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Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Scott Jenkins interacts with Afghan children at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Aug. 30, 2021. The Defense Department through Northern Command and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening and general support for up to 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible.
A Louisiana National Guardsman assists in rescuing people in LaPlace, La., Aug. 31, 2021, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. More than 6,000 members of the National Guard from more than a dozen states were in Louisiana assisting state and federal partners with relief efforts.
Sailors and Marines transport cargo on the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima during a replenishment in the Gulf of Oman, Sept. 2, 2021.
Spacecom provides, among other things, position navigation and timing, satellite communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities and missile warning to warfighters, said Army Gen. James H. Dickinson, who spoke Wednesday at the 2021 Fires Conference at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
"I'm responsible for providing that to you as the warfighter," he said. "I want to make sure you know where you're at. [I] want to make sure that you should know if that's been denied to you or degraded for you. In other words, when you go out to your units, when you become commanders, you should always remember that you may be in a degraded or denied environment."
Dickinson said he was pleased to see at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, that artillery soldiers were practicing use of the M2 aiming circle — a non-electronic, mechanical and optical device — to aim their guns.
"They were setting in that weapon system ... they weren't using GPS," he said. "They were doing something that they absolutely have to be able to do in the event that they don't have that signal. And that might not be for a long time, but it might be at a critical point on the battlefield where you have to be, in order to provide your effect — whatever that is — and you can't get to that."
Dickinson told officers at the Fires Conference that the capabilities Space Command provides — GPS, communications, and ISR, for instance — are phenomenal and greatly enhance their ability to operate. But they must be prepared for when, even for a short time, that capability is denied them by the enemy.
The general said he believes that at training centers, scenarios now involve degraded environments to force participants to fall back on older methods to accomplish their mission.
"I think they are creating those effects at the National Training Center, at combat training centers, so that you get a feel for what that's like and having to go back to like an M2 aiming circle or even a lensatic compass and a map, if you have to," he said. "But I think you, we, have to be prepared that you will be in a degraded or denied environment. And, so, understanding what that means and how you can mitigate that will be even more important."
Sailors prepare an aircraft pylon for transport on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan in the Arabian Sea, Sept. 2, 2021.
Soldiers conduct a company level air assault mission during Exercise Bronco Rumble at Keaukaha Military Reservation in Hawaii, Aug. 24, 2021. The mission allowed the brigade to test its ability to conduct operations over large distances, including neighboring islands, while still maintaining operational control.
Military Sealift Command's USNS William McLean returns to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after a seven-month deployment, Aug. 30, 2021.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Javon Coleman extinguishes a fire during a training exercise at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Aug. 10, 2021.
Service members participate in a field training exercise at the Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, Aug. 28, 2021.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Gideon Hanes participates in a quick response training event at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, June 12, 2021.
Air Force 1st Lt. Kyle Gager steps out of the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle during an agile combat employment exercise at Royal Air Force Fairford, England, Aug. 23, 2021.
Marines fire the saluting battery during a Friday Evening Parade at Marine Barracks Washington, Aug. 29, 2021.
A Marine practices drill in preparation for his upcoming evaluation at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Sept. 1, 2021.
Sept. 2, 2021
Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout:
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner co-chaired the fifth U.S. – India 2+2 Intercessional Dialogue, Sept. 1, alongside Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Ervin Massinga, Joint Secretary Somnath Ghosh of the Indian Ministry of Defense, and Joint Secretary Vani Rao of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
The Dialogue spanned the U.S. – India comprehensive global strategic partnership, including climate, public health, defense, trade, technology and governance.
U.S. and Indian officials exchanged views on a range of regional issues of shared interest, including in South Asia, East and Southeast Asia, and the Western Indian Ocean, and identified opportunities for enhanced cooperation on maritime security, regional connectivity, counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
With several defense enabling agreements in place, officials committed to driving greater interoperability between the U.S. and Indian militaries. They also discussed bilateral and multilateral joint service engagements, as well as ways to advance cooperation in new domains, such as space, cyber, and emerging technology areas. Discussions also drove progress toward operationalizing key bilateral initiatives on information-sharing, logistics, defense industrial cooperation, and joint doctrine engagement through liaison exchanges.
Building on growing bilateral ties, U.S. and Indian officials discussed new opportunities to strengthen multilateral cooperation between the United States, India, and other like-minded partners.
Today’s Intercessional laid the groundwork for a fruitful 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in the coming months, as the United States and India work together to sustain a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Assistant Secretary Ratner expressed his confidence that the United States and India will continue to take their partnership to new heights as they jointly meet the challenges of this century.
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