Mattis in Philippines to Strengthen Ties with ASEAN, Discuss North Korea

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 — Strengthening ties with allies, increasing defense capabilities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and discussions about the threat of North Korea are among the topics Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will contend with on his trip to the region, he told reporters traveling with him yesterday.

The secretary arrived in the Philippines this morning Washington time. He laid out his agenda for the trip during an in-flight news conference.

Mattis will meet with Philippine officials before taking part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministerial set for Oct. 23-25. That meeting is at the former Clark Air Base.

“One of the first things I’m going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists,” he told reporters. It was a very tough fight, as you know, in southern Mindanao. And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines battled forces allied under the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Marawi. Coalition forces helped the Philippine troops with intelligence, advice and logistic support. While small pockets of terrorists remain, the government declared the city liberated Oct. 17.

ASEAN

The association has been in existence for almost 50 years and is a force promoting peace and stability in the region. It is a forum for the nations to discuss issues among themselves and hash out ways to cooperate that brings prosperity to the region, Mattis said. The meeting also marks 40 years of friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and the United States.

“ASEAN provides an international venue, giving voice to those who want relations between states to be based on respect, not on predatory economics or on the size of militaries,” he said. “ASEAN nations have demonstrated that they can listen to one another, they identify opportunities to increase defense cooperation for their own security and seek shared solutions to shared concerns. The U.S. remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN.”

The secretary will take advantage of his time at the meeting to visit with his regional counterparts, he said. In addition to meeting Philippine counterparts, Mattis is scheduled to meet with representatives of Japan, South Korea, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

He will also hold trilateral talks with Japanese and South Korean defense officials.

North Korea

Mattis said the regional distubances created by North Korea will be on the agenda at ASEAN. He said will also emphasize the shared values the nations of the alliance have, the territorial sovereignty of the nations and the need for “freedom of navigation through historically international waters and fair and reciprocal trade.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mattis will lead the official U.S. delegation to the funeral of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016. The royal cremation rite ends the period of mourning for the country -- one of America’s treaty allies in the region. “He was understandably beloved by his people and a proponent of our strong Thailand-United States relationship,” the defense secretary said.

After the ASEAN meeting ends, Mattis will move on to Seoul, where he and South Korea’s Dfense Minister Song Young-moo will co-chair the 49th annual Security Consultative Meeting. “There, we will underscore our ironclad commitment to each other,” Mattis said.

North Korea is a threat to the region and globally, defense officials have said. Two unanimous U.N. Security Council resolutions have isolated the state from the rest of the world. The U.N. acted after North Korea detonated nuclear devices and flew an intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan. During his meetings in South Korea, the secretary said he will discuss reinforcing diplomatic efforts to return to a denuclearized Korean peninsula.

The defense leaders will also discuss “how we are going to maintain peace by keeping our militaries alert while our diplomats -- Japanese, South Korean and U.S. -- work with all nations to denuclearize the Korean peninsula,” Mattis said.

Airmen Work to Restore Radio Communications in Puerto Rico

By Army Sgt. Thomas Calvert, 24th Press Camp Headquarters

PONCE, Puerto Rico, Oct. 23, 2017 — For some, the idea of spending hours hundreds of feet above the world suspended by only a rope and harness is a terrifying thought.

For the airmen of the 85th Engineering and Installation Squadron from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, it’s just another day at the office.

The 85th EIS airmen climbed high into the Puerto Rican air at Cerro de Punta Mountain near Ponce to repair radio communications infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Maria.

“We’ve actually heard a lot of stories since we got here about people who, in an emergency, haven’t been able to call 911, or if they do call 911, a dispatcher has no way of getting help out to them,” said Air Force Capt. Jose Gutierrez del Arroyo, the deputy flight commander and specialized engineer of the 85th EIS. “This is going to alleviate some of those issues throughout the island and hopefully get some help to people that need it the most.”

The mission is a large part of Joint Force Land Component Command’s mission to reestablish communications and emergency services in Puerto Rico. The airmen will travel to several different radio tower sites across the island to repair radio communication systems for emergency personnel and first responders.

“What most would consider a redundant communication system in the [mainland] United States, they don’t have here,” said Air Force Capt. Ryan Headrick, the operations flight commander of the 85th EIS. “As soon as we get that back up, I think it will definitely help that level of communication.”

Remote Sites

Many of the sites lay in remote locations with little to no road access. These conditions, paired with the damage left behind by Hurricane Maria, Headrick said, have made logistics a challenge.

“It has definitely been tough,” he said. “We’re working with a bunch of different mission partners out here like [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] and Army North. It has been a lot of coordination and figuring things out as we go.”

Cerro de Punta, the highest peak in Puerto Rico, sits in an austere location with hazardous terrain and limited vehicle access. The 85th EIS had to coordinate with FEMA and other government agencies for a precision airdrop to get their container full of harnesses, safety equipment and supplies onto the mountain.

The airmen are scheduled to stay at the location for four days, clearing debris and potential hazards from the tower, installing antennas for land-mobile radio systems, repairing any existing radio systems for local emergency personnel and repairing communication antennas for local networks before moving to another site.

“It feels great to be out here,” Headrick said. “We can already start to see some of the impact that we’re having. Once we get it back up and actually see radios working, that’s huge for us to be able to see our impact in action.”

The airmen aren’t limited to just radio communications and tower climbing. They also install internet systems, run cable to connect communications between buildings, and have experts on staff for radar, radio, electrical, and engineering projects. They recently modernized communications throughout the White House.

Happy to Help at Home

Gutierrez del Arroyo is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and said he is excited to be able to contribute to efforts on the island and assist the local affected population. His entire family looked for ways to contribute to the relief efforts after the hurricane hit, he said.

“There was no way of getting supplies out here,” Gutierrez del Arroyo said. “There was no way to fly stuff in. You couldn’t even fly yourself in commercially, so all of a sudden this opportunity opens up for me to deploy here to Puerto Rico and do some of the stuff we actually do around the world.”

Now, he and the rest of the 85th EIS plan to do their part to support government efforts in Puerto Rico through repairing emergency communication systems across the island.

“I’m really excited to be here. I feel blessed to be here, honestly,” Gutierrez del Arroyo said. “Everyone’s on the same page here trying to get one single mission done, which is really cool to see.”

Defense Secretary Embarks on Asia-Pacific Trip

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2017 — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis embarked yesterday on a trip to reaffirm the enduring U.S. commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, defense officials announced yesterday.

Mattis will begin his engagements during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers Meeting in the Philippines Oct. 23-25. He will meet with allies and partners from the region to discuss security challenges and shared interests, the officials said.

On Oct. 26, Mattis will lead a U.S. presidential delegation in Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the Royal Cremation Rites of late King Bhumobol Adulyadej. Glyn Davies, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, will also be a member of the delegation, they said.

The secretary concludes his trip with a visit to South Korea to co-chair the 49th annual Security Consultative Meeting with his South Korean counterpart Defense Minister Song Young-moo, defense officials said.