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An Air Force C-130 Hercules fires off flares during Southern Strike at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Miss., April 25, 2021. More than 2,000 service members participate in the annual training exercise which is designed to increase combat readiness.
Soldiers fire 105mm howitzers during night operations at Fort Chaffee, Ark., April 24, 2021.
Marines participate in a motivational run at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, April 28, 2021.
Soldiers test proficiency in basic infantry and tasks to earn the Expert Infantryman Badge or Expert Soldier Badge at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, April 27, 2021.
Soldiers rappel from a UH-60 Black Hawk during a 10-day air assault course at 25th Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, April 22, 2021.
A Marine fires an M777A2 howitzer during an artillery relocation training program at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, April 23, 2021.
An Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II prepares to extract Marines during Pacific Pioneer at Kin Blue training area in Okinawa, Japan, April 20, 2021. The exercise demonstrates the Marine Corps' ability to establish and sustain expeditionary advanced bases with survivable force protection, practice naval integration and position long range precision fires and tactical logistics nodes across littoral regions in support of naval operations.
April 28, 2021 | BY David Vergun , DOD News
Senior Defense Department financial leaders updated the House Armed Services Committee today on the department's Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation plan, the fiscal year 2020 audit and other DOD financial management related issues.
Douglas A. Glenn, DOD chief financial officer, said he's keenly aware that the department must be "good stewards of taxpayer dollars and [is] working to increase transparency in how we manage the resources entrusted to us."
This year marks the third department-wide audit.
The department continues to make steady progress toward getting to a clean audit, he said, meaning zero discrepancies.
Glenn told lawmakers that he cannot give a firm date when the department will get to a clean audit, but he said that a reasonable guess would be around 2028.
In last year's audit, there were around 3,400 notices of findings and recommendations. As of this month, the department has successfully closed on 23% of those, meaning remedial actions have been taken to address those discrepancies, he said.
"At the risk of sounding dramatic, the audit is driving improved national security. We already know DOD systems are primary targets for cyberattacks, from both foreign and domestic [sources]," he said.
As a result of the audit, DOD now annually tests its cybersecurity processes and procedures, controlling who can access its systems, what level of access they can have, what procedures they can perform and who can access decoding configuration capabilities, he said.
Overall, the audit provides a high return on investment to taxpayers and dramatically increases transparency and accountability as data is made more accurate, reliable and timely, he said.
To improve its audit performance, the department is working with other federal agencies and oversight bodies, such as the Treasury Department, the Government Accountability Office, the Office of Management and Budget, as well as the larger financial community such as the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board and the American Society of Military Comptrollers, he said.
Others testifying were: Wesley C. Miller, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller; Alaleh Jenkins, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Navy for financial management and comptroller; and Stephen R. Herrera, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. William Martin provides security during exercise Hagåtña Fury 21 on Ukibaru, Japan, Feb. 17, 2021.
Sailors form a teal ribbon on the flight deck of the USS Arlington in Norfolk, Va., April 26, 2021, in support of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
April 28, 2021
The Office of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (OSEAC) announced today the following assignment:
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brion P. Blais, currently assigned as command chief master sergeant, U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa, was selected to replace Hungarian Sgt. Maj. Tibor Bogdán as command senior enlisted leader in Allied Command Transformation, NATO, Norfolk, Virginia.
April 28, 2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Pakistan’s
Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss regional
stability and security.
During the call, Secretary Austin reaffirmed the importance of the U.S. – Pakistan bilateral relationship and expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s support for Afghanistan Peace Negotiations. Secretary Austin and General Bajwa also discussed the drawdown in Afghanistan.
Secretary Austin and General Bajwa discussed the importance of regional stability and the desire for the United States and Pakistan to continue working together on shared goals and objectives in the region.
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