A Super Puma helicopter transports ammunition from the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Amelia Earhart, right, to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea, May 14, 2021.
Monday, May 17, 2021
Constitution Climber
Navy Seaman Melanie Santos climbs the mizzen top yard aboard the USS Constitution in Boston, May 13, 2021. The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, having actively defended sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.
Family Day Demo
The Utah National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery participates in a recruiting and family day live-fire artillery demonstration at Camp Williams, Utah, May 15, 2021.
Mirror, Mirror
Marine Corps Cpl. Patrick McGuire applies camouflage paint to conceal himself from simulated enemy air surveillance during an exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., May 4, 2021.
DOD and VA Partner on Nation's Only Suicide Prevention Conference Focused on Service Members and Veterans
May 17, 2021
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are dedicated to empowering all service members, veterans, and their families by providing the strategies, tools, and resources to thrive. This May, DOD and VA personnel from across the nation will convene online at the 2021 DOD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference to further the development of effective, innovative suicide prevention strategies.
“Our Departments are working tirelessly together to prevent suicide. It is our obligation—to those in uniform, our veterans, their families, and to one another—to make sure our people know they are not alone, support is within reach, and we are ready to help,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III. “This conference is invaluable for the DoD, the VA, and other experts from across the nation to learn and share suicide prevention strategies and programs, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“As I promised at my nomination, reducing suicide is among my top priorities as Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “But we cannot do this by ourselves—there is no one fix and no single organization can end suicide alone. We need all the players at the table, from public health experts and government agencies, to faith-based and community organizations, to help prevent suicide in our military and veteran communities. I look forward to working closely with Secretary Austin, and with leaders across government, academia, non-profits, and the private sector, to make progress in this effort.”
This conference is an important forum for sharing best practices, key research findings and policy updates in the suicide prevention field. It is a crucial extension of the shared DOD and VA mission to prevent suicide and support service members and their families throughout their military life, as well as during their military-to-civilian transition, reintegration, and beyond.
The 2021 DOD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference is guided by the Department of Defense Strategy for Suicide Prevention and the National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, which outline the agencies’ public health approaches to preventing suicide in military and veteran populations. This year’s theme – Make Every Connection Count: Putting the 7 Strategies for Suicide Prevention to Work – promotes a comprehensive approach to prevention, which uses evidence-informed programs, tools, and practices to foster connectedness, increase coping and problem-solving, create protective environments, and strengthen suicide care, among other efforts.
Conference participants will leave the 2021 DOD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference with evidence-based tools for engaging in suicide prevention in their communities.
Information regarding efforts of the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office can be found at www.dspo.mil. To learn more about the efforts of VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, visit www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention.
Service members and veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a service member or veteran in crisis, can call the Military Crisis Line/Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.”
DOD Exercise Highlights Need to Address Climate Change, Its Impacts
May 17, 2021 | , DOD News
The Defense Department's first climate and environmental security "tabletop" exercise, dubbed Elliptic Thunder, highlighted the growing security threats posed by climate and environmental change, while illustrating that prevention activities today are essential to avoiding dire consequences in the future, Annalise Blum, an American Association for the Advancement of Science policy fellow in Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy's Office of Stability and Humanitarian Affairs said.
Elliptic Thunder, which was co-sponsored by the Office of Stability and Humanitarian Affairs and the Joint Staff J5, took place March 25. Based upon future climate, economic and population forecasts, the exercise was set in East Africa in a notional future in which climate change had gradually disrupted natural systems, weakening several states in the region and increasing the risk of climate-driven extreme events. A combination of floods, droughts, and cyclones led to shortages of food, water, and energy — causing large-scale instability and migration. This instability expanded opportunities for extremist groups and strategic rivals to gain influence with consequences for U.S. national security and defense objectives.
Adam Mausner, senior policy advisor in SHA, noted that the exercise made clear that climate change is a national security issue, and should be tackled with the same urgency and resourcing as other major threats to our country. "Additionally, high-end conventional combat capabilities were of little use in the scenario, as our adversaries instead engaged in irregular warfare to gain advantage," he said.
Participants in the exercise included representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff and the U.S. Africa Command; Joe Bryan, special assistant to the Secretary of Defense for climate; and representatives from the National Security Council, the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Intelligence Community and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The main takeaways of the Elliptic Thunder exercise included:
- Climate and environmental change will exacerbate existing threats and security challenges via increased frequency and severity of environmental stressors and extreme events. Compounding and cascading events are likely to be particularly disruptive.
- Environmental changes have implications across the department with respect to great power competition, counterterrorism, our alliances and partners, basing, access to ports and landing sites, infrastructure investments and more.
- DOD will need to develop and/or refine policies, authorities and organizations — as well as processes, budget and funding to best prepare for and respond to climate threats.
- Improved understanding of emerging threats will help prevent and prepare for future environmental and climate security challenges. Enabling a shift to prevention activities will help avoid simply responding to crises.
- Building partner capacity and resiliency will be critical to manage climate risks. Effective diplomacy and strategic messaging will be essential to countering adversaries who will seek to exploit climate-related insecurity for strategic advantage.
- A whole-of-government approach is needed to address climate and environmental security threats across the federal government. Partnerships with industry, academia and non-profit organizations can improve sharing and coordination of data-collection, modeling, disaster response initiatives and early warning best practices.
Blum noted that participants expressed interest in future tabletop exercises to address the impacts of climate change and environmental security challenges. Future exercises, she said, might include greater participation from allies and partners to include experts from NATO, the United Nations, the scientific community, the humanitarian and disaster recovery community and other relevant experts.
Bryan emphasized the value of the exercise and the need for future exercises, assessments and other events to help the department better understand the links between climate change and global security.
Cargo Transfer
A sailor signals to the Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS William McLean during a replenishment-at-sea in the Atlantic Ocean, May 13, 2021.
Line Labor
Sailors take in a mooring line aboard the USS Rafael Peralta in Yokosuka, Japan, April 23, 2021.
Sicily Jump
A soldier exits a Marine Corps KC-130 aircraft during a static line jump over Sicily drop zone, Fort. Bragg, N.C., May 1, 2021.
Navy Physical Therapist Finds Challenge, Fulfillment in Rugby
May 17, 2021 | , DOD News
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have shaped the history of the
United States and have had their lives dramatically influenced by
moments in its history. Every May the Defense Department joins the rest
of the nation in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage
Month.
Navy Lt. Tia Blythe was born in California, as was her mother. Her maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from China in 1952.
Blythe joined the Navy through a direct commission as a lieutenant in 2018. She serves in the Medical Service Corps as a physical therapist, having already obtained a bachelors and masters degree from the University of California at Los Angeles before getting her doctorate degree in physical therapy from the University of Southern California.
"After working as a civilian physical therapist for three years, I knew that I needed to do more," she said. "I was drawn to the military because I knew I would constantly be challenged, to learn, to grow and to lead, and the Navy provided opportunities to have a positive effect on the lives of thousands of sailors and Marines.
Blythe admitted that it was her dream to serve ever since she was in high school, but it took her a decade after graduating from high school to take the plunge and join the Navy.
"I could not be happier with my decision. I am proud to be an Asian American service member. I can celebrate my heritage while being proud of my country and the work that I do. Ultimately, I chose the U.S. Navy because my grandfather served on the USS Oriskany [aircraft carrier] in 1956. He reminds me of the sacrifices my grandparents have made to allow me to have the opportunities I have today as an American," she said.
Since being commissioned at Officer Development School at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, Blythe has been stationed at Naval Medical and Readiness Training Center, Camp Pendleton, California.
Besides being a physical therapist, Blythe also is a member of the Navy Women's Rugby team.
"Rugby has provided me with lifelong friends, confidence, and an unwavering work ethic. It has empowered me to be a leader," she said.
In the past, Blythe played rugby on the UCLA Women's Rugby Team, San Diego Women's Premier League team and on the USA Women's National Team.
She also captained teams to four national championships, traveled to Okinawa, Scotland, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai for matches, and won a Silver Medal in the Rugby World Series.
As for future plans, Blythe said she would like to make a career of the Navy and continue playing and coaching rugby.
She's also begun working on a virtual coaching project that will allow her to coach athletes from all over the country no matter where her Navy assignment takes her.
Flight Inspection
Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Butler conducts a preflight inspection of an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, May 11, 2021.
Cannon Crew
Soldiers fire cannons during the 7th Infantry Division's change-of-command and responsibility ceremony at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., May 11, 2021.
Arizona Vaccination
Army Sgt. Gilberto Armento, a combat medic with the Arizona Army National Guard, assists with immunizations at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Mesa, Ariz., May 13, 2021. The Arizona National Guard continues to support vaccination sites across the state in an effort to help Arizona citizens protect themselves against COVID-19.
Vaccination Supplies
Air Force Senior Airman Whitney Fenninger-Stutzman, right, distributes medical supplies to the vaccinators at a federally-run community vaccination center at the Greenbelt Metro Station in Greenbelt, Md., May 13, 2021.
Falcon Force
Army UH-60 Black Hawks conduct sling-load operations during Falcon Response in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, May 15, 2021. The Dutch-led exercise is designed to build readiness and interoperability.
Sewing Sailor
A sailor threads string through a sewing machine aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli during routine operations in the Pacific Ocean, May 12, 2021.
Wildfire Training
Members of the California National Guard use hand tools to clear debris and form a safety fire line during training for the upcoming wildfire season in Friant, Calif., May 12, 2021.
Chopper View
Two pilots fly an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter over the Gulf of Alaska during Exercise Northern Edge, May 10, 2021.
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Portuguese Minister of National Defense João Cravinho
May 17, 2021
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Jamal Brown provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Portuguese Minister of National Defense João Cravinho to reaffirm the robust security partnership between the United States and our close NATO Ally Portugal. The Secretary congratulated Minister Cravinho on the launch of Portugal’s Atlantic Centre on May 14, in the Azores, and thanked the Minister for hosting U.S. forces at Lajes Field.
Secretary Austin also noted Portugal’s productive term holding the Presidency of the European Union (EU) Council. The Secretary welcomed the recent EU decision allowing the U.S. to join the Permanent Structure Cooperation (PESCO) military mobility project, and viewed this as a positive step toward greater NATO and EU cooperation.
The two leaders discussed the geostrategic importance of the Atlantic and challenges along Europe’s southern flank. Secretary Austin recognized Portugal’s significant contributions to African security, including the recent deployment of Portuguese military trainers to Mozambique. The Secretary noted the potentially destabilizing influence of Chinese security partnerships in Africa.
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