Rotational Deployments to Boost U.S. Asia-Pacific Presence

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2012 – Welcoming new Marine rotational deployments in Australia and Navy rotations planned for Singapore, the top U.S. Pacific Command officer said he’ll seek similar arrangements, possibly to include the Army, that expand U.S. presence in the region without the need for more permanently based forces.

Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear Jr. noted the arrival of about 200 U.S. Marines in Darwin, Australia, last month for the first six-month rotations serving alongside the Australian Defense Force.

“It’s only a small group thus far, but over the next several years, we would like to grow that to about 2,500,” he said during an interview here with American Forces Press Service.

Based at Australia’s Robertson Barracks outside Darwin, the Marines are bolstering U.S. theater engagement in the Asia-Pacific region -- a major goal in the new defense strategic guidance -- without the need for new infrastructure or permanent U.S. bases, Locklear noted. The Marines provide “an increase in your ability to be forward, which provides a tremendous ability to work with our partners and build those relationships,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Navy’s new littoral combat ship, USS Freedom, is scheduled for its first 10-month rotational deployment to Singapore beginning next spring. If Singapore agrees, Locklear said, he ultimately would like to expand the arrangement to include additional littoral ships.

All, he said, will be positioned alongside a strong, reliable partner near the strategic Straits of Malacca that links the Indian and Pacific oceans. “It will give us a unique, credible combat credibility for our maritime security, particularly in one of the largest choke points in the world,” he said.

Locklear said he’d like to build on these models as he implements the new strategic guidance that emphasizes the importance of Asia and the Pacific. Already, the Army has approached him with an interest in rotating units into Asia and the Pacific as operations wind down in Afghanistan. That makes sense, he added, noting that five of the world’s largest armies are in the region.

“Our ability to operate effectively, cross-Army to cross-Army, has not been good in the last decade or so, because most Army assets were tied up in the Middle East,” he said. “So we are really going to pursue some good opportunities in that regard.”

Rotational forces provide “an uptick in presence” that he said complements that provided by the 330,000 service members permanently based within the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility.

“What they provide is an ability to work with our allies and to leverage the capabilities of the allies across all aspects of peace to conflict,” the admiral said. Meanwhile, he added, the additional presence rotational forces provide creates regional footholds that could pay off if the United States had to flow more forces to protect U.S. or allies interests there.

That presence, and the experience base it helps to build, would be particularly valuable in a disaster requiring humanitarian assistance, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, or any other crisis, he said.

“It gives training to the forces that rotate in and out,” he explained, so they are familiar with the region and the regional militaries if they need to work together. He cited last year’s Operation Tomodachi in Japan as an example. “So there is a lot of value to it,” he said.

While anticipating no change in the number of permanently assigned U.S. troops in the region, Locklear said, he expects to see a “reshaped military” that’s able to deploy more throughout the region, particularly to allies and partner countries. He noted the realignment of base infrastructure under way or planned in Japan, Guam and South Korea. The United States and Japan agreed last month on a plan to relocate about 9,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa. About 5,000 will move to Guam, with the rest to transfer elsewhere in the region.

In addition, almost all of the 28,500 U.S. service members in Korea will have completed the move south of South Korea’s capital of Seoul, most of them to Camp Humphreys, in the coming years. All but a tiny residual force will leave U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, current home to U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Korea in the heart of Seoul, and the 2nd Infantry Division and its supporting elements will relocate from Camp Casey and its tiny satellite bases north of the capital.

“We are working hard, between the U.S. government and our allies, to ensure that we do the right things now to ensure the success of both moves,” Locklear said. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has the lead in setting a timeline for the movement of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to a more remote area of Okinawa.

As this reshaping takes place, Locklear said, members of Pacom should “expect to stay busy” and continuing doing the “great work they are doing today.”

“They need to stay focused on the job at hand,” he said, and be ready to carry out whatever mission is asked of them.

“When required, they have to be able to produce what is necessary -- either build relationships, provide better security, and to deter and dissuade [aggression],” he said. “And if deterrence fails, they have to be able to fight and win. And that is what we get paid to do.”

Pacific Partnership 2012 Celebrates Asian Pacific Heritage Month

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Clay M. Whaley, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

USNS MERCY, At Sea (NNS) -- Service members and civilians aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) celebrated Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, May 20, while underway for Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12).

Crew members participated in an educational brief, singing, dancing and a fashion show for a first-hand view of the different traditions, culture and history of Asian and Pacific Islanders.

"We held an Asian Pacific Islander Heritage celebration to commemorate and recognize the different cultures and traditions of people, and to share their history of hard work and service to our country," said Chief Hospital Corpsman Marvin Ramos, leading chief petty officer for the directorate of Nursing Services. "Since we have such a diverse group of people in the military, I think it's important to understand everyone's heritage and background."

Ramos said Mercy crew members will be spending a majority of the mission in the Asian-Pacific region, so it is important to become accustomed to their culture and heritage.

"The celebration is important to PP12 because our objective is to build relationships with the host nations of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Philippines," said Ramos. "Knowing the culture and traditions of each of these countries helps us better understand their backgrounds, and can aid us in building successful relationships."

Many PP12 crew members aboard Mercy are of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.

"It has been seven years since I've seen my family and friends in Guam," said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Oliver Sicat. "I'm happy that PP12 is giving me opportunity to reunite with them again after all these years."

Sicat, who was born in the Philippines and raised in Guam, will have the opportunity to visit his extended family for the first time since childhood.

"I'm really excited to see my grandma," said Sicat. "I moved away from the Philippines when I was just a young child, so this will really be one of the only times I will ever have seen most of my family in my life."

Pacific Partnership is a five-month humanitarian assistance initiative designed to build partnerships and a collective ability to respond to natural disasters that and will make port visits to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia.

USS Makin Island Sailors, Marines Volunteer at Malaysian Children's Home

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Alan J. Gragg, USS Makin Island Public Affairs

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) volunteered their time with children at the Bukit Harapan Therapeutic Community children's home in Kota Kinabalu, May 19.

A group of Makin Island Sailors, along with Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), interacted with children in the home and cleaned out a drainage trench on the property.

"The kids are always very excited to have the U.S. Navy come here," said Audra Keyworth, the Bukit Harapan administrator. "We were also happy to host the U.S. Marine Corps too."

"Even though there is a language barrier, the kids always enjoy themselves when [U.S. military members] visit, and the yard work is a big help too," she added.

After briefly greeting the children, half of the volunteers split away from the group to take on the task of removing mud out of a drainage trench.

For one of the trench workers, Operations Specialist 3rd Class Byron Reynolds, the event was his first community service project overseas. He said he didn't know what to expect, but was told to wear his Navy Working Uniform because he might get a little dirty.

"It was a laborious time, but it was well worth it," said Reynolds, whose lower body was covered in mud after the project was completed. "If I have a chance to do another event like this, I will.

"I will definitely remember this day for all the hard work we did, but I don't mind putting in the effort because it feels great to help people, and it feels even better to help kids who are less fortunate than us," added Reynolds.

Bukit Harapan provides medical care, education opportunities and a caring home for handicapped and orphaned children, as well as abused single women.

While the trench work was going on outside, the other half of the group was inside the home playing games with the children.

"First we played 'Duck, Duck, Goose,' then I colored with them, and took pictures with them," said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Thao Miller. "I had a really good time, and I will definitely try to do something like this again, especially if it involves kids."

To conclude the day, representatives from Makin Island's First Class Petty Officer's Association presented a $500 donation to Bukit Harapan.

This is the first time Makin Island has visited Malaysia. The ship and its crew, along with the embarked 11th MEU, departed San Diego Nov. 14, 2011, on deployment.

Makin Island is the first U.S. Navy ship to deploy using a hybrid-electric propulsion system. By using this unique propulsion system, the Navy expects over the course of the ship's lifecycle, to see fuel savings of more than $250 million, proving the Navy's commitment to energy awareness and conservation.

This initiative is one of many throughout the Navy and Marine Corps that will enable the Department of the Navy to achieve the Secretary of the Navy's energy goals to improve our energy security and efficiency afloat and ashore, increase our energy independence and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy.

Makin Island is the flagship of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group that is currently deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

The 7th Fleet area of operations includes more than 52 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian oceans, stretching from the international date line to the east coast of Africa, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.

NATO Declares Missile Defense System Operational

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

CHICAGO, May 20, 2012 – During its first session at the 25th NATO Summit here today, the alliance’s senior governing body declared operational the missile defense system it endorsed at its November 2010 summit in Lisbon, Portugal, NATO’s secretary general said.

During a news conference following the North Atlantic Council session, Anders Fogh Rasmussen characterized the accomplishment as true trans-Atlantic teamwork.

“We call this an interim capability, … the first step toward our long-term goal of providing full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations, territory and forces,” Rasmussen said.

“Our system will link together missile defense assets from different allies -- satellites, ships, radars and interceptors -- under NATO command and control,” he added. “It will allow us to defend against threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area.”

The secretary general described the culture of cooperation in NATO as “smart defense,” in which countries work together to develop capabilities they could not develop on their own.

“We already have some good examples,” he said, noting that NATO allies share the job of patrolling airspace in the Balkan states.

“This means our Baltic allies can focus their resources in other critical areas, such as deployable forces for Afghanistan,” he said. “This is why we have agreed that NATO will provide continuous air policing for the Baltic states.”

The council also agreed today to acquire an alliance ground surveillance capability that uses unarmed drones to provide crucial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to military commanders who must monitor developing situations and identify potential threats.

“During our operation to protect the people of Libya, we learned how important it is to have the best possible intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.” Rasmussen said. “So we realized that we need more of this capability. We are now filling that gap.”

According to a White House fact sheet, a group of 14 allies has agreed to acquire five unmanned aerial vehicles and their command-and-control ground stations. Participating allies are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States.

NATO will operate and maintain the system on behalf of the alliance, with common funding from all 28 allies, the fact sheet said.

The council also approved a package of more than 20 multinational projects to provide capabilities at an affordable price for NATO, the secretary general said. These include a project among several allies to jointly acquire remote-controlled robots that can clear deadly roadside bombs, he said. Another group of allies will pool their maritime patrol aircraft to efficiently provide more awareness of activities on the sea.

“Within NATO we have also agreed that our forces will step up exercises, training and education, including with our partners, so they can preserve the skills they’ve mastered in operations,” Rasmussen added.

At the 2010 Lisbon summit, NATO leaders adopted a strategic concept that committed NATO to meeting security challenges of the 21st century, from terrorism to ballistic missile and cyber attacks to nuclear proliferation, White House officials said.

At this summit, NATO’s leadership outlined a vision of how NATO will maintain the capabilities it needs. A new document titled “NATO Forces 2020” helps to set NATO’s priorities for investing in capabilities over the next decade.

The framework calls for realistic efforts to maintain and develop multinational capabilities despite defense budget cuts in the United States and Europe, White House officials said. It also institutionalizes lessons learned from recent and current operations, ensures that NATO can maintain interoperability among allies and with partners, and identifies critical capabilities gaps.

“Our goal,” the secretary general said, is … an alliance that deals with the economic challenges of today and is prepared for the security challenges of the future.”

Panetta Meets With United Kingdom Counterpart

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

CHICAGO  – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta met here this afternoon with his counterpart from the United Kingdom, Secretary of State of Defense Philip Hammond, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

The top defense officials met during the first day of the 25th NATO Summit, the largest and broadest in the alliance’s history.

Panetta and Hammond discussed “the unfolding transition in Afghanistan, the importance of supporting a sustainable Afghan national security force, and the need to frame an effective enduring relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014,” Little said.

“They also touched on broader security challenges in Southwest Asia, as well as the P5+1 process with Iran and the ongoing crisis in Syria,” he added. The P5+1 countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China.

Panetta and Hammond signaled support for identifying ways to strengthen NATO capabilities, Little said. That, he added is expected to be a main topic of conversation at a dinner Panetta is hosting for his fellow defense ministers tonight.

Panetta is here to participate in discussions with heads of state and government and to attend North Atlantic Council sessions on 21st-century NATO capabilities, the long-term commitment to Afghanistan by NATO and its International Security Assistance Force partners, and NATO partnerships.

Today the secretary attended a signing ceremony for the purchase by 13 NATO allies of a ground surveillance system for future alliance operations. Tomorrow, he will join Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki for a visit to a first-of-its-kind joint Defense Department-VA hospital in north Chicago.