Largest Multi-Site Distribution Complex in DOD Delivers for Operation Warp Speed

Jan. 14, 2021 | BY Dawn Bonsell , Defense Logistics Agency

As part of Operation Warp Speed's mission to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution began shipping Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Defense Department employees outside the continental U.S., the deployed U.S. Navy Fleet and a limited number of locations within the continental U.S., Dec. 22.

"I couldn't be prouder of the DLA Distribution team. They're working tirelessly to get the vaccine out as quickly as possible while maintaining the -20 degrees Celsius temperature required to sustain the vaccine's validity," DLA Distribution Commander Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Keith D. Reventlow said. 

Spotlight: Operation Warp Speed

As the Defense Department's storage and distribution provider, DLA Distribution has six U.S.-based and four overseas distribution centers capable of handling the temperature-sensitive cargo. While DLA Distribution has delivered the seasonal flu vaccine to the military for 20 years, the COVID-19 vaccine mission requires additional measures to sustain the proper temperature. Refrigerated trucks, dry-ice, gel packs, specialized cold-chain management training for employees and specialized cold gear including insulated suits, gloves, face masks and boots are provided for employees to wear while working with the shipments inside the temperature-controlled storage containers.

Initial Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and ancillary kit shipments containing gloves, needles, syringes, alcohol wipes, sharps containers, bandaids, gauze and tape have successfully arrived at three U.S. Forces Korea locations, Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan, Naval Base Health Clinic Bahrain, three DOD locations in Germany, two in Belgium and several locations within the continental U.S. Medical staff and other key personnel are now being inoculated during the initial distribution. Patients will be administered two identical doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, separated by 28 days, in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and manufacturer medical guidelines.

Training Exercise

 

Air Force Staff Sgt. Amanda McMillan sets up a racking system during a training exercise inside a C-17 Globemaster III at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 9, 2021.

Leaders Meeting

 

Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller meets with the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Navy Adm. Charles ‘Chas’ Richard, at STRATCOM Headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., Jan. 13, 2021.

Sneak Peek

 

Soldiers prepare for a controlled detonation at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 13, 2021.

Miller Establishes Task Force to Aid Gold Star Families

 Jan. 14, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller virtually sat down with Gold Star families recently to discuss how the Defense Department can better support them.

Miller signed a memo in December 2020, designed to implement programs recognizing the sacrifices of these families and preserve the legacies of those killed. 

"I was tremendously honored and humbled to sit with and listen to our Gold Star Family members," Miller said in a written statement. "They've taken personal tragedies and turned them into powerful stories of hope and healing for others."

Miller established the DOD Casualty Assistance Task Force to address concerns of Gold Star families and suggestions from them. Miller and his team coordinated closely with the office of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness on the task force. 

"Taking care of our Gold Star Families is one of my top priorities; and I am focused on outcomes and actions to ensure that we are doing our utmost to support them," the acting secretary said.

Miller praised efforts within DOD to assist Gold Star families. 

The families come from diverse backgrounds and situations and include moms, dads, husbands, wives who had a son/daughter/wife/husband killed in action, killed in training or by suicide.

DOD Releases List of Additional Companies, In Accordance with Section 1237 of FY99 NDAA

 Jan. 14, 2021

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Today, the Department of Defense released the names of additional “Communist Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States in accordance with the statutory requirement of Section 1237 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, as amended.  

The Department is determined to highlight and counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Military-Civil Fusion development strategy, which supports the modernization goals of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by ensuring its access to advanced technologies and expertise acquired and developed by even those PRC companies, universities, and research programs that appear to be civilian entities.  

The Department released its initial list of companies to Congress in June 2020 and will continue to update the list with additional entities as appropriate.

For the latest list, click here.

For previous lists, click here, here and here.

Four-Minute Float

 

Marine Corps recruits prepare to execute the four-minute float during basic swim qualification at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Jan. 13, 2021.

Getting Prepared

 

Army Sgt. Jason Grant, a medic assigned to the 224th Medical Company Area Support of the Maryland Army National Guard, prepares a COVID-19 vaccine at Regency Stadium in Waldorf, Md., Jan. 9, 2021. The Maryland National Guard mobile vaccination support teams assist with administering vaccines and providing logistical support to local health departments.

Preparing A Vaccine

 

Army Spc. Kailee Soares prepares a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a drive to vaccinate Hawaii National Guardsmen assigned to the COVID-19 response in the town of Hanapepe on Hawaii's Kauai island, Jan. 12, 2021. The Hawaii National Guard's Joint Task Force continued its COVID-19 vaccinations of soldiers and airmen assigned to support Kauai County. The vaccines and the National Guard medical team were airlifted to Kauai County via a Hawaii Army National Guard Black Hawk.

Demon Flex

 

Soldiers fire an M119A3 howitzer during Operation Demon Flex at Fort Bragg, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021. The live-fire exercise builds crew drill proficiencies in order to fight near-peer adversaries.

Alaskan Winter

 

Marines de-ice a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft before takeoff at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Dec. 9, 2020.

COVID-19 Screening

 

Navy Seaman Christian Monieno, assigned to the Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, N.C., prepares to conduct a COVID-19 screening on Marine Corps Cpl. Menelik Collins, a combat photographer assigned to the Communication Strategy and Operations Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, at the new Combined Respiratory Aid Station, Jan. 8, 2021.

Homecoming Hug

 

Navy Chief Petty Officer Colin Peffley hugs a loved one after the USS North Dakota returned to Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Jan. 11, 2021, following a six-month deployment.

Sanitizing the Area

 

Army Pfc. Charles Santos, assigned to the Guam National Guard, sanitizes the observation area at the Okkodo High School COVID-19 vaccination site in Dededo, Jan. 13, 2021.

No Place in DOD for Extremism, White Supremacy, Officials Say

 Jan. 14, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

There is no place in the Defense Department for those who espouse extremist views, DOD officials said today.

Simply put, we will not tolerate extremism of any sort in DOD."

Gary Reed, the director for defense intelligence and counterintelligence, law enforcement and security

In wake of the siege of the U.S. Capitol January 6, Defense Department officials reemphasized the department has zero tolerance for service members or employees engaged in extremism, white supremacy or who belong to organizations that look to overturn the U.S Constitution.

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"We … are doing everything we can to eliminate extremism in the Department of Defense," Gary Reed, the director for defense intelligence and counterintelligence, law enforcement and security, said. "DOD policy expressly prohibits military personnel from actively advocating supremacist, extremist or criminal gang doctrine, ideology or causes."

All military personnel, including those in the reserve components, have undergone background investigations and are subject to continuous evaluation, Reed said. "Simply put, we will not tolerate extremism of any sort in DOD," he said.

Reed statements come on the heels of the extraordinary memo from the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That memo reminded service members of their oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Domestic extremists invaded the U.S. Capitol on January 6, trying to derail Congress from counting the votes of the Electoral College. That mostly symbolic vote declared Joseph Biden won the 2020 election and will be the next president of the United States on Jan. 20.

Some in the crowd that broke into the Capitol were military veterans, and news reports said there may have been active duty members in the crowd as well. 

The department works diligently to ensure that those who espouse extremist views do not end up in the services, senior DOD officials said speaking on background. 

Officials examine those who wish to join the military, speaking to family, friends, teachers, workmates and more before they are allowed to pledge their oath to the Constitution, one official said. Still, some may get in and the department has continuous training and observation to detect these people.

"We work very closely with the FBI to identify any current or former military personnel engaged in domestic extremist behaviors," the official said.

Some military personnel are seduced by the violent militia behavior. "You've seen many examples of that in this country over the years of these militias becoming armed and active," the official said. "Then (there is) another domain within this phenomenon (of those) that are racially or ethnically motivated."

The rise of extremism in the general population affects the department, the official said. "There has been a resurgence of white supremacy and white nationalist activity over the past five or six years," he said. "The 2017 rally in Charlottesville was probably the largest gathering of white supremacy in this country in decades."

He noted that there are private studies that show since 2001, right-wing extremists are responsible for more deaths in the U.S. than any other type of extremist group. 

These groups actively seek to recruit military members to their causes. Other groups "actually encourage their members to join the military, for purposes of acquiring skills and experience," the official said.

Officials said Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller has ordered a review of all policies, laws or regulations concerning participation by service members in extremist organizations. 

"This review will result in a report and recommendations concerning any initiatives we could put forward to more effectively prohibit extremists or hate group activity," the official said.

Falcon Force

 

Air Force Falcon basketball guard Briana Autrey-Thompson attempts a layup against the Boise State University Broncos during a home game at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Clune Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 8, 2021.

Miller Conversation

 

Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller meets with service members at U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., Jan. 13, 2021.

DOD Releases Industrial Capabilities Report

 Jan. 14, 2021

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The Department of Defense (DOD) released the Fiscal Year 2020 Industrial Capabilities Report today.

The FY20 Industrial Capabilities Report transcribes the defense department’s priority industrial base risks and vulnerabilities; major developments and impacts of the coronavirus pandemic; and industrial base investments and initiatives executed in the previous fiscal year. The report promotes a strategy for a robust, resilient, secure, and innovative industrial base, which will require a substantial commitment of capital investment and resources, and continuation of the reforms undertaken in the past several years.

The full report can be viewed here and accompanying infographics can be found here and here.

Wiesbaden Trace Team Evolves As Pandemic Continues

 Jan. 14, 2021 | BY Lisa Bishop

A stable, organizational approach and committed team members allow the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany, trace team to continue responding to the changing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Less than a year ago, the trace team didn't exist. There was no Army job description, office space or bank of telephones to serve its workforce.

Garrison military units detailed soldiers from a variety of backgrounds to establish the team back in March 2020 in order to combat the first wave of the pandemic. At the time, five teams were spread across the Wiesbaden installation manning phones and collecting information.

According to Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Maurice Woods, the current trace team officer in charge, there were no formulated tactics and procedures in the initial days.

"When we first started, it was a growing process," he said. 

Questions, according to Woods, like how to collect information, store data and methods for pushing information out to decision makers and the public have been resolved. 

Newer trace team members like Air Force Airman 1st Class Ustav Poudyal, analyst, are now assigned for 60-day details after they've completed training.

"This time has been really beneficial for me in terms of my career development," he said. "I really haven't had a chance to have exposure to a lot of joint environments." Assigned in November, he decided to extend his time with the team.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Nies, airspace noncommissioned officer from Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, is completing his second appointment with the team.

"The second time they called and asked if I could come back, I did it without hesitation," he said. "I really find pleasure in doing this job; I feel like I'm a part of a bigger picture."

With his current rotation, Nies sees the organizational changes, including its hierarchical structure. Divided into Alpha, Bravo and Charlie sections, Nies has recently become the officer in charge for the Charlie section.

"I have some junior enlisted soldiers underneath me," he said. He is focusing on developing his leadership skills around how his crew operates.

The section strategy is one of the tactics that reflected the learning gained from experience, Woods said.  By having three sections in their own apartment/office space, they can flexibly schedule for weekends and reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Change remains the biggest challenge they face, according to Woods. He said the constant shift in host nation and Army-wide policies means his team must be ready to make adjustments to their tactics and procedures. He pointed to the recent reduction of quarantine from 14 to 10 days as an example.

Nies said, "Be patient with us; be patient with the whole situation. Keeping up with the changes is really probably the most challenging part."

As for the team members, when they finish their rotation on the trace team, they return to their normal military assignment with the caveat that they can be called back when needed. Clearly, for some, they feel the calling to stay.

Woods said, "I volunteered to stay on; I like what the mission does; I felt like I was making a difference for the garrison overall."

(Lisa Bishop is assigned to the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden.)

Partnerships Key to Space Force Delivering Warfighting Capabilities

 Jan. 14, 2021 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

The Space Force is responsible for delivering space capability to the joint and coalition forces, including such items as navigation, timing, electromagnetic operations, orbital warfare, GPS, missile warning, satellite communications and launch space domain awareness.

Many of those capabilities have been forward deployed to the Middle East and other areas for some time, said Space Force Gen. David D. Thompson, the vice chief of space operations, who provided virtual remarks yesterday to the Association of Old Crows, regarding space operations.

To continue to provide these and future capabilities, it is important that the Space Force has an effective and digitally fluent workforce that's adequately trained and educated to operate systems and networks in the cyberspace domain in a cyber-secure manner, he said.

Thompson stressed the service's reliance on partnerships.

The Space Force relies on the commercial sector for innovative ideas, prototypes and experimentation, he said. They can design, develop, build and field them rapidly.

The idea of prototyping quickly involves some risk of failure. But even failure can lead to solutions that spiral development, he added.

Partnerships with the joint force, combatant commands and Defense Department agencies is also important, he said.

"We have enduring relationships with the National Reconnaissance Office and the rest of the intelligence community," he said. "We not only need to maintain those but deepen those as well, especially because we're now partners with them in the need to defend and protect these capabilities from threats."

The United States can no longer afford to go it alone when it comes to space capabilities, Thompson said.

"We see nations who want to grow and evolve their space capabilities, who want to use them for economic purposes, who want to use them for civil and public safety purposes, who also want to use them for national security purposes. We see a lot of common ground with them and a lot of common interests," he said.

Traditional Space Force partners have been Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, he said. Over the last few years, partnerships with France, Germany, Japan and South Korea have been expanding, along with a number of NATO nations such as Norway.

Partnerships with Brazil, Argentina, Chile and other nations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region are also on the horizon.