Military News: 09/27/21

Monday, September 27, 2021

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Phone Call with France Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly

Sept. 27, 2021

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly today over the phone to discuss the evolving situation in the Sahel. Secretary Austin applauded French leadership in countering terrorism in the region and assured her of continued U.S. support for this important mission. Secretary Austin also gave his condolences for the death of French soldier Maxime Blasco, who was killed in a militant clash on the Mali-Burkina Faso border Saturday. The two leaders agreed to continue regular consultations on the situation in the Sahel

Picture Perfect

A Marine paints a wall with fellow service members.

Marine Corps Sgt. Annalise Rogers paints a wall of the school during UNITAS, the world's longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise, in Ancon, Peru, Sept. 25, 2021.

Striking Shots

Marines kneel while firing a weapon in the dark illuminated by bright striking lights.

Marines fire an M3E1 multi-purpose anti-armor anti-personnel weapon system during a service level training exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept. 24, 2021.

Hicks Greets Blue Star Families, Veterans, Civilians in Welcome Week

Sept. 27, 2021 | BY Terri Moon Cronk , DOD News

The work of Blue Star Families is vital to ensuring military families and veterans are embraced by their local communities and neighborhoods, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks said at the opener of Blue Star Families Welcome Week, Sept. 25 - Oct. 3.

Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including the National Guard and Reserves, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks stands outside with hand over heart.

Every year, about 600,000 military families relocate, whether through a move — a permanent change of station — or transitioning out of the military. During Blue Star Welcome Week, the organization celebrates an opportunity for the community to welcome military families into a new duty station, or reentry into civilian life.

The deputy secretary said she is grateful to Blue Star Families for organizing this important event, because whether one is from a military family or a civilian family, being a part of a community is crucial to everyone's well-being.

Hicks also comes from a military family in which her father served more than 30 years in the Navy. Growing up, she said she lived all across the United States from Connecticut to Hawaii.

The deputy defense secretary sits at a table and speaks toward a screen.

"I know first-hand that being in a military family can be extremely rewarding," she said in videotaped remarks to Blue Star families, veterans and civilians. "You're part of something larger than yourself. You travel and learn different local and regional cultures, cuisines and dialects. You selflessly give to our nation and contribute to our national security."

But, she said, she also knows how difficult military family life can be at times. "I know how tough it is to PCS every few years," Hicks said. "Just as you feel you're getting settled, it's time to pack up again. Schools, jobs, neighborhoods and relationships are dislocated. That's why our military families and veterans benefit so much from supportive and understanding civilian neighbors."

The deputy secretary said she was thankful for the civilian partners and friends who joined the Welcome Week and for their support. "It enables our military families to thrive," she said. "The warm welcome that you offer — not just to our service members, but to our veterans, care givers, survivors and their families — creates that real foundational community connection that says you're home."

The deputy defense secretary departs Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.

And that is why Blue Star Welcome Week is so important, Hicks said. Each year, hundreds of thousands of military members and their families will PCS throughout the U.S. and become the newest members of communities all across the country, she said, adding that by raising awareness now, all can work to support not only the military families living in communities, but priming neighborhoods to ensure we are ready to welcome our military families when they arrive.

"The benefits of this engagement go both ways," she said. "When a military family or veteran moves into your community, you are rewarded with new neighbors who are resilient, hard-working and service-minded. So, thank you to Blue Star Families for helping us all come together to find solutions that strengthen all of us."

Global Missile Defense From Space Got More Affordable, DOD Official Says

Sept. 27, 2021 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

The Defense Department hopes, within the decade, to have a meshed network of low Earth orbit satellites — linked together and to warfighters — providing real-time global awareness of missile threats and the ability to respond.

However, that goal was once considered cost prohibitive, said the director of the Space Development Agency.

A man sits in front of several computer monitors at the Pentagon.

Derek M. Tournear participated today in a Defense One virtual panel on the "State of the Space Force."

Now, the privatized commercial space industry has made that goal much more affordable, he said.

To put that in perspective, historically, each satellite has cost hundreds of millions of dollars, he said.

Commercialization of space has brought these prices down. "We now have 20 of our transport satellites on firm fixed price contracts at $14.1 million apiece," he said. "That's unheard of, and we believe that price will continue to go down as commercialization keeps driving the price down."

Spotlight: Science and Tech

That's only one part of it, he said. The other part of it is that access to space has also been commoditized. Commercial industry has been driving down the price to get satellites in orbit.

A few years ago, launches were hundreds of millions of dollars and now, they're tens of millions of dollars which is a huge difference when launching hundreds and hundreds of satellites that the DOD needs for spiral development, he said.

The end game for the space-based architecture would be, for example, to track hypersonic glide vehicles, calculate a fire control solution and send that directly to a weapon to intercept and neutralize that threat, he said. "These are the missions people have wanted to do for a long time."

Tournear mentioned the Missile Defense Agency, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, along with industry partners, in playing roles in that endeavor.

Moderator Patrick Tucker, the technology editor for Defense One, added that 3D printed components and new breakthroughs in software have also brought costs down.

Tucker also pointed out that China and Russia also have access to the same technology and advantages that the U.S. has.

Ford Honors

A sailor places flowers at a memorial marker.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Paulina Gutierrez places a rose at the tomb of former President Gerald R. Ford in Grand Rapids, Mich., Sept. 23, 2021. Gutierrez and other crew members from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford are visiting three Michigan cities in honor of the ship’s namesake.