impossible to predict what the future would hold for U.S. servicemembers. "Our ability to predict based on what we understand the future is going to be is pretty tough. The world's getting more interconnected and more challenging, ... and what that speaks to is that we're living in a time of incredible change," he said.
"I think we're going to change everything about the military," he said, including how the force trains, recruits, educates and develops its troops.
He noted that many of these issues already are in the throes of change. "All those things are changing in front of us. Some things so rapidly that it is difficult to predict exactly where we are and, in some cases, where we're going," Mullen said.
Despite what might be considered indecisive indications, Mullen's sessions with the troops were anything but wishy-washy. In a booming voice, somewhat louder than one would expect from his grandfatherly demeanor, the chairman pledged his support to the troops and their families.
"Without family support we couldn't get the job done," he said. "We have to have a healthy force for the future, ... so where you are, what you're doing, ... whether you stay or go and make a difference in the armed services with us in the future is a big deal. I don't take that for granted. Your service, your family's service for what we're doing right now is truly extraordinary."
He also detailed his vision for extending dwell time between rotations. First, rotations need to allow for 12 months between 15-month rotations. Longer-term plans call for a flip, with 15 months dwell time between 12-month deployments. Eventually, Mullen said, he plans for 12-month deployments with 24 months between, and even sees a peacetime plan of 12-month deployments with 36 months between.
But he cautioned the mantra must remain "mission first" for the force and that changes would not happen soon. "We can't wave a wand and get there overnight. We understand that, but those are the goals. That's the vision," the admiral said.
Surge brigades starting their return at the end of this year will "prime that pump," and "how far and how fast we can get there after they get back is a question to be determined."
But, the chairman added, "I believe that the leadership has got to keep this issue front and center to know exactly where we are at all times."
The chairman also extolled the need for the Army to be able to return to its conventional skill-specific training that has, in many instances, been sidelined for deploying troops in favor of needed counterinsurgency training.
"I think it would be high risk to hang our hat on that this is going to be (counterinsurgency) for a long, long time. So we can't let these skills, which are critical warfighting skills, we can't let them atrophy," Mullen said.
How much the reserves will be used in the future is also a question that has to be answered by senior leaders and will have an impact on deployment rates for the total force. Mullen called the reserve components' performance since the start of the war on terror "absolutely stunning." But officials need to decide how much of the force will return to a strategic reserve and how much will stay as an operational reserve with shorter deployment-readiness times and more regular deployments.
"The dependency we have on the Guard and Reserve, we're going to continue to have," he said.
Finally, the nation's top servicemember called on the troops to demonstrate exceptional leadership during this time of difficult change.
"Leading in a time of change is particularly challenging," he said.
Mullen challenged them to help come up with ideas and solutions for some of the problems they identified today. "In addition to explaining what the problems are, we also need solutions," he said, and urged them to use their time at the schools to brainstorm ideas and submit proposals to their leadership.
But, most importantly, as leaders they have to take care of the troops, Mullen said.
"We can have the greatest missions in the world, we can have the greatest equipment in the world, (and) it's not going to make any difference if we don't take care of each other, if we don't take care of the people that make it happen," Mullen said. "You represent the most important resource. We've got to make sure we get it right for our people."
Burden-Sharing Urged as NATO Focuses on Afghanistan, Other Missions
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Dutch Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop joined NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer here today in opening a two-day ministerial conference, reminding members of the importance of sharing the NATO's responsibilities in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. Van Middelkoop, who is hosting the two-day meeting, acknowledged that some NATO members have been carrying the lion's share of the load in NATO missions.
One of the biggest imbalances, one Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he intends to address here, involves NATO's contributions to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
At issue is some countries' failure to live up to the commitments they agreed to at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia. That's left the mission short in terms of troops, trainers and helicopters, a senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters.
Gates, who has brought up the shortfall repeatedly during his tenure as defense secretary, rendered his most direct criticism when he addressed the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, earlier this week. "I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen can't find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he said.
Van Middelkoop opened today's session here by reminding participants: "One thing is certain: There is no such thing as a free ride to peace and security.
"It is not about what we are willing to say for a safer and more-just world. It ultimately depends on what we are willing to do," he said. "Fairness and burden sharing will remain a leading principle for this alliance."
De Hoop Scheffer said he will make the ISAF mission, being conducted under a U.N. Security Council mandate, a priority during the conference. "The most important thing we -- us, NATO, but also the international community -- can do is to strengthen Afghan capacity so that Afghanistan can stand on its own feet," he said. "NATO is helping to bring that day closer."
The secretary-general emphasized contributions the alliance is making: training and equipping the Afghan National Army, supporting local security and development through provincial reconstruction teams, and helping the Afghan government in its fight against illicit narcotics.
"And first and foremost, we are helping to provide a secure environment in which the Afghan people can build their country," he said. "We are fighting together with the Afghan forces against the Taliban and other extremists because we believe in fundamental human rights. And they know what the Taliban and the terrorists they support will do if they regain power."
Later today, NATO partners will discuss international support in Afghanistan with troop-contributing partners, Afghan Defense Ministers Abdul Rahim Wardak, and U.N., European Union and World Bank representatives, de Hoop Scheffer noted.
He praised the troops and civilians serving in NATO missions from Afghanistan to the Balkans and expressed condolences to families of those lost during these operations.
"Our men and women are courageously defending our security and our values in the most demanding circumstances," he said. "We are proud of them and of what they achieve every single day, and we are determined to see their operations and missions through to completion."
Setting the tone for the session, de Hoop Scheffer urged member nations to work together to deal with today's challenges and others the alliance will face in the future.
Van Middelkoop said he looks forward to "some real brainstorming in discussing the challenges our alliance is facing."
He told participants he considers this coastal North Sea venue a good omen for the sessions. "The sea breeze may blow away some of our old ideas and bring in some new fresh ones, and I think we need them," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Dutch Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop joined NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer here today in opening a two-day ministerial conference, reminding members of the importance of sharing the NATO's responsibilities in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. Van Middelkoop, who is hosting the two-day meeting, acknowledged that some NATO members have been carrying the lion's share of the load in NATO missions.
One of the biggest imbalances, one Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he intends to address here, involves NATO's contributions to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
At issue is some countries' failure to live up to the commitments they agreed to at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia. That's left the mission short in terms of troops, trainers and helicopters, a senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters.
Gates, who has brought up the shortfall repeatedly during his tenure as defense secretary, rendered his most direct criticism when he addressed the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, earlier this week. "I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen can't find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he said.
Van Middelkoop opened today's session here by reminding participants: "One thing is certain: There is no such thing as a free ride to peace and security.
"It is not about what we are willing to say for a safer and more-just world. It ultimately depends on what we are willing to do," he said. "Fairness and burden sharing will remain a leading principle for this alliance."
De Hoop Scheffer said he will make the ISAF mission, being conducted under a U.N. Security Council mandate, a priority during the conference. "The most important thing we -- us, NATO, but also the international community -- can do is to strengthen Afghan capacity so that Afghanistan can stand on its own feet," he said. "NATO is helping to bring that day closer."
The secretary-general emphasized contributions the alliance is making: training and equipping the Afghan National Army, supporting local security and development through provincial reconstruction teams, and helping the Afghan government in its fight against illicit narcotics.
"And first and foremost, we are helping to provide a secure environment in which the Afghan people can build their country," he said. "We are fighting together with the Afghan forces against the Taliban and other extremists because we believe in fundamental human rights. And they know what the Taliban and the terrorists they support will do if they regain power."
Later today, NATO partners will discuss international support in Afghanistan with troop-contributing partners, Afghan Defense Ministers Abdul Rahim Wardak, and U.N., European Union and World Bank representatives, de Hoop Scheffer noted.
He praised the troops and civilians serving in NATO missions from Afghanistan to the Balkans and expressed condolences to families of those lost during these operations.
"Our men and women are courageously defending our security and our values in the most demanding circumstances," he said. "We are proud of them and of what they achieve every single day, and we are determined to see their operations and missions through to completion."
Setting the tone for the session, de Hoop Scheffer urged member nations to work together to deal with today's challenges and others the alliance will face in the future.
Van Middelkoop said he looks forward to "some real brainstorming in discussing the challenges our alliance is facing."
He told participants he considers this coastal North Sea venue a good omen for the sessions. "The sea breeze may blow away some of our old ideas and bring in some new fresh ones, and I think we need them," he said.
U.S., Russia Not Headed for New Cold War, Gates Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - The United States and Russia are not headed toward a new Cold War, and the United States still considers Russia a strategic ally, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during an interview with Radio Free Europe yesterday in Prague. Gates was in the Czech Republic as part of a European trip that also has included stops in Ukraine and at NATO meetings in the Netherlands.
The defense secretary maintained that Russia and the United States still have many common interests and can work together.
"I think our approach should be to consider Russia a strategic partner until and unless it proves otherwise," Gates said during the interview. "There has been a lot of rhetoric, but in terms of specific actions so far, the Russians have not taken any irreversible decisions. And they have, in some areas, continued to play a constructive role."
The United States should continue to work with Russia where it can, he said.
The U.S. relationship with Russia is not in danger of becoming a new Cold War, Gates said. During the heyday of the Soviet Union, the United States was in the midst of an ideological war with communism.
The Cold War took place in a different world, the secretary said, and while some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's rhetoric has been strong, Russia still is cooperating with the United States and European nations.
"We just don't have anything like the global competition or the global conflict that existed and where people were worried that we had our missiles pointed at each other all the time," Gates said. "Nobody wants a new Cold War, and I don't think the Russians do, either."
Gates shied away from the tendency of people to assume an "us vs. them" mindset, saying the world situation is more difficult and varied than during the Cold War. Kosovo is one example. "It's not just the United States that's dealing with Russia. Kosovo is above all a European matter, it's a NATO matter; it's for all of the Europeans -- the EU and so on," he said. "So it's not just the United States trying to get the Russians to take a particular point of view on Kosovo, but it's all of Europe that is in this.
"And it's the same way on some of these other challenges that we face where we're talking with the Russians," he added. The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, relations with Iran, the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and North Korea are all issues that many nations have concerns about, the secretary said.
"This is an issue about how Russia is going to interrelate with the rest of Europe," the secretary said. "Does Russia wish to be a part of Europe and wish to be a strategic partner with the United States? I think they do. And I think that the increasing business investments, both in Russia and in Europe, can illustrate that that's true."
Gates said people shouldn't jump to conclusions over rhetoric from the Kremlin. Russia is much different from the former Soviet Union. While Russian leaders are more authoritarian than U.S. officials would wish, the country has not returned to the Soviet days. "As I said in my speech on democracy in Williamsburg a few weeks ago, it takes time to build the institutions of democracy," he said. "Just having an election doesn't mean you have a democracy, so these institutions have to grow.
"I think we need to encourage the development of freedom in Russia, we need to encourage the development of democratic institutions, but also think we need to understand that those things take time," Gates said.
Gates also discussed talks with Czech leaders about putting radar for an anti-ballistic missile system in the Czech Republic. Russia strongly resists this, even though Putin has received assurances that the system is not aimed at his country. Gates said the Czech leaders were intrigued by the new proposals the United States put on the table in Moscow.
"We made it perfectly clear in Russia that we were going to proceed with the negotiations with the Czech Republic and Poland regardless and, if those negotiations are successful, then to proceed to deploy, or build, these radars and interceptors," Gates said.
"However, we also said that if the question is about the threat," he continued, "then we might be willing to sit down and talk with the Russians about not activating the completed systems until the threat was apparent, in other words, until the Iranians or others in the Middle East had flight-tested missiles of a range that could hit Europe, as an example. And I think the government here, as in Moscow, was taken with it; even President Putin referred to the proposals as constructive."
Gates said the future is still open for the Russian people. He believes there will be a gradual increase in democratic reforms in Russia as the economy improves. "I think part of the problem in Russia was that because the economy collapsed along with the Soviet Union," he said. "In the minds of many Russians, democracy became confused with economic disaster, with criminal activities, with activities of the oligarchs and thievery and so on, and chaos."
Russia lost an opportunity at that time, Gates said. "I think now, with stability, with economic growth, with growing prosperity, my hope is that that opportunity that ... the Russians missed early in the 1990s will be recaptured, and that would be my hope for Russia over the next 10 years," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - The United States and Russia are not headed toward a new Cold War, and the United States still considers Russia a strategic ally, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during an interview with Radio Free Europe yesterday in Prague. Gates was in the Czech Republic as part of a European trip that also has included stops in Ukraine and at NATO meetings in the Netherlands.
The defense secretary maintained that Russia and the United States still have many common interests and can work together.
"I think our approach should be to consider Russia a strategic partner until and unless it proves otherwise," Gates said during the interview. "There has been a lot of rhetoric, but in terms of specific actions so far, the Russians have not taken any irreversible decisions. And they have, in some areas, continued to play a constructive role."
The United States should continue to work with Russia where it can, he said.
The U.S. relationship with Russia is not in danger of becoming a new Cold War, Gates said. During the heyday of the Soviet Union, the United States was in the midst of an ideological war with communism.
The Cold War took place in a different world, the secretary said, and while some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's rhetoric has been strong, Russia still is cooperating with the United States and European nations.
"We just don't have anything like the global competition or the global conflict that existed and where people were worried that we had our missiles pointed at each other all the time," Gates said. "Nobody wants a new Cold War, and I don't think the Russians do, either."
Gates shied away from the tendency of people to assume an "us vs. them" mindset, saying the world situation is more difficult and varied than during the Cold War. Kosovo is one example. "It's not just the United States that's dealing with Russia. Kosovo is above all a European matter, it's a NATO matter; it's for all of the Europeans -- the EU and so on," he said. "So it's not just the United States trying to get the Russians to take a particular point of view on Kosovo, but it's all of Europe that is in this.
"And it's the same way on some of these other challenges that we face where we're talking with the Russians," he added. The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, relations with Iran, the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and North Korea are all issues that many nations have concerns about, the secretary said.
"This is an issue about how Russia is going to interrelate with the rest of Europe," the secretary said. "Does Russia wish to be a part of Europe and wish to be a strategic partner with the United States? I think they do. And I think that the increasing business investments, both in Russia and in Europe, can illustrate that that's true."
Gates said people shouldn't jump to conclusions over rhetoric from the Kremlin. Russia is much different from the former Soviet Union. While Russian leaders are more authoritarian than U.S. officials would wish, the country has not returned to the Soviet days. "As I said in my speech on democracy in Williamsburg a few weeks ago, it takes time to build the institutions of democracy," he said. "Just having an election doesn't mean you have a democracy, so these institutions have to grow.
"I think we need to encourage the development of freedom in Russia, we need to encourage the development of democratic institutions, but also think we need to understand that those things take time," Gates said.
Gates also discussed talks with Czech leaders about putting radar for an anti-ballistic missile system in the Czech Republic. Russia strongly resists this, even though Putin has received assurances that the system is not aimed at his country. Gates said the Czech leaders were intrigued by the new proposals the United States put on the table in Moscow.
"We made it perfectly clear in Russia that we were going to proceed with the negotiations with the Czech Republic and Poland regardless and, if those negotiations are successful, then to proceed to deploy, or build, these radars and interceptors," Gates said.
"However, we also said that if the question is about the threat," he continued, "then we might be willing to sit down and talk with the Russians about not activating the completed systems until the threat was apparent, in other words, until the Iranians or others in the Middle East had flight-tested missiles of a range that could hit Europe, as an example. And I think the government here, as in Moscow, was taken with it; even President Putin referred to the proposals as constructive."
Gates said the future is still open for the Russian people. He believes there will be a gradual increase in democratic reforms in Russia as the economy improves. "I think part of the problem in Russia was that because the economy collapsed along with the Soviet Union," he said. "In the minds of many Russians, democracy became confused with economic disaster, with criminal activities, with activities of the oligarchs and thievery and so on, and chaos."
Russia lost an opportunity at that time, Gates said. "I think now, with stability, with economic growth, with growing prosperity, my hope is that that opportunity that ... the Russians missed early in the 1990s will be recaptured, and that would be my hope for Russia over the next 10 years," he said.
Defense Department Continues Aid on California's Fire Front
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Military C-130s with modular air firefighting systems this morning began dropping fire retardant and water on wildfires plaguing California. They will continue the effort as long as wind conditions allow, defense officials said. A total of 16 wildfires have burned more than 360,000 acres in Southern California, and hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes in danger areas, California National Guard officials said today.
California officials said that five people have died as a result of the fires; more than 2,100 homes and other structures have been destroyed or damaged; and more than 87,500 structures are in danger from the fast-moving fires. Santa Ana winds, often blowing at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, have complicated firefighting efforts, officials said.
Fourteen helicopters from the California National Guard, the Navy and Marine Corps are using buckets to drop water on the blazes, officials said.
Everything California has asked the Defense Department for has been delivered, U.S. Northern Command officials said, and command officials are leaning forward to anticipate what the state might need as the crisis continues.
Thirty-two active-duty servicemembers, 67 defense civilians and 1,500 National Guardsmen are directly engaged in immediate response, supporting firefighting response, command and control, logistics support, security, communications and relief operations, U.S. Northern Command officials said. U.S. Northern Command is responsible for coordinating defense support to civil authorities in emergencies.
A total of 550 Marines and 17,301 California National Guardsmen are standing by, available for duty if needed. The Marines are going through firefighting training in anticipation of being called. Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said that federal firefighters will flow into the area over the next few days
About 1,400 Navy personnel and their families have been evacuated onto three Navy bases: Coronado, El Centro and San Diego. This clears civilian shelters for more evacuees.
The Marine Corps has evacuated about 40 aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, officials said.
An Aegis cruiser, a guided-missile destroyer and two fast frigates will remain in port to support evacuation and movement of dependents.
Local military installations have provided about 10,000 cots to local evacuation sites, NORTHCOM officials said. In response to a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Defense Department has designated March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., and North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego for use as forward staging areas for federal supplies flowing south from the FEMA logistics center at Moffitt Field, Calif.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Military C-130s with modular air firefighting systems this morning began dropping fire retardant and water on wildfires plaguing California. They will continue the effort as long as wind conditions allow, defense officials said. A total of 16 wildfires have burned more than 360,000 acres in Southern California, and hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes in danger areas, California National Guard officials said today.
California officials said that five people have died as a result of the fires; more than 2,100 homes and other structures have been destroyed or damaged; and more than 87,500 structures are in danger from the fast-moving fires. Santa Ana winds, often blowing at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, have complicated firefighting efforts, officials said.
Fourteen helicopters from the California National Guard, the Navy and Marine Corps are using buckets to drop water on the blazes, officials said.
Everything California has asked the Defense Department for has been delivered, U.S. Northern Command officials said, and command officials are leaning forward to anticipate what the state might need as the crisis continues.
Thirty-two active-duty servicemembers, 67 defense civilians and 1,500 National Guardsmen are directly engaged in immediate response, supporting firefighting response, command and control, logistics support, security, communications and relief operations, U.S. Northern Command officials said. U.S. Northern Command is responsible for coordinating defense support to civil authorities in emergencies.
A total of 550 Marines and 17,301 California National Guardsmen are standing by, available for duty if needed. The Marines are going through firefighting training in anticipation of being called. Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said that federal firefighters will flow into the area over the next few days
About 1,400 Navy personnel and their families have been evacuated onto three Navy bases: Coronado, El Centro and San Diego. This clears civilian shelters for more evacuees.
The Marine Corps has evacuated about 40 aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, officials said.
An Aegis cruiser, a guided-missile destroyer and two fast frigates will remain in port to support evacuation and movement of dependents.
Local military installations have provided about 10,000 cots to local evacuation sites, NORTHCOM officials said. In response to a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Defense Department has designated March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., and North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego for use as forward staging areas for federal supplies flowing south from the FEMA logistics center at Moffitt Field, Calif.
NORTHCOM Commander Outlines California Wildfire Response
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina are helping U.S. Northern Command and its interagency partners efficiently and effectively support current wildfire response efforts in California, the organization's commander said yesterday. Air Force Gen. Victor R. Renuart Jr. briefed reporters at NORTHCOM's headquarters here on the command's wildfire support efforts in the San Diego area.
NORTHCOM is the joint combatant command formed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to provide homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities. The command is responsible for the operational control of all active duty military responses to a disaster when requested by the state and ordered by the president and the secretary of defense.
"We're really working hard to make every effort (to ensure) that the citizens of California get the right kind of support that they need and that it gets to them in a timely fashion," Renuart said. "We are the lead command for the Department of Defense for military support for civil authorities and, as such, we are closely tied to the state of California, with the Department of Defense and with the National Guard Bureau to provide the right kind of capability to ensure the response is appropriate."
Renuart said the involvement of more than 2,000 personnel at NORTHCOM headquarters, more than 500 at U.S. Army North, and elements that have been deployed to the affected areas would not be possible if the interagency community and NORTHCOM had not applied and practiced the lessons learned during the Hurricane Katrina response in 2005.
The challenges presented to NORTHCOM by the Katrina relief effort included coordinating the efforts of federal civilian responders and federal military responders with the states and the National Guard, Renuart said.
"We learned a lot out of Katrina on how to prepare for a disaster like that by exercising and training and building a real planning culture among all of those interagency participants," he said. "We really do anticipate the needs of a particular disaster ahead of time, and we're able to pre-position resources."
Renuart said the members of the command are proud to be of help during the California wildfire crisis.
"The thoughts and prayers of all of the team here at NORTHCOM and NORAD are with the families in southern California during this time," he said.
Oct. 24, 2007 - Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina are helping U.S. Northern Command and its interagency partners efficiently and effectively support current wildfire response efforts in California, the organization's commander said yesterday. Air Force Gen. Victor R. Renuart Jr. briefed reporters at NORTHCOM's headquarters here on the command's wildfire support efforts in the San Diego area.
NORTHCOM is the joint combatant command formed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to provide homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities. The command is responsible for the operational control of all active duty military responses to a disaster when requested by the state and ordered by the president and the secretary of defense.
"We're really working hard to make every effort (to ensure) that the citizens of California get the right kind of support that they need and that it gets to them in a timely fashion," Renuart said. "We are the lead command for the Department of Defense for military support for civil authorities and, as such, we are closely tied to the state of California, with the Department of Defense and with the National Guard Bureau to provide the right kind of capability to ensure the response is appropriate."
Renuart said the involvement of more than 2,000 personnel at NORTHCOM headquarters, more than 500 at U.S. Army North, and elements that have been deployed to the affected areas would not be possible if the interagency community and NORTHCOM had not applied and practiced the lessons learned during the Hurricane Katrina response in 2005.
The challenges presented to NORTHCOM by the Katrina relief effort included coordinating the efforts of federal civilian responders and federal military responders with the states and the National Guard, Renuart said.
"We learned a lot out of Katrina on how to prepare for a disaster like that by exercising and training and building a real planning culture among all of those interagency participants," he said. "We really do anticipate the needs of a particular disaster ahead of time, and we're able to pre-position resources."
Renuart said the members of the command are proud to be of help during the California wildfire crisis.
"The thoughts and prayers of all of the team here at NORTHCOM and NORAD are with the families in southern California during this time," he said.
NATO Allies Promise More Support in Afghanistan
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Talks here today appear to be paying off, with several NATO members here offering more support in Afghanistan for a mission Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called "a litmus test for the effectiveness of the alliance in the 21st century." Gates told reporters after the first of two days at the NATO informal ministerial conference here that he's pleased to hear more countries are upping their contribution in Afghanistan or considering such a measure.
"Today was a considerably more positive day than I anticipated," he said. "On the whole, I think today was a very good day."
Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force since February, opened today's discussions with a commander's view of the effort. Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, presented the strategic picture.
"Their first message was that we are winning in Afghanistan," a senior U.S. official who observed the session told reporters. "But their second message was: in order to maintain the pace -- and particularly to maintain the operational pace and increase our training commitment to the Afghans -- we have all got to do more."
The commanders noted progress in training the Afghan National Army, which now is starting to take the lead in some operations. They pointed to the Afghan National Police as "the weak link" that needs more attention, the official said.
Gates said he's seen a growing recognition in the alliance that success in training Afghan security forces is central to success in Afghanistan. "To this end, there has been a steady increase in contributions of training teams, and I was pleased that today more offers were put on the table," he said.
The secretary noted, for example, that only 36 of some 72 non-U.S. operational mentoring and liaison teams needed by mid-2008 had been committed before today. "Some of the things I heard today lead me to believe that we will be nearer to the requirement by next summer," he said.
Gates said he'd leave it to individual countries to announce their additional ISAF contributions. He declined to comment on media reports that France is among them, but said that "any greater French involvement would be most welcome." The reports said France, which currently has its 1,000 ISAF troops in Kabul and Kandahar, could for the first time send dozens of military trainers into southern Afghanistan. A U.S. official said the decision would represent a major strategic shift for France.
While pleased by today's progress, Gates said gaps remain within ISAF. "The mission still requires more maneuver elements and fewer restraints in how forces can be used," he said. Also still lacking are enough helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Gates said the ministers discussed these shortfalls "openly and honestly," with some of the larger contributors speaking "very strongly about the need for increased contributions so that the burden is shared more equally by all."
Among them was Netherlands, which is hosting the NATO ministerial conference just as the mandate for the Dutch forces in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province is about to expire. Although Dutch government officials expect to keep some troops in Afghanistan, they would like to "lighten their force somewhat," the official said, because they've been "punching well above their weight class, and they need some relief."
She noted that several allies stepped forward today and said they'd be ready to offer help in Oruzgan next year.
Gates noted today that while NATO members have lived up to their individual commitments made at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia, they've left "five baskets of broad commitments" required for success in Afghanistan unfilled.
"We need to lift our sights, it seems, to see what is needed long-term for success, beyond the specific commitments that have already been made," he said. "And that includes efforts in economic development (and) civil institutions areas, as well as counter-narcotics."
The NATO ministers reiterated their understanding today that success in Afghanistan requires a strategy that integrates all these efforts. "I think all of these things are important, and we need to do them all -- and more is required in each of these areas," Gates told reporters. "My view is that it is not one or the other. It has to be a combination of all of the above."
Gates said he'd like to see a central official appointed to coordinate efforts some 42 countries and about a dozen non-governmental organizations are making to support the non-military aspects of the mission. This person – and he specified that it shouldn't be an American -- would help improve cooperation, share best practices learned and fill gaps, he said.
As important as these resources are to the mission, Gates said, effective strategic communication also is vital to success. The ministers acknowledged that "in some countries, there has to be a better effort to tell the story of Afghanistan," the U.S. official said.
"It's a long way from the hearts and minds and kitchen tables in Europe," she said, "and there needs to be a continued effort to explain why we are there (and) the strategic importance for our countries."
Gates said there's solid agreement on the importance of succeeding in Afghanistan. "No one doubts the justice or necessity of the alliance mission in Afghanistan," he said. "What we need now are actions, deeds and a sense of urgency and commitment to back up our pledges and promises."
The secretary said he has no reason to doubt the participants will follow through with commitments voiced here during NATO's force-generation session in early November. "I'm confident that NATO can rise to the occasion," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Talks here today appear to be paying off, with several NATO members here offering more support in Afghanistan for a mission Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called "a litmus test for the effectiveness of the alliance in the 21st century." Gates told reporters after the first of two days at the NATO informal ministerial conference here that he's pleased to hear more countries are upping their contribution in Afghanistan or considering such a measure.
"Today was a considerably more positive day than I anticipated," he said. "On the whole, I think today was a very good day."
Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force since February, opened today's discussions with a commander's view of the effort. Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, presented the strategic picture.
"Their first message was that we are winning in Afghanistan," a senior U.S. official who observed the session told reporters. "But their second message was: in order to maintain the pace -- and particularly to maintain the operational pace and increase our training commitment to the Afghans -- we have all got to do more."
The commanders noted progress in training the Afghan National Army, which now is starting to take the lead in some operations. They pointed to the Afghan National Police as "the weak link" that needs more attention, the official said.
Gates said he's seen a growing recognition in the alliance that success in training Afghan security forces is central to success in Afghanistan. "To this end, there has been a steady increase in contributions of training teams, and I was pleased that today more offers were put on the table," he said.
The secretary noted, for example, that only 36 of some 72 non-U.S. operational mentoring and liaison teams needed by mid-2008 had been committed before today. "Some of the things I heard today lead me to believe that we will be nearer to the requirement by next summer," he said.
Gates said he'd leave it to individual countries to announce their additional ISAF contributions. He declined to comment on media reports that France is among them, but said that "any greater French involvement would be most welcome." The reports said France, which currently has its 1,000 ISAF troops in Kabul and Kandahar, could for the first time send dozens of military trainers into southern Afghanistan. A U.S. official said the decision would represent a major strategic shift for France.
While pleased by today's progress, Gates said gaps remain within ISAF. "The mission still requires more maneuver elements and fewer restraints in how forces can be used," he said. Also still lacking are enough helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Gates said the ministers discussed these shortfalls "openly and honestly," with some of the larger contributors speaking "very strongly about the need for increased contributions so that the burden is shared more equally by all."
Among them was Netherlands, which is hosting the NATO ministerial conference just as the mandate for the Dutch forces in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province is about to expire. Although Dutch government officials expect to keep some troops in Afghanistan, they would like to "lighten their force somewhat," the official said, because they've been "punching well above their weight class, and they need some relief."
She noted that several allies stepped forward today and said they'd be ready to offer help in Oruzgan next year.
Gates noted today that while NATO members have lived up to their individual commitments made at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia, they've left "five baskets of broad commitments" required for success in Afghanistan unfilled.
"We need to lift our sights, it seems, to see what is needed long-term for success, beyond the specific commitments that have already been made," he said. "And that includes efforts in economic development (and) civil institutions areas, as well as counter-narcotics."
The NATO ministers reiterated their understanding today that success in Afghanistan requires a strategy that integrates all these efforts. "I think all of these things are important, and we need to do them all -- and more is required in each of these areas," Gates told reporters. "My view is that it is not one or the other. It has to be a combination of all of the above."
Gates said he'd like to see a central official appointed to coordinate efforts some 42 countries and about a dozen non-governmental organizations are making to support the non-military aspects of the mission. This person – and he specified that it shouldn't be an American -- would help improve cooperation, share best practices learned and fill gaps, he said.
As important as these resources are to the mission, Gates said, effective strategic communication also is vital to success. The ministers acknowledged that "in some countries, there has to be a better effort to tell the story of Afghanistan," the U.S. official said.
"It's a long way from the hearts and minds and kitchen tables in Europe," she said, "and there needs to be a continued effort to explain why we are there (and) the strategic importance for our countries."
Gates said there's solid agreement on the importance of succeeding in Afghanistan. "No one doubts the justice or necessity of the alliance mission in Afghanistan," he said. "What we need now are actions, deeds and a sense of urgency and commitment to back up our pledges and promises."
The secretary said he has no reason to doubt the participants will follow through with commitments voiced here during NATO's force-generation session in early November. "I'm confident that NATO can rise to the occasion," he said.
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