No Sign of Operations Tempo Slowing, National Guard Bureau Chief Says

July 2, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

Some 120,000 members of the National Guard have responded this year to natural disasters — floods in Michigan, wildfires in Kansas and tornadoes in Tennessee, just to name a few; — and have participated in global military operations and responded to civil disturbances and to COVID-19, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said.

"It has been a crazy year, and it's just early July," Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel said today during a Brookings Institution webcast today titled "The Force America Needs: Lessons of 2020 and the Future of the National Guard."

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in some states and no reduction to worldwide operational commitments, Lengyel said, he sees no reduction in operations tempo.

About 45,000 members of the guard have been assisting with COVID-19 mitigation efforts in every state and territory since the pandemic started, the general said. Another 45,000 supported the law enforcement response to civil disturbances in 33 states.

"All across the country, the National Guard was aiding the American people, delivering personal protective equipment, and in some cases, they were manufacturing personal protective equipment, staffing food banks and test centers, protecting peaceful protesters' First Amendment rights, and sharing best practices as we learn how to do some of these things," Lengyel said.

Infantry officers were running food banks and COVID-19 test sites, he noted, adding that the National Guard "can do any task that our nation needs them to do."

While serving Americans on the homefront, none of the National Guard's operational commitments to combatant commanders around the world were reduced, he added.

Lengyel said the National Guard has been involved in space operations for at least 25 years and that he hopes it will play a major role in the Space Force, the newest military service.

The National Guard has some unique advantages in the Defense Department, the general said. A big advantage, he pointed out, is that it is less costly to fund the guard compared to the active forces. In time of war or national emergency, the National Guard can be quickly mobilized and used at the federal level or under the direction of the state governors, he added.

Lengyel said that when he joined the Air Force more than four decades ago, the National Guard was used as a strategic reserve. Today, he said, its is an important component of the operational force, trained and equipped with modern weapons and ready to support combatant commanders globally.

Paratrooper Descent

Army paratroopers descend after jumping from a C-17 aircraft during training at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 30, 2020, as part of Spartan Flex, an operation to exercise joint capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.

People's Republic of China Military Exercises in the South China Sea

July 2, 2020

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The Department of Defense is concerned about the People’s Republic of China (PRC) decision to conduct military exercises around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on July 1-5. 

The designated area where the exercises are due to take place encompass contested waters and territory. Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to efforts at easing tensions and maintaining stability. The PRC’s actions will further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea.  Such exercises also violate PRC commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to avoid activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability.

The military exercises are the latest in a long string of PRC actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea.  The PRC’s actions stand in contrast to its pledge to not militarize the South China Sea and the United States' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms.

The Department of Defense will continue to monitor the situation with the expectation that the PRC will reduce its militarization and coercion of its neighbors in the South China Sea. We urge all parties to exercise restraint and not undertake military activities that might aggravate disputes in the South China Sea.

Department of Defense Statement on Gen. Gustave Perna's Confirmation

July 2, 2020

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Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper issued the following statement:

"Today, I’m proud to announce the U.S. Senate has officially confirmed General Gustave F. Perna as Chief Operating Officer of Operation Warp Speed (OWS). With experience as Commander of the Army’s Materiel Command (AMC), General Perna is exceptionally well qualified to help lead this historic operation to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 medical countermeasures. I have every confidence General Perna will carry out the duties of this mission with proficiency and professionalism, and the Department of Defense is committed to ensuring he has the resources, authority, and support he needs throughout this process."

Killeen Woman Faces Federal Charge in Connection with the Disappearance of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen

Today, federal authorities filed a criminal complaint against 22-year-old Cecily Aguilar in connection with the disappearance of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command (USACID) Special Agent in Charge Vanessa Neff at Fort Hood, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

The criminal complaint charges Aguilar with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. According to the complaint, 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Robinson told Aguilar that he killed a female soldier by striking her in the head with a hammer while on Ft. Hood on April 22, 2020.  Robinson further admitted to Aguilar that he transferred the woman’s body off of Ft. Hood to a remote site in Bell County.  Subsequently, Robinson enlisted the help of Aguilar in disposing of the dead female’s body.  The complaint further alleges that at a later time Aguilar recognized the deceased, whom she helped Robinson mutilate and dispose of, as Vanessa Guillen. The remains found in Bell County have yet to be formally identified by authorities.

The complaint further states that earlier this week, Robinson shot and killed himself when confronted by police.

Upon conviction, Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.  She remains in custody at this time awaiting her Initial Appearance in federal court in Waco. The hearing is expected to take place early next week. 

Agents and investigators from USACID, FBI, Texas Rangers, Bell County Sheriff’s Office, Killeen Police Department, Belton Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Marshals Service are continuing to investigate this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Frazier and Greg Gloff are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. 

A criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.