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An airman reunites with his family at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., Jan. 24, 2021, following his return from a four-month deployment. Airmen from across the 19th Airlift Wing supported airlift operations in both the U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility.
Sailors prepare syringes of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine aboard the USS Essex in San Diego, Feb. 3, 2021. This marked the first time personnel received vaccines aboard a U.S. Pacific Fleet warship.
The Coast Guard cutter Polar Star travels south in the Bering Strait in the early hours of Jan. 19, 2021. The heavy icebreaker is underway to project power and support national security objectives throughout Alaskan waters and into the Arctic.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Kaitlain Gilmour secures a pallet of N95 masks inside a C-17 Globemaster III bound for Germany as part of a humanitarian mission, Jan. 27, 2021, at Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jamie Franco recites the oath of enlistment during a change of service ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Feb. 1, 2021. Jamie and her husband, Frank, both made the jump from the Air Force to the Space Force.
Marines conduct hazmat training at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif, Feb. 1, 2021.
Air Force Master Sgt. Ian McMahon organizes bread trays for distribution at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., Feb. 4, 2021. Connecticut Air National Guardsmen are supporting logistics operations amid the coronavirus pandemic at the Foodshare drive-thru emergency distribution site, which has distributed more than 8 million pounds of food to 233,000 cars since April 20, 2020.
Army Spc. Daria Jackson fills a parcel at a food bank in Vilnius, Lithuania, Feb. 4, 2021. Jackson volunteered to help end food waste and hunger in the capital city.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Morgan M. Smith receives a Meritorious Service Medal from Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Sims at Fort Riley, Kansas, Feb. 4, 2021. Smith was named the Secretary of the Army's reserve component career counselor of the year.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Tyler Fee refuels a C-17 Globemaster at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., Feb. 3, 2021.
Marines participate in a motivational run at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Feb. 4, 2021.
Feb. 5, 2021
On February 5, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin spoke with His Excellency Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to an enduring U.S.-Afghan partnership, emphasizing the strength of the defense relationship. The Secretary and President Ghani discussed the shared sacrifices of U.S. and Afghanistan forces and collective gains made over the last 19 years.
President Ghani and Secretary Austin discussed the Afghan peace process and the imperative for a negotiated settlement to end the war. Both sides emphasized the importance of seizing this opportunity for peace.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Luc J. Cogger conducts radio checks during a simulated raid at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 1, 2021. Marines aboard amphibious assault ship USS America regularly conduct raids to maintain their readiness supporting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Marines utilize combat rubber raiding crafts to approach the guided missile submarine USS Ohio during an integration exercise off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 2, 2021.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Sonia Hernandez and Petty Officer 3rd Class Sean Redd participate in a small-boat attack drill during Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain in Groton, Conn., Feb. 4, 2021. The two-part force protection exercise is used to evaluate the readiness of the fleet and installation security programs.
Feb. 4, 2021
President Biden’s call today for American leadership on the world stage, and in particular his belief that diplomacy should be our first tool of choice, is reassuring not only to the men and women of the Department of Defense, but to our fellow citizens as well. It means the United States, never afraid to fight when we must, will also never be afraid to engage in difficult discussions and negotiations.
Of course, it also means that we in the Department must be ever-ready to buttress the hard work of diplomacy, to support it with the capabilities our nation needs to make clear our determination and to secure our interests when challenged. If we must fight, we must win. That requires a laser-focus on talent and training, innovation and leadership, forward presence and readiness.
At the direction of the President, the Department will therefore conduct a global force posture review of U.S. military footprint, resources, strategy and missions. It will inform my advice to the Commander-in-Chief about how we best allocate military forces in pursuit of national interests. The review will be led by the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in close consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
We will consult our allies and partners as we conduct this review. As I said on my first day in the job, no one succeeds at this business alone. From Afghanistan and the Middle East, across Europe, Africa and our own hemisphere, to the wide expanse of the Western Pacific, the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with allies old and new, partners big and small. Each of them brings to the mission unique skills, knowledge and capabilities. And each of them represents a relationship worth tending, preserving and respecting. We will do so.
As President Kennedy once observed, diplomacy and defense are not mutually-exclusive. They complement one another. They each make the other stronger. And each alone will likely fail.
Today, President Biden reminds us that risk of such failure is still high, and that the costs of American leadership -- also high -- are still worth paying. He reminds us that the American people are safer when we act in concert with our allies and in accordance with our values. And he challenges us to remember that, while force may be the final, diplomacy must be the first arbiter of our peace and security.
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