Today in the Department of Defense, Thursday, April 14, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates delivers remarks at 10:30 a.m. EDT at the groundbreaking for the National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon, Va.  Media interested in attending should contact Rebecca Aloisi at 703-799-8607.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

Commander, U.S. Pacific Command Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard and Commander, U.N. Command; Commander, Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, U.S. Forces Korea Army Gen. Walter L. Sharp testify at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee on Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request at 10 a.m. EDT in room H-140, Capitol.

U.S. Army Col. Arthur Kandarian, commander of Regional Command South's Task Force Strike drawn from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, accompanied by Afghan Army Col. Ghalum Murtaza Sarwari, commander of 3rd Brigade, 205th Corps, will brief the media live from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, at 10:30 a.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973) to provide an update on current operations.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.