Dempsey, NATO Defense Chiefs Gather for Conference

By John D. Banusiewicz

American Forces Press Service

BRUSSELS, April 24, 2012 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet with his NATO counterparts and the defense chiefs of partner nations in a two-day conference that begins tomorrow at NATO headquarters here.

The chairman arrived here from Afghanistan today for the third stop in an overseas trip that began with a visit to Jordan.

NATO foreign and defense ministers recently met to set the agenda for the alliance’s summit in Chicago next month, when the heads of state and government gather to finalize commitments. Over the next two days, Dempsey said, the defense chiefs will discuss how to act upon the guidance.

“The ministers get together and provide us with political guidance, and we discuss how we turn that into military advice and planning,” the chairman explained.

But the Chicago summit will focus on the way ahead after 2014, when Afghan forces will have security responsibility for all of Afghanistan, he noted, and challenges remain in the meantime. Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, will brief the defense chiefs, as will Simon Gass, the alliance’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan. Dempsey met privately with Allen at ISAF headquarters April 22.

Partnerships based on capabilities will be another important aspect of the defense chiefs’ discussions, the chairman said.

“Our new U.S. strategy rebalances our forces toward the Asia-Pacific region while sustaining our commitments in the Middle East,” he noted. “We and our partners need to innovate. We need to move away from our traditional paradigm and take a fresh look at re-emphasizing policies and procedures that allow us to provide the capabilities we all need.”

Rotations, exercises and military academy exchange programs go a long way toward building and sustaining partnerships and helping partner nations’ respective military capabilities fit together, the general said. “As we move forward in this direction,” he added, “we’re building on a strong foundation.”

The defense chiefs also will discuss the alliance’s mission in Kosovo, counterpiracy and counterterrorism efforts, and lessons learned from Operation United Protector in Libya. In addition, defense chiefs from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia will participate in discussions on the practicalities of NATO military partnerships and ways to deepen cooperation.

U.S., Italian Defense Leaders Reaffirm Partnership

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta met today with Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa to further their relationship as NATO partners while discussing important issues both countries face.

“It was my honor to be able to welcome Minister La Russa from Italy here,” Panetta said to the Pentagon reporters and Italian media. “As a fellow Italian, it’s nice to have another Italian visit in that capacity.”

The secretary noted he met with La Russa in Brussels at a recent NATO defense ministers conference. “I think we enjoy a very warm friendship,” he added, calling Italy one of the United States’ most important partners and allies.

“I think it’s obvious by virtue of the missions that they’ve helped us with time and time again,” Panetta noted. “They have a large presence in [Regional Command West] in Afghanistan. They’ve done a remarkable job there. They continue to provide security and training in that part of Afghanistan, and we view them as one of our NATO partners that has really assumed responsibility, hopefully, for ensuring that Afghanistan heads in the right direction.”

The defense secretary also expressed his gratitude to Italy for the sacrifices it has made.

“We know that lives have been lost, and we share in the agony of those lost lives,” he said.

La Russa, speaking through an interpreter, shared his appreciation for the defense secretary and his efforts to continue building their partnership.

“My most heartfelt thanks to Secretary Panetta,” he said. “We have confirmed how close our relationship is also in several other fields. We want to strengthen this collaboration in both the political and military field, and, if possible, … we want to take a positive approach to several problems on the table – namely Libya and Afghanistan.”

Panetta cited Italy’s support to NATO missions in Libya.

“We really appreciate the mission that they’re conducting in Libya,” he said. “Frankly, if it were not for the Italians, we really don’t feel that we could have completed this mission. They provided important bases – Aviano, Sigonella, and Naples and elsewhere. As a result of that, NATO was able to conduct important missions into Libya.

“So Italy has been, again, a very good partner with regards to that effort as well,” he added.

La Russa said another issue he and Panetta discussed was the mission in Afghanistan.

“We have considered putting an end to our military operations in Afghanistan by 2014, also, based on the conditions in the field,” he said. “But we’ve [also] examined the possibility to continue our presence in the area under other forms – namely training and other forms of nonmilitary support.”

Panetta said he expressed his “greatest thanks” to Italy for the support it provided during a recent visit to the country.

“Bottom line here is Italy is a good partner, good friend and a good ally,” he said. “We continue to work together to try to make sure that we can advance the common causes that we’re involved with.”

MCPON Wraps Up European Visit

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Abraham Essenmacher

STUTTGART, Germany (NNS) -- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) wrapped up his eight-day European trip July 19, by having a luncheon with senior enlisted leaders and an all hands call with Sailors in Stuttgart, Germany.

MCPON(SS/SW) Rick D. West visited various remote commands and spoke to Sailors in London, Brussels and Germany during his visit.

"The Sailors I've met and spoke with are accomplishing great things while away from home in hard to reach places," said West. "They are representing our U.S. forces with great ambassadorship!"

While in Brussels, MCPON visited with Sailors from the Navy Element of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and following the all hands call, he joined them for a cookout.

"Having an informal get together with Sailors in a remote area is important and is a great way to reach across and communicate with our Navy's greatest assets … our Sailors," said West.

MCPON also traveled to Stuttgart, Germany, to talk with Sailors attached to joint services.

"I was excited over the fact that MCPON West came to visit us here in Europe, and his presence here let me know that we are not lost Sailors, we do have a voice and he is there to listen," said Yeoman 2nd Class Joy T. Paetzold. "MCPON urged all Sailors to strive for their best no matter what the odds. He said he understood the current changes in the economy had influenced the Navy's shift in retention, but encouraged us to keep professional and educational growth a part of our daily routine in order to expand opportunities for future career options."

"The Sailors stationed across Europe are working in critical positions in order to continue operations, helping to ensure our Navy continues to be a global force for good, so I feel we owe it to them to make sure they are getting attention from leadership too," said West.

During MCPON's visit with Sailors, they had the chance to ask him questions and get frank responses from the top. Questions ranged from future physical training uniforms to Perform-To-Serve and manning levels.

"I learned from MCPON's visit that Navy policies and programs are continuously being reviewed and he was straight to the point regarding the high retention and low attrition within the Navy," said Interior Telecommunications Specialist 1st Class (SW) Karen Williams.

"When we as leaders take on board what Sailors' needs are, and the challenges they're facing, it's important for us to give those items honest responses, and they deserve that," said West.

MCPON will return to Washington where he will provide information from his Fleet engagements to senior leaders to help improve Navy operations. Fleet engagements are intended to provide senior leadership with a frontline assessment of Sailors and what they are doing in the Fleet.

Gates to Meet with Canadian Defense Minister

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2011 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates travels to Ottawa, Canada, today to meet with Defense Minister Peter MacKay, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

The meeting, which was supposed to be the first trilateral meeting of the North American Defense Ministers, becomes a U.S.-Canada bilateral meeting because Mexico’s defense minister has fallen ill, Morrell said.

“This session was originally planned for last July, but had to be postponed due to an outbreak of violence in Mexico,” he added. “Now, unfortunately, we’ve received word that due to illness the Mexican secretary of national defense, Gen. Guillermo Galván Galván, will not be able to attend tomorrow’s session as he had hoped, and the trilateral meeting will have to be postponed once again.”

Gates and MacKay will discuss U.S.-Canada defense issues and areas of cooperation, including mutual efforts in Afghanistan, Morrell said, adding that Gates will look for future opportunities to engage with defense leaders in Mexico.

From Ottawa, Gates will fly to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb., to participate in a Jan. 28 change-of-command ceremony for U.S. Strategic Command.

“This event will give the secretary a chance to thank [Air Force] Gen. Kevin ‘Chili’ Chilton for his decades of service in the military,” Morrell said, “and welcome his successor at Stratcom, Gen. Bob Kehler, who has most recently been commander of Air Force Space Command.”

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also will participate in the change of command, Morrell added.

Mullen will fly to Nebraska from Brussels, where he arrived today to attend the NATO Military Committee’s chiefs of defense meeting. The chairman also met with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Nikolay Makarov, as part of the NATO-Russia Council session that took place today.

Lynn Assesses NATO’s Cybersecurity Progress

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 25, 2011 – NATO is moving ahead with plans to protect the alliance’s cyberspace domain, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today.

In an interview at the European Defense Agency, Lynn said NATO leaders are taking concrete steps to defend cyberspace.

Lynn called his visit a “a bookend trip.” He had visited the alliance headquarters two months before NATO’s November summit in Lisbon, Portugal, to propose and coordinate U.S. ideas for defending cyberspace. His meeting today was part of the High Level Meeting of National Policy Advisors on NATO Cyber Defense. Coming two months after the summit, it was a chance for Lynn to assess progress.

“The first step for NATO is to protect its own networks,” the deputy secretary said. “We need concrete steps. We need to move to full operational capability of the NATO Cyber Incident Response Center, and make good on the promise of Lisbon to pull it forward from 2015 to 2012.”

Strong support exists in the alliance for this step, Lynn said, and while finances always are a concern, he said he sees that happening.

Lynn said the alliance also is putting centralized governance mechanisms in place to protect its networks.

“You have to have configuration control. You have to have a single management structure,” he said. “One of the outputs of the agency reform effort that NATO is undertaking will be to get that centralized governance structure.”

Lynn also participated in a public- and private-sector cybersecurity roundtable sponsored by Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe. The roundtable included representatives from private companies, colleges and think tanks.

“It reflects the mutual interdependence of economic and security factors,” Lynn said. “It reflects the fact that [cybersecurity] is not a problem like air defense, where you would look to the government alone to provide the solution.”

Cybersecurity has to include private and nongovernmental entities, Lynn said, and the private-sector representatives didn’t really argue.

“The overall thrust [during the roundtable] is that companies believe this needs to be a partnership,” he said.

Lynn emphasized the word “partnership,” saying he believes the issue needs government resources and support, but not necessarily government orders. “I got the same message here as I did in the States,” he said.

The private sector has enormous technologies to share, and governments have resources to invest in those technologies. Still, Lynn said, it is a learning experience for both sides.

In the United States, the Defense Department works closely with firms making up the Defense industrial base to protect networks and data on those nets. At first, the firms were worried about sharing proprietary information, but now they see the value, Lynn said.

“Many of their fears have fallen away, and we have a very good two-way street with them,” Lynn said. The fears are not completely gone, he acknowledged, but they have relaxed to the point that they see their data is being protected. And they “are gaining a much better understanding of what the threat is, where it is coming from and how other people are dealing with it,” he added. “Essentially, the rising tide is lifting all boats in its ability to protect.”

The Defense Department has learned important lessons in protecting U.S. military networks, Lynn said, and he reached out to the European Union and the European Defense Agency to share those lessons.

Lynn Discusses Cybersecurity with NATO, U.S. Leaders

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 24, 2011 – Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III met with NATO and U.S. leaders at the alliance headquarters here today to discuss the way forward in cybersecurity.

At the alliance’s November summit in Lisbon, Portugal, NATO’s heads of state and leaders of government agreed that the threats in cyberspace have grown and that the alliance must confront them.

The threats are more frequent, more organized and more costly, a joint statement released at the summit said, and “they can reach a threshold that threatens national and Euro-Atlantic prosperity, security and stability.”

The threats, the statement added, can come from foreign militaries and intelligence services, organized crime, terrorist and extremist groups, or even individuals.

In Lisbon, NATO leaders called on the alliance to develop the ability to prevent, detect, defend against and recover from cyber attacks. The alliance must protect critical networks and put in place processes to leverage national cyber defense capabilities, the alliance’s leaders added.

Partnerships between the public and private sectors are essential, as government and military networks routinely use private networks to communicate. Lynn furthered the public-private partnership concept during a roundtable at NATO this morning. Accompanied by Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, the deputy secretary stressed the need for public and private entities to work together to find a balance between openness and security, according to defense officials present at the meeting.

Tomorrow, Lynn continues the cybersecurity conversation by taking part in a high-level meeting of national policy advisors on NATO cyber defense at the alliance’s headquarters. He also will meet with European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton and the newly appointed chief executive of the European Defense Agency, Claude-France Arnould.