Tuesday, June 05, 2018

Mattis: Carlucci Left ‘Indelible Mark’ on DoD


By Terri Moon Cronk, DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- Former Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci died June 3 at his home in McLean, Virginia. He was 87.

Carlucci was secretary of defense from Nov. 23, 1987, to Jan. 20, 1989, under President Ronald Reagan.

“Secretary Carlucci served our great nation under four U.S. presidents, both republican and democrat, as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, the Ambassador to Portugal, deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and several other roles within the Department of Defense before becoming secretary of defense,” Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said in a statement.

“Appointed in 1987, with the end of the Cold War near, Secretary Carlucci was a transformative leader,” Mattis said. “He changed the way the department worked with Congress, and managed critical defense issues, such as procuring major weapon systems, and rebalancing military priorities and resources under dynamic and challenging geopolitical circumstances.

“Secretary Carlucci left an indelible mark on the Department of Defense,” he continued. “On behalf of all our service men and women and civilians, past and present, we will forever be grateful for his leadership and long honor his patriotism, service and legacy.”

Numerous Government Positions

Carlucci was a Foreign Service officer in the State Department and later served as ambassador to Portugal. He was deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, undersecretary of Health Education and Welfare, and deputy director of the CIA.

Appointed as deputy defense secretary in February 1982 under Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Carlucci monitored the Pentagon’s day-to-day operations and oversaw the defense budget and procurement. His initiatives dealt with bringing more stability and order into the procurement system.

He left the Defense Department briefly in 1983 for the private sector, but returned to federal service at the White House as assistant to the president for national security affairs.

With extensive roots in national security, Carlucci succeeded Weinberger and became defense secretary on Nov. 23, 1987.

He was known for doing things his way, and while he served only 14 months as secretary, his brand was clear through his initiatives such as weapons systems and downsizing the military, as well as through his relationship with Congress.        

In those 14 months, Carlucci made 13 foreign visits around the globe, and he was the first defense secretary to visit the Soviet Union.

Controversial Domestic Issues

At home, Carlucci faced numerous controversial domestic issues. He dealt with a shrinking defense budget for fiscal year 1989 after the stock market crash of 1987. In 1988, to tighten the defense budget belt and rid the department of unnecessary military facilities, Carlucci proposed the Commission on Base Realignment and Closure, which ultimately eliminated some 90 bases by September 2011. He was up against tough opposition from members of Congress who wanted to save military bases and posts in their districts.

Carlucci’s proposed $299.5 billion defense budget before Congress in 1988 included cutting 36,000 troops from a force of 2,174,000. That translated into cuts in all the military departments, for which he faced great opposition. The secretary of the Navy reportedly resigned after a Carlucci order to retire 16 frigates.

The budget request also provided for $4.6 billion for the Strategic Defense Initiative – also known as the “Star Wars” program – and $200 million for the Midgetman missile.

Reagan vetoed the bill that Congress passed, citing his displeasure over cuts in SDI and restricted Pentagon spending for space-based antimissile interceptor development, which was key to the SDI program. A bill finally was hammered out, and Carlucci accepted a spending ceiling.

INF Treaty

Carlucci was very much in favor of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987, which he saw as enhancing NATO security. It would reduce the Soviet’s military threat to Western Europe by taking out a class of missile systems from the area, and show that NATO nations had enough political will to support decisions to secure their safety.

He also made it known that the INF Treaty included tough verification provisions, and to put them in place, Carlucci created the On-Site Inspection Agency in January 1988.

Carlucci also dodged some slings and arrows from the long-term war between Iran and Iraq. In 1988, U.S. ships destroyed two Iranian oil platforms to retaliate for damage sustained by the USS Samuel Roberts in the Persian Gulf from an Iranian mine. U.S. ships sank and severely damaged six Iranian ships. Reagan ordered the Navy to expand its work in the Gulf to protect neutral merchant ships when they were attacked. Carlucci kept a close eye on the events.

Proudest Accomplishments

Carlucci left office at the start of President George H. W. Bush’s term. He told reporters three of his accomplishments made him most proud: convincing Congress to go along with BRAC, developing a positive relationship with Soviet military leaders, and successful tanker escort operations in the Persian Gulf. But his achievements totaled much more than those three.
He also was responsible for establishing funding priorities and guiding the cuts in the fiscal year 1989 defense budget, taking a calm approach to the Pentagon procurement fraud investigation, emphasizing the dangers of long-range missile proliferation to world leaders, and convincing Congress not to use military force to close off U.S. borders in the battle against drugs. Carlucci said he most disappointed with how the Pentagon had not been able to preserve the defense consensus in Congress and the nation when developments in the communist world proved that negotiating from strength works.


Former Defense Intelligence Officer Arrested for Attempted Espionage


Ron Rockwell Hansen, 58, a resident of Syracuse, Utah, and a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) officer, was arrested Saturday afternoon on federal charges including the attempted transmission of national defense information to the People’s Republic of China.  The FBI agents took Hansen into custody while he was on his way to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle to board a connecting flight to China.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney John Huber for the District of Utah, and Special Agent in Charge Eric Barnhart of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office announced the charges.

“Ron Rockwell Hansen is a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who allegedly attempted to transmit national defense information to the People's Republic of China's intelligence service (PRCIS) and also allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars while illegally acting as an agent of China,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “His alleged actions are a betrayal of our nation's security and the American people and are an affront to his former intelligence community colleagues.  Our intelligence professionals swear an oath to protect our country’s most closely held secrets and the National Security Division will continue to relentlessly pursue justice against those who violate this oath.”

“These allegations are very troubling in their description of conduct that runs contrary to how we identify ourselves as Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Huber.  “On the other hand, revealed details of this lengthy investigation reflect effective performance and dedication on the part of the men and women of the FBI and their partners.”

“The allegations in this complaint are grave as it appears Mr. Hansen engaged in behavior that betrayed his oath and his country,” said Special Agent in Charge Barnhart.  “This case drives home the troubling reality of insider threats and that current and former clearance holders will be targeted by our adversaries.  The FBI will aggressively investigate individuals who put our national security at risk.”

Hansen will have an initial appearance Monday, at 5 p.m. EDT in U.S. District Court in Seattle.  He is charged in a 15-count complaint, signed by Chief Federal Magistrate Judge Paul M. Warner in Utah Saturday, with attempting to gather or deliver national defense information to aid a foreign government.  The complaint also charges Hansen with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China, bulk cash smuggling, structuring monetary transactions and smuggling goods from the United States.  

According to court documents:

Hansen retired from the U.S. Army as a Warrant Officer with a background in signals intelligence and human intelligence.  He speaks fluent Mandarin-Chinese and Russian.  DIA hired Hansen as a civilian intelligence case officer in 2006.  Hansen held a Top Secret clearance for many years, and signed several non-disclosure agreements during his tenure at DIA and as a government contractor.

Between 2013 and 2017, Hansen regularly traveled between the United States and China, attending military and intelligence conferences in the U.S. and provided the information he learned at the conferences to contacts in China associated with the PRCIS.  Hansen received payments for this information by a variety of methods, including cash, wires and credit card transactions.  He also improperly sold export-controlled technology to persons in China.  From May of 2013 to the date of the complaint, Hansen received not less than $800,000 in funds originating from China.

In addition, Hansen repeatedly attempted to regain access to classified information after he stopped working on behalf of the U.S. Government.  Hansen’s alerting behavior ultimately resulted in the participation of a law enforcement source from whom Hansen solicited classified information.  Hansen disclosed to the source his ongoing contact with the PRCIS, including in-person meetings with intelligence officers during his trips to China.  Hansen told the source the types of information his contacts in China were interested in and discussed working with the source to provide such information to the PRCIS.  Hansen suggested he and the source would be handsomely paid.    

Complaints are not findings of guilt.  An individual charged in a complaint is presumed innocent unless or until convicted of the crimes in court. Hansen faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, if convicted of attempted espionage.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the assigned judge.

Special agents of the FBI, IRS, U.S Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Counterintelligence, and the Defense Intelligence Agency are involved in the investigation.  U.S. Army Counterintelligence, the FBI Seattle Division, the IRS, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Weber County Sheriff’s Office assisted in law enforcement operations Saturday in Utah and Seattle.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Lund, Mark K. Vincent and Karin Fojtik of the District of Utah, and Trial Attorneys Patrick T. Murphy and Adam L. Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.  Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington assisted with this case.

U.S., Partner Nations Conclude Pacific Partnership 2018 in Vietnam


By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kelsey L. Adams, Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

NHA TRANG, Vietnam -- After a completing a successful two-week Pacific Partnership 2018 mission here, personnel departed June 2 aboard the U.S. Navy’s hospital ship USNS Mercy.
USNS Mercy arrives in Malaysia for Pacific Partnership

The mission in Nha Trang included personnel from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and U.S. service members assigned to the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick.

“We are very grateful to the people of Vietnam for providing us an opportunity to learn from them,” said Navy Capt. David Bretz, Pacific Partnership 2018 mission commander. “We see our differences in culture and training as something to be celebrated, as anyone would appreciate the unique qualities of a friend. This was a very productive mission for the U.S., Vietnam, Japan and all participating partner nations.”

Providing Medical Care, Engineering Expertise

During the mission in Nha Trang, the mission’s medical professionals worked alongside Vietnamese medical personnel engaging in patient care activities, community health and surgical exchanges and seminars.

Mission civil engineers built and repaired schools and medical clinic facilities alongside their Vietnamese counterparts and held workshops to discuss methods to build resilient facilities that can withstand inclement weather and tropical storms.

Additionally, subject matter experts from the mission conducted workshops highlighting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief topics including swimmer safety, urban search and rescue and a six-day beach course for lifeguard teachers. Mission personnel also set up training scenarios covering response to severe flooding and other natural disasters.

When not participating in training, mission members attended community outreach events such as concerts put on by the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band at various locations, as well as sporting events, arts and crafts for children with disabilities and beach cleanup events.

U.S.-Vietnam Partnership

The United States appreciates Vietnam’s close cooperation and support throughout Pacific Partnership 2018, said U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink.

“Having U.S. and Vietnamese personnel work together on such a broad range of events highlights that we have forged a strong and lasting comprehensive partnership -- one that benefits not just our two countries, but the entire Indo-Pacific region,” Kritenbrink added.

During Pacific Partnership 2018, USNS Mercy and USNS Brunswick conducted visits to different nations in the Indo-Pacific region, increasing the reach and scope of participants and host-nation counterparts to conduct technical expertise exchanges in medical, engineering, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief, officials said.

Additionally, key leader and community engagement events provided opportunities for meaningful engagement with local citizens and enhanced relationships with partner nation military and government leadership.

Pacific Partnership, now in its 13th iteration, is an annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region. Pacific Partnership consists of more than 800 U.S. military personnel stationed worldwide, working side by side with host-nation counterparts to be better prepared for potential humanitarian assistance and disaster relief situations.