Strike Sortie

 

Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles return from a training sortie at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Feb. 19, 2021.

Deployment Processing

 

Air Force Staff Sgt. Ashley Spain, assigned to the 81st Force Support Squadron, helps to process deploying airmen inside the Bay Breeze Event Center at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Feb. 16, 2021. More than 150 airmen assigned to the 81st Medical Group were preparing to deploy to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Vaccine Preparation

 

Army Pfc. Shaniah Edwards, assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard's medical detachment, prepares to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to soldiers and airmen at the Joint Force Headquarters in Kingshill, Virgin Islands, Feb. 12, 2021.

Secretary of Defense Briefs Reporters on NATO Defense Ministerial and Ongoing Department of Defense Issues

 Feb. 19, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby

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PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to turn this over to the secretary in just a minute. He'll have a few opening comments and then we'll get to your questions. As you know, we're going to be doing questions from the phone and in the room, so I'm going to go two on the phone, two in the room.

The secretary has got 30 minutes, so we're going to try to move this crisply, given the restriction of time and his schedule, I'd ask you to limit your follow-ups, if you can. Meaning, limit them to zero.

So with that, Mr. Secretary, over to you.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, good afternoon, everyone. And thanks to all of you for being here today. Before I start, let me just say that I deeply appreciate the work that you do on behalf of the public. I respect the way that you cover our military and I respect the role that you play in holding us accountable for how we defend the nation. And that is the number one job of the Department of Defense, to defend this nation and protect our interests.

As you know, I just wrapped up my first NATO Defense Ministerial meeting yesterday and it was a terrific couple of days and I want to thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for all his leadership in making that happen.

You all know that it's a little tougher to meet with people in a pandemic, and even though we met virtually, we still enjoyed productive discussions about a range of challenges facing NATO today and many that we are going to continue to face in the future, and they include a resurgent Russia, disruptive technologies, climate change, an ongoing war in Afghanistan, and the persistent threat of terrorism, and an increasingly aggressive China.

We were joined in some of those conversations by representatives from some of our most capable partners, including Finland and Sweden and the European Union, and we appreciated their unique perspectives, especially about China. Indeed, I applaud NATO's work on China and I made it clear that the United States is committed to defending the international rules-based order, which China has consistently undermined for its own interests.

We here at the Pentagon and the Department of Defense view China as our primary pacing challenge and we believe NATO can help us better think through our operating concepts and investment strategies when it comes to meeting that challenge.

But really, my first goal during the ministerial was to carry forward President Biden's message that strong alliances and partnerships remain vital to our collective security, and that foreign policy will be led by our diplomats.

I also stressed our ironclad –- ironclad commitment to the security guarantee under Article 5 of the national -- of the North Atlantic Treaty, and I don't use that word "ironclad" lightly. Our shared responsibility as allies, our duty, is to protect our populations and our territory, and to meet that duty we -- we require what the secretary general refers to as credible deterrence and defense, which I believe means that we must, each of us, do our part to procure, prepare, and provide ready forces and capabilities. And so I'm heartened to see that many of our allies meet or exceed NATO's 2014 Defense Investment Pledge, nine of the -- nine of them this year alone, in fact.

And now, we're into our seventh year of steady defense spending increases, and naturally, we want this trend to continue and we want to see every member of the alliance contribute their fair share. We recognize that this is -- this isn't always easy, but collective security rarely is. And neither are the missions that we're conducting in Iraq or Afghanistan easy.

We set aside a good bit of time to talk about those two places, and on Iraq, I reiterated our strong commitment to the defeat of ISIS and to supporting Iraq's long-term security, stability, and prosperity. That's a commitment that I made to my Iraqi counterpart and the Iraqi minister of interior just the other day after last weekend's deadly rocket attack in Erbil.

I also welcomed that expanded NATO mission in Iraq that responds to the desires and aspirations of the Iraqi government. With respect to Afghanistan, I walked our allies through our thinking as the new administration comes to grips with the reality on the ground.

The bottom line is this: we are committed to a responsible and sustainable end to this war, while preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups and -- and -- that -- that threaten the interests of the United States and our allies, and ensuring a just and durable end to the long-running conflict.

And so, to that end, we are conducting a rigorous interagency review of the situation, including all relevant options, with full consideration of the consequences of any potential course of action. We are mindful of the looming deadlines. But we want to do this methodically and deliberately, and I certainly won't get ahead of any decisions, nor will I preview the advice that I plan to give to the president.

Clearly, the violence is too high right now, and more progress needs to be let -- needs to be made in the Afghan-led negotiations, and so I urge all parties to choose the path towards peace. The violence must decrease now.

I told our allies that no matter what the outcome of our review, the United States will not undertake a hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan that puts their forces or the alliance's reputation at risk. At this time, no decisions about our future force posture have been made. In the meantime, current missions will continue, and of course, commanders have the right and the responsibility to defend themselves and their Afghan partners against attack.

As we move forward in our review, we will consult with our NATO allies, our Resolute Support partners, and of course, the government of Afghanistan, and there will be no surprises. We will consult each other and -- and consult together and -- and decide together and act together. And so that was my message over the last two days, and I think it was well-received.

Over the last -- for -- for this last 70 years, NATO has proven itself to be the strongest alliance in history, upholding our shared values of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law. When Article 5 was first invoked, it was in our defense on September 11th, and the United States will not forget that, nor will we forget our own obligations to revitalizing this and all our other alliances. Collective security is, as I said, hard work, and we're ready to put our shoulders to the wheel.

And finally, I'd like to close by thanking the men and women of the Department of Defense who, as President Biden puts it, are often how the rest of the world encounters America. Because of them and their families and -- our nation will always lead from -- from a position of strength.

Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

MR. KIRBY: Okay. We're going to go to Lita Baldor from AP on the phone. Lita?

Q: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and it's -- it's been quite a while since we've been able to ask questions of the defense secretary in the briefing room. We appreciate it, and we hope that you are committed to doing this on a regular basis.

My question is on Afghanistan. During the NATO meeting, were the allies pressing you for timing on an answer? How long do you think the U.S. can wait before making a decision? And is that enough time, do you think, for the Taliban to measurably change either the violence or the negotiations? Thank you.

SEC. AUSTIN: Thanks. I would just say that again, you know, we're going through a rigorous process, and our allies understand that, and they would want us to make sure that we're thoughtful about how we approach this and -- and -- and what we do. And so, you know, all of us are mindful of the time that -- that -- that's available, but we're really focused on making sure that -- that the negotiation process takes place as it should, and that, you know, hopefully, the parties will abide by their -- their commitments that they made at the outset of the -- the -- the negotiations, and the violence will -- we can bring the level of violence down.

But we're focused on making sure that we -- we make the right decisions, and we'll go through this process deliberately. Our allies understand that, and my -- my sense is that they did not fully expect that we would have a -- have a decision this early on in our -- in the -- this administration's tenure.

MR. KIRBY: Next question to Missy Ryan on the phone, Washington Post.

Q: Hi. Thanks for doing this, and echo Lita -- Lita. Hope to -- we could do this again regularly.

I have a question regarding the department's handling of sexual harassment and assault. I know that one of your first actions was this memo asking for initial input from senior officials by February 5th. I'm just wondering what you have learned so far and how that will guide your approach to tackling the problem of sexual harassment and assault.

And as a corollary, there was a video that went viral in the last 24 hours (inaudible) perpetrators retained by her commanding general. I was wondering if you have seen the video and if your office is looking into that? Thanks.

SEC. AUSTIN: So, Missy, there was quite a bit of feedback in the transmission there and I don't think I fully understood all of the question, but I -- what I think I heard you ask was, based upon what we received from our -- from the services, where are we in our efforts in taking on the sexual assault issue. And the second issue, as I understood it, was about the video.

First of all, you know, as I said in my testimony in front of Congress, I take this issue of sexual assault very, very seriously. And I know that the service chiefs and the service secretaries do as well. And so the collection of the data is a first step, but you can look for us to take additional steps in looking in detail at ourselves and what has worked, what hasn't worked, and what measures we need to take going forward to ensure that we provide for a safe and secure and productive environment for our teammates. I think any other approach is, in my view, irresponsible.

We have been working at this for a long time in earnest, but we haven't gotten it right. And my commitment to my soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, and dependents is we're going to do everything in our power to get it right.

Regarding the video, I found the video deeply disturbing, and I've asked my staff for additional information, and I'll leave it at that.

MR. KIRBY: Tom? Tom, Tom, Tom.

Q: Mr. Secretary, at your confirmation hearing a month ago, you talked about the problem of domestic extremism in the military. I am wondering now weeks on do you have any sense of the scope of the extremist problem in the military, any data, any numbers about who is kicked out, who is not let into the military, and if not, do you still hope to get some data?

And also, it's now prohibited under DOD regulations to be an active member of an extremist group but okay to have simple membership. Do you -- will you move to change that, bar all membership in such groups?

SEC. AUSTIN: So I think that was about six questions in one there, but, yes, let me --

Q: (inaudible)

(Laughter.)

SEC. AUSTIN: Let me just say a couple of words about that. First of all, I think this is a very important issue to us in the department. And I think it's an important issue because, as I said in my testimony, this tears at the fabric -- very fabric of cohesion. And it's important for us to be able to trust the men and women on our left and right.

I've asked for the services to conduct a one-day stand-down and take 60 days to do it. And then, as they conduct that stand-down, I have encouraged them to have a dialogue with their troops about our values, about the oath that they took when they came into the service, and about who we are and what we're about.

This is also a time for us to educate leaders in terms of understanding those signs and those -- those symptoms that can indicate that we could be developing an issue within our ranks.

But let me say up-front here, though, before I go one step further, that -- that I really -- I really and truly believe that 99.9 percent of our service men and women believe in that oath. They believe, embrace, the values that we are focused on and they're doing the right things.

But -- and I expect for the numbers to be small, but quite frankly, they'll probably be a little bit larger than most of us would guess, but -- but I expect for them to be small. But I would just say that, you know, small numbers in this case can have an outsized impact.

And when I think about, you know, the issue of extremism in the ranks, you've heard me talk about my experience with the 82nd Airborne Division, which I believe was -- is a great organization, and we have a lot of great organizations in the military, but you know the history of the storied 82nd Airborne Division.

And as we wrestled with this -- with this issue when I was a lieutenant colonel, we couldn't tell that story of what we were doing and how great we were because nobody wanted to hear it, they wanted to hear about the skinheads. And so that had an outsized impact on that -- on that organization.

And one of the things that sticks in my -- in my mind right now -- and General Milley will probably step on my toes for saying this -- but I have this image of Mark Milley, Lieutenant General Mark Milley, standing in front of a podium in Fort Hood, Texas, talking about the impact that was -- that was experienced by one of our members, who had become radicalized and killed a bunch of our soldiers that were preparing for deployment. That nearly crippled the organization for a period of time. So an incredible – an outsized impact on the organization.

I think that -- you know, our -- the American public has high expectations of its military, as it should. And the American public should -- should know and understand that we're not afraid to take a look at ourselves, and we're not afraid to -- to address -- if there are issues, to address those issues that -- that may be rising up in our -- in our climates and our communities.

And so we're going to learn a lot more. You know, we don't have specific data about -- about numbers right now, but -- but quite frankly, as I said earlier, you know, small numbers can have an incredible impact on a great force, and we have a great force, ladies and gentlemen.

MR. KIRBY: Jennifer?

Q: Mr. Secretary. Will any U.S. troops remain at the Capitol after March 12th? And what would you say to those who say that there is no credible threat to the U.S. Capitol and those troops should go home right now?

SEC. AUSTIN: Right now in terms of, you know, our expected stay, it is March 12th. And -- and we don't have an additional requirement or request from another federal agency to provide them support, so that's our focus right now.

But while I'm talking about them, let me just emphasize the tremendous work that our Guardsmen have been doing. And you've been -- you know, you've seen the weather that we've had lately, they are out there, on point, on guard, in support of -- of other federal agencies, protecting our lawmakers. And I can't say enough about them, and I'm really proud of what their -- what their leadership is doing also to take care of them while they're doing this tough work.

But presently, we don't have any additional requirements beyond the one that we just -- that we talked about.

Q: And credible threats?

SEC. AUSTIN: Jennifer, you know, I mean, it's probably not appropriate for me to talk about intelligence matters from -- from this podium, but I would just tell you that we will continue to assess the threats as -- as we go forward, and decisions will be based upon, you know, what we believe is credible or not.

I told them, when I went to see them the other day, that, you know, my plan is to not keep them there one day longer than is necessary. Having said that, they know and understand that if our lawmakers need -- need help, they need protection, they stand ready to provide that protection. But again, March 12th is what we're focused on now.

MR. KIRBY: Okay, I'm going to go to the phones. Phil Stewart, Reuters?

Q: Yes, hi, Mr. Secretary. On your call with your Saudi counterpart, what message did you deliver about the war in Yemen and how this administration and this Pentagon will approach threats to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emanating from Yemen?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, you know, I -- I certainly -- I consider that call to have been a good call. It was certainly re-establishing connectivity with -- with the crown prince, who was also the Minister of Defense, my counterpart.

As you know, President Biden has been clear about the fact that we will no longer support offensive operations -- the Saudis' offensive operations into Yemen. And so they've heard that message loud and clear.

And in terms of specific issues that I -- I would have covered with -- with the crown prince, you know, we provide a readout, but -- and I'm certainly -- I look forward to having issues -- talking about issues of substance in these conversations, but I certainly won't -- I won't provide details of the conversation from the podium here.

MR. KIRBY: Okay. Because of time, I'm going to go back into the room now. We'll go one-for-one until we run out of time.

Helene?

Q: Mr. Secretary, thank you for doing this. I have two questions, but they're connected. The first one is, you said that you found the viral video -- they're both related to females in the military. You found the viral video very disturbing, but in this video, this female Marine says -- and I quote -- "This is why females in the military kill themselves."

And you say that you're looking into this issue. She suggested specifically the commanding general, her C.G., saying that whoever the perpetrator is going to be retained in the military. How -- what kind of message are you going to be sending to sort of the -- the C.G.s, the captains, the brigade commanders throughout the military about how they deal with this issue?

And connected to that, my second question is on specifically the issue of Laura Richardson and Jacqueline Van Ovost. Your predecessor told us that he withheld their promotions because he was afraid of how President Trump would react to them. Are you going to be forward these promotions for these two women to President Biden?

SEC. AUSTIN: Helene, I think that was two questions, each with six parts.

Q: They’re connected!

SEC. AUSTIN: Yeah. On -- on the second question first, I -- I certainly can't comment on decisions that someone else made or my -- my predecessor made. I'll leave that to them to -- to explain their actions.

And I certainly won't -- won't comment on personnel actions from this podium, in this room. I don't think that's fair to the system, not fair to my boss, and certainly not fair to the people who are in the -- in the -- who are competing. I would just say that I've seen the records of both of these women, they are outstanding, and -- and so -- and -- and I'll leave it at that. 

On the -- on the issue of sexual assault and, you know, what's -- what is going to be done and -- and what I'm -- what -- what I'm going to emphasize to -- to commanders, I think we need to consider who I am and where I fit in the judicial process -- or -- or chain. And we want to make sure that, you know, I preserve my ability to -- to adjudicate or take action or whatever needs to happen.

But the first thing's -- first things first -- we have to get the facts, we have to understand what -- what just happened. And let me also say that -- that, you know, I care about each and every one of our -- of our troops, and certainly, you know, I'm going to ask that -- that her chain of command makes sure that someone is looking out after her needs and make sure that -- that we're taking care of her. So.

MR. KIRBY: Okay, back -- back to the phone here. Tara Copp from McClatchy?

Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for doing this. I also have a question about the National Guard. A few weeks ago, the Adjutants General for the states of Washington and California said that the domestic demands on the Guard, whether they're wildfires or storms or domestic unrest, are expected to continue to -- in -- in future years, and what really needs to happen is we need to increase the end strength of the Guard.

I was wondering if you've talked to the National Guard about this and if you're considering requesting an end strength increase for Guard members to address these future domestic threats? Thank you.

SEC. AUSTIN: Again, I'm -- I'm really proud of our -- of the work that our Guard has done. I mean, it's -- it's -- and it continues to do -- we didn't talk about this earlier but I -- I think most of you know that there are over 20,000 Guardsmen out there right now around the country, helping out with -- with the COVID crisis and -- and helping distribute -- distribute vaccines and -- and that sort of stuff. So they are doing -- they are having a tremendous positive effect on our country and they're doing great work and I'm really proud of them.

In terms of end strength, that's a conversation that I've not had with -- with the chairman or the chief of the Guard and certainly I think when they feel that it's appropriate, if that's their concern, then they'll -- they'll bring it -- bring the issue forward.

But to answer your question, we've not had those discussions.

MR. KIRBY: The last -- last -- last question today is going to go to Tony, then we're going to have to wrap up.

Q: Can I have a -- can I have a question? I have a China -- I have a China question. Do you see any areas of cooperation with China? You talked about a pacing threat, a pacing challenge. This is four years we've heard the rhetoric.

What areas do you seek potential cooperation to lower the tensions between our -- our two nations?

SEC. AUSTIN: I -- I would say that -- that, you know, anything that we do will be based upon our best interests. And -- and so there no doubt are some areas where we -- we will see common interests and there may be an opportunity to -- to engage, but it will be from the standpoint of promoting our best interests.

Now, having said that, from a Department of Defense standpoint, as I mentioned earlier, you know, my number one concern and my number one job is to defend this country and protect our interests. And so we are -- in this department are going to do everything possible to ensure that we have the right operational concepts, the right plans in place, and that we have resourced those plans with the right capabilities to present a credible deterrence to -- not only to China or any other adversary who would want to -- want to take us on.

Q: Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Thanks, everybody, we have to call it quits right there. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

SEC. AUSTIN: Thanks, everybody.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Ukrainian Minister of Defence Andrii Taran

 Feb. 19, 2021

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Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Andrii Taran to strengthen the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine.

Secretary Austin emphasized that the U.S. remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He reaffirmed U.S. commitment to building the capacity of Ukraine’s forces to defend more effectively against Russian aggression and thanked Minister Taran for Ukraine’s contributions to international security. Secretary Austin also underscored the need for Ukraine to maintain progress on defense reforms.

Minister Taran expressed his gratitude for continued U.S. support and emphasized his commitment to transforming Ukraine’s defense sector in line with NATO principles and standards.

Damage Control

 

Sailors conduct damage control training aboard the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams in the Indian Ocean, Feb. 12, 2021.

Night Lights

 

Sailors work in the bridge of the USS Porter at night in the Mediterranean Sea, Feb. 14, 2021.

Barrel Buddies

 

Marines and soldiers participate in barrel drops and tandem jumps out of a KC-130J at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., Feb. 9, 2021.

President Biden Tells World: 'America Is Back'

Feb. 19, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

The United States is back and ready to work with like-minded nations to find solutions to the world's pressing problems, President Joe Biden told the Munich Security Conference today.

The virtual conference is the clearest take yet that the United States is abandoning the America First program to work with allies and partners around the world.

Biden is no stranger to the Munich forum. He has attended and spoken to the group as senator, vice president, and in 2019, as a private citizen. "I speak today as president of the United States at the very start of my administration, and I'm sending a clear message to the world: America is back; the trans-Atlantic alliance is back. And we are not looking backward. We are looking forward together," he said.

Over the past four years, the challenges the world faces have shifted, the president said. "We're at an inflection point," he said. "The global dynamics have shifted. New crises demand our attention. We cannot focus only on the competition among countries that threatened to divide the world or only on global challenges [that] have threatened to sink us all together if we fail to cooperate. We must do both, working in lockstep with our allies and partners."

Spotlight: NATO

Biden bluntly and clearly sought to assuage any doubts allies and partners may have about U.S. policies moving forward. "The United States will work closely with our European Union partners and the capitals across the continent — from Rome to Riga — to meet the range of shared challenges we face," he said. "We continue to support the goal of a Europe whole and free and at peace. The United States is fully committed to our NATO alliance. And I welcome Europe's growing investment in the military capabilities that enable our shared defense."

He called America's commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that established NATO an "unshakable vow" that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.

He also said the United States will consult closely and often with allies and partners in other parts of the world on regional and global problems. 

Afghanistan is an example of that, and the United States and allied nations will work together to ensure Afghanistan never again provides a base for terrorist attacks against the United States, its allies and interests. 

"Our European partners have also stood with us to counter ISIS," he said. "Just this week, NATO defense ministers endorsed significant, expanded training and advisory mission in Iraq, which will be vital to the ongoing fight against ISIS."

The United States has launched a global posture review of the U.S. military. "While the United States is undergoing a thorough review of our own force posture around the world, I've ordered the halting of withdrawal of American troops from Germany," Biden said. "I'm also lifting a cap imposed by the previous administration on the number of U.S. forces able to be based in Germany."

The United States must "earn back" the trust it lost over the past four years, the president said. "The United States must renew America's enduring advantages, so that we can meet today's challenges from a position of strength," he said. "That means building back better our economic foundations; reclaiming our place in international institutions; lifting up our values at home and speaking out to defend them around the world; modernizing our military capabilities while leading with diplomacy; revitalizing America's network of alliances and partnerships that have made the world safer for all people."

Rust Removal

 

Air Force Airman Dominique Stanback uses a needle gun to remove rust from a pad-eye while on board the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams in the Indian Ocean, Feb. 11, 2021.

Corps Climb

 

Marine Corps recruits participate in a confidence course at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Feb. 16, 2021.

Letting Off Steam

 

Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft sits on tarmac while Mt. Etna lets off steam near Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Feb. 16, 2021.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

 Feb. 18, 2021

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Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby provided the following readout: 

On February 18, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reaffirm the strategic defense partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Secretary condemned the recent Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed his commitment to assisting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its borders.  Secretary Austin reiterated recent changes in U.S. policy toward the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen, discussed the importance of ending the war, and thanked the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a political settlement.  

He underscored Saudi Arabia’s role as a pillar of the regional security architecture in the Middle East and the importance of sharing the responsibility of regional security and stability.  

Secretary Austin noted US and Saudi shared commitment to countering Iran’s destabilizing activities and defeating violent extremist organizations in the region.  

Dog Detection

 

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Devon Weston and military working dog Debi participate in explosive detection training in Naples, Italy, Feb. 11, 2021.

Prep Work

 

Navy Seaman Richard Killian, assigned to the Naval Health Clinic Quantico at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., prepares the COVID-19 vaccine, Feb. 17, 2021. Marines with the Training and Education Command start the vaccination process to ensure health and readiness.

Administering Vaccines

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel, service members assigned to the Defense Department, and New Jersey state troopers provide COVID-19 vaccination support in Somerset, N.J., Feb. 14, 2021. FEMA is working with state, local, tribal and territorial governments on the critical need to open vaccination centers in underserved communities.

Getting Help

 

Army Pfc. Jonathan Ha, assigned to Joint Task Force Mustang with the California National Guard, performs a medical screening with the help of an American Sign Language interpreter at California State University, Los Angeles, Feb. 15, 2021. Interpreters and translators were available in person and remotely through a mobile device to help ensure the COVID-19 vaccine is accessible to everyone.

Defensive Position

 

Marines set a defensive position near a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during Exercise Chromite Watchfire at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021. The exercise focuses on Navy and Marine Corps integration as well as combat readiness.

Barrel Drop

 

Marines and soldiers participate in training conducting barrel drops and tandem jumps out of a KC-130J during training at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Feb. 9, 2021.

Muzzle Nuzzle

 

Air Force Senior Airman Armando Mendiola and military working dog Ootter perform a demonstration at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 16, 2021.

Corp Conditioning

 

Marine Corps recruits participate in a combat conditioning course at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Feb. 17, 2021.

Blue Skies

 

An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon conducts an aerial refuel with a KC-135 Stratotanker during Cope North near Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 18, 2021. The annual exercise promotes stability and security throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Snow Ride

 

Marines participate in snowmobile training in Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 17, 2021.

Commander Fire

 

Navy Vice Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command commander, fires rounds from an Army M1A2 Abrams while visiting soldiers near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Feb. 17, 2021.

Pentagon Press Secretary Updates Reporters on DOD Operations

 Feb. 17, 2021

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby

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PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY:  OK, a couple of things here to kick off and then we'll get right at your questions. Let me start by highlighting two phone calls Secretary Austin had with his counterparts in Iraq, following the rocket attacks in Irbil over the weekend. I think you've seen our readouts from these calls, but I would like to reiterate them.

Yesterday morning he spoke with the Iraqi Minister of Defense, Juma Saadoun. In the afternoon, he spoke with the Iraqi Minister of Interior Othman al-Ghanmi. During the calls they all condemned the attacked against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and they expressed condolences for the individual killed, for those wounded, the Iraqi people, and of course, all the families that are involved here.

They discussed the importance of a robust and expeditious investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable for the attack. The leaders also reaffirmed our joint commitment to the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq.

Today as you know was Day One of the NATO Defense Ministerial. Secretary Austin and the other NATO ministers participated in what they call "interventions", two interventions, two events.

The first intervention discussed deterrents and defense, burden-sharing and Secretary General Stoltenberg's NATO 2030 Initiative. The second session discussed Transatlanticism, NATO/E.U. relations, the resilience of the alliance and emerging and disruptive technologies. The secretary reaffirmed the president's message that the United States intends to revitalize our relationship with the alliance and that our commitment to Article 5 remains ironclad.

Secretary Austin emphasized that NATO's most important task is protecting our populations and territories by presenting credible deterrents and a strong military. He also thanked allies for the seventh consecutive year of growth and defense spending and noted the importance of continuing to build on this progress, to achieve the defense investment pledge that all allies made at the 2014 Wales Summit. The Secretary expressed support for the overarching goals of the NATO 2030 Initiative, which are to ensure the alliance remains strong militarily, becomes stronger politically, and takes a more global approach.

Secretary Austin closed his remarks in the second session by discussing the importance of working across the Alliance to improve earlier adoption of emerging and disruptive technologies, as well as the need to protect our supply chains, infrastructure, and technologies for strategic competitors. He also emphasized the department's commitment to working with NATO to ensure democratic nations remain global hubs for innovation. Finally, he thanked our allies for the opportunity to discuss these important issues and he looks forward to tomorrow's session as well, where the allies will be discussing the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On the personnel front – we’ve onboarded now 13 new employees yesterday, bringing our total to 71. Among those joining the team, I think you've seen reports about this, are Bishop Garrison, the Senior Advisor for Human Capital and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Joseph Bryan, Special Assistant to the Secretary as the Senior Advisor on Climate; Jesse Salazar, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy and Rebecca Zimmerman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia.

Finally, I am pleased to let you know that Secretary Austin will be right up here with you tomorrow following his second and final day of the NATO Defense Ministerial. He'll be up here to give you a readout of that and to take your questions. And with that, I'll take your questions.

Let's go to Lita on the phone.

Q: Hi, thanks, John. Today is a hearing on a couple of the generals, Generals Friedrichs and Taliaferro, both talked a little bit about data the Pentagon apparently has regarding the decision by service members to take or not take the vaccines. The Pentagon has repeatedly said that there is no data but today General Friedrichs said not only is there data, but that they also have it by gender, race, and other categories.

I'm wondering if you are able to get us or provide any details on any of that? They talked about the general rate is about two-thirds acceptance but they didn't provide any details on what that involved, what that includes or the timeline. Can you give us any further clarity on those numbers?

MR. KIRBY: My understanding, Lita, is that they were speaking to the same general data set that they have spoken to you before; General Friedrichs has been at this podium himself talking about this, that we in the military basically mirror the acceptance rates of the American society and that's why I think they put it at a broad percentage of about 33 percent, which is again, consistent with what we said before, that we're basically seeing a mirroring of American society.  But that it is not, and I believe they went on to say, it is not data that we are specifically tracking right now and as I've said before, what we are doing is keeping track of acceptance rates, those who are agreeing to take the vaccines, but we don't have a system in place across each of the services to specifically track data with respect to those individuals who for whatever reason are declining or deferring the vaccine.

Q: Well just a follow-up. I think I mean acceptance rates, declining rates, whichever one you have is fine, but they did say that they were tracking the rates by race and gender. Do you know what period of time they were talking about in terms of these acceptance rates? Were these recent? Were these you know a few weeks old? Do you have any sense of that?

MR. KIRBY: No I don't and that, as I said, my understanding was that they were again reiterating what they said before, which was that we're mirroring American society. So I don't have that, Lita. I'm happy to pulse the joint staff and see if there's more clarity on that.

But as for acceptance, we've administered 88.2 percent of vaccines on hand as of today. So we've had more than a million doses delivered to the Defense Department, 1,039,665, to be exact, and we've administered 916,575, and we expect by Friday, by the end of the week, to be over the one-million mark. So it's not, I hear the argument that you don't get all the data that you think we should have or want, but this is data that we have put out before, doses delivered and doses administered and of those I can update you, if you want. The initial dose is 644,762; that's the number of people that have had one, and 271,813 individuals in the department have received their second dose.

OK, Jeff Schogol?

Q: Thank you very much. With all due respect, what you just said is extremely hard to believe. They gave, they said they have data. They said they had it by gender. The mirroring society was on claims that older people are more likely to get the vaccine than younger ones. So I ask again, why is the Pentagon hiding the data?

MR. KIRBY: Jeff, nobody's hiding data. I appreciate your frustration. I hear it every time that you ask the question. And I respect it. Nobody's hiding data. There would be no reason for us to hide data when we can certainly tell you exactly how many people are getting the vaccines. If there's something more to what my understanding is of what was testified today, I promise you I will get it to you.

But nobody's trying to hide anything here. It's in our interest to be as open and as transparent as we can and we're trying to do that. People, it's a voluntary vaccine, people decide for themselves if they want it or not and we have to respect that decision-making process, and while I understand that there's for data, I hope you'll understand that our obligation's to make it available to as many members of the military and their families as we can, as possible, we're going through a very phased approach to do that, and we're up here almost every day talking to you about how many people are getting it. 

So I'm afraid I take a little issue, Jeff, with your implication that we are somehow trying to obfuscate or to be less than transparent with you.  We're doing the best we can with the data that we have and that we know we collect.  Tom? 

Q:  John, to Afghanistan, do we expect the secretary to put a statement out tomorrow on Afghanistan if he talks with the ministers?  Secretary Stoltenberg has basically said the Taliban haven't made -- met their commitments so far, they have to do a lot more. 

And on Iraq, you say there's going to be an investigation, but do you -- do you believe it's Iranian-backed militia that shot the rockets off, are you just trying to determine which one?  Just walk us through that if you could. 

MR. KIRBY:  So I won't get ahead of the secretary.  He's going to come here tomorrow and talk to you about the -- about his discussions with the NATO ministers.  Tomorrow's -- tomorrow morning's discussion will include current operations, Afghanistan and Iraq, and I suspect he'll be able to in his own way characterize that conversation, so I won't get ahead of that. 

On Iraq as the investigation is just starting and both Iraqi Ministers that the secretary spoke to yesterday said they want to take this seriously, urgently, but seriously, and they put together an inspection regime that is akin to what you would consider an interagency effort, and the secretary pledged our support to that effort in whatever degree they might want. 

So I think it's important that we let that investigation go through before we -- before any follow-on decisions are made, and I won't speak to preliminary intelligence estimates here about who might be responsible for this.  You can rest assured that we and our Iraqi partners are taking a look at this very, very closely, and clearly we want to have a better understanding of exactly who was responsible. 

Q:  But the previous attacks, haven't they all been done by Iranian-backed militias? 

MR. KIRBY:  I can't account for every single one over the last couple of years, but you're right generally speaking, most of the attacks on coalition and U.S. facilities in Iraq have come from these Shia-backed militias, yes. 

(UNKNOWN):  (inaudible) 

MR. KIRBY:  OK. 

Q:  Thank you.  Taliban leader -- one of the Taliban leader Mullah (inaudible) send  a letter to the United States on expect from the U.S. regular (inaudible) authority to withdraw their soldiers in Afghanistan soon as possible.  Do you think that -- what would be U.S. Pentagon reaction to the Taliban request, and also tomorrow’s NATO conference, do you think that NATO make decisions to pulling out their soldiers in Afghanistan? 

MR. KIRBY:  Well we certainly -- we certainly approve of freedom of speech.  I'm not going to prejudge or get ahead of decisions that haven't been made yet with respect to force posture in Afghanistan.  I'll say what we've said all along, that we want to see a responsible and sustainable end to this war, that that has to come through political settlement.  There's a process to try to achieve that.  We are also going through a review of our own of that process of the agreement and associated compliance issues, and when there's more detail to read out to you about that process, we certainly will. 

But we are committed to a political settlement, and certainly committed to the original goal for why military operations began in Afghanistan to begin with, which was to make sure that that country can never serve as a launching pad for terrorist attacks again in the future. 

Let me go back to the phones here.  Sam Legron? 

Q:  Hi, the carrier presence in the Middle East has been pretty constant but then it's kind of dropped off; now that the Nimitz left, nobody's in the neighborhood.  Are you all seeing any connections with dialed back naval presence and then the attack in Irbil, or just general Iran activity in the region?  Thank you. 

MR. KIRBY:  Well again, without prejudging the work that's being done to investigate this attack, I've seen nothing that indicates that the current lack of an aircraft carrier strike group was in any way responsible or led to the rocket attack in Irbil. 

But again, there's an investigation going on and we want to support that process.  Let's see, I have glasses, I should just use them.  Phil Stewart from Reuters? 

Q:  Thanks.  Secretary Austin in his readout of the call with the Interior Minister said he was offering support to the investigation by the Iraqis into the rocket attack.  Secretary Blinken said as much as well. 

Have the Iraqis taken up the U.S. on that offer, or are they still kind of weighing whether or not they want the U.S. involved in this investigation? 

MR. KIRBY:  Phil, I'm not aware of any specific requests for support.  The offer was made in good faith, and certainly the secretary meant every word of it, but I'm aware at this time here one day later that there's been a specific ask for support with the investigation.  Jenny? 

Q:  Thank you very much, John, this time I will not give you a hard time.  Yes. 

(CROSSTALK) 

MR. KIRBY:  It's all right, I look forward to it every time, how's the tie, it was alright today? 

Q:  Yes, it’s nice.

MR. KIRBY:  All right, good. 

Q:  It was (inaudible)...

MR. KIRBY:  I'll make sure I'm in good shape. 

Q:  (inaudible) 

(LAUGHTER) 

Q:  On the North Korean issues, OK, on the North Korea, the cyber hacking crime, the South Korean National Intelligence Office reported that the North Korean cyber hacking attacked the U.S. Pfizer vaccine laboratories.  Do you have any information on this? 

MR. KIRBY:  Well you know, Jenny, that I am loathe to talk about intelligence matters here from the podium, and I am certainly not going to break that rule today.  The only thing I would say -- so I can't confirm these reports, but we're living through a once in a generation global pandemic, and there's no country that's unaffected by it, and what we would like to see is as has been the case almost everywhere around the world, countries are cooperating and being collaborative and sharing information to improve the health -- the public health of their populations, and I think that's -- that kind of cooperation and that kind of openness is what -- is what we would like to see from everybody.  

Q:  But if that happened that is very serious, then it -- for the United States but anything attacked by DOD's Cyber Command, so what does DOD's Cyber department doing?  So why South Korean reporting but you guys aren’t reporting it? 

MR. KIRBY:  Yes, I appreciate the go-around at it, again, but I'm simply not going to get into intelligence issues and I'm -- and I'm not going to comment on our activities in cyberspace. 

Again, I think we want everybody to turn their shoulders to the work of defeating this pandemic around the world. 

Yes, Lucas? 

Q:  Thank you, John.  Anne Neuberger said at the White House that the SolarWinds attack was launched from the United States.  Is that why it wasn't detected for so long?

MR. KIRBY:  I haven't seen that report, Lucas.  I couldn't give you an accurate answer on that.

Q:  Could you update us on the investigation?

MR. KIRBY:  I don't -- I don't have an update on the investigation either.  I'm sorry.  Yes.

Q:  Yes.  John, as you know Turkey's currently trying to conduct operations in mountainous areas in North Iraq, and SDF had issued several statements against Turkey's operations on the PKK controlled mountains.  And of course extract comparatively with them.  Isn't there at least some kind of concern within the department that a group who get U.S. taxpayers' money he has sometimes links and expressed solidarity with a designated terrorist organization?

MR. KIRBY:  I think you know that our operations in Iraq and Syria are solely focused on countering the still-lingering threat that ISIS poses to the Iraqi people and the Syrian people, and that as we have long said, one of the best ways to ensure a sustainable defeat of ISIS is to do so through local indigenous forces.

And we are working in Syria with the SDF, and we have -- and we're working with Iraqis in Iraq.  And the goal is as it has been to go after ISIS.  That's the focus.

Q:  But is it justified?  Does it justify them to express their solidarity with a terrorist group?

MR. KIRBY:  Again, I'm not going to get into individual groups here.  We're working with local Syrian democratic forces in Syria to go after ISIS, and that hasn't changed.  And if you're asking me if I think the taxpayer's well-served by the coalition efforts to defeat ISIS, I would -- I would say absolutely they are.  This is a group that is greatly diminished from what it was the last time I was standing up here at this podium in 2014 and 2015.  And while they are still a threat, they are a shadow of what they once were.

And you know why?  Because it's been an international coalition with local partners on the ground that have proven capable and competent in going after them.  So if you're -- again, if you're asking me if the money and the resources have been well-spent, and the cost in blood as well, which is certainly a high cost as well, you know, when you look at what ISIS has become today, it's hard to make the case that this wasn't worth the effort. 

Joe?

Q:  Thank you.  I would like to get your reaction about what happened yesterday over Saudi Arabia.  As you may know, the Houthis as are escalating their attacks against Saudi Arabia.  Yesterday Riyadh intercepted and destroyed the northern drone with explosives.  I was wondering what are the Pentagon's efforts here given your commitments with Riyadh?  What are the Pentagon's efforts to counter the distress coming from the Houthis?

MR. KIRBY:  Well we've long said that we condemn attacks against Saudi Arabia, and as the president himself has made clear we remain committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend itself.  These kinds of attacks violate international law and the undermine efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, and as I've said before we're going to continue to work together and to look for better ways to defend the kingdom from these external threats while revitalizing diplomacy to try to end the Yemen conflict. 

Let me get to somebody here.  I'm going to use my glasses this time.  It's easier even though they've written in really big text. 

Tony from Bloomberg.

Q:  Hi there, John.  Maybe it's time to get cataract surgery, huh?  I have a question on the budget and I have a question on...

MR. KIRBY:  Getting all kinds of useful advice.

(LAUGHTER)

Q:  On the budget, what's your latest guesstimate for when the skinny budget will be out, and will it be solely the '22 budget or a five-year plan?  And then I had a follow up on the JEDI cloud project.

MR. KIRBY:  Yes.  So, Tony, we're working with OMB right now, but I don't have anything to share specifically with respect to timing until the budget's going to be delivered to Congress, and what was your second question?

Q:  OK.  The second question is on the JEDI cloud, the very contentious JEDI cloud project.  Is DOD considering canceling the JEDI cloud project if the judge presiding over the U.S. Court of Appeals -- federal claims case as soon as this week allows Amazon's latest conflict of interest allegations to stand and proceed to a deposition phase?  Would DOD -- is DOD considering just canceling the contract and starting from scratch?

MR. KIRBY:  What the department has consistently stated in all our court filings and public communications as well is that the allegation of improper influence is not supported.  As we stated before, if the court denies the government's motion we will most likely be facing an even longer litigation process, and the DOD Chief Information Officer will reassess the strategy going forward.

There is no predetermined outcome right now, Tony, on where the department may land if that reassessment becomes necessary.

Q:  Can you give me a sense of like how many options are being mulled?  I mean, is it three or four or just a couple right now?

MR. KIRBY:  Well look, in addition to the JEDI cloud effort, there are 13 significant cloud acquisition efforts that are underway right now to address our department's current cloud requirements.  Technology will continue to develop, and we're learning lessons every day from all these initiatives, but right now there's 13 other ongoing initiatives.

Q:  OK, fair enough.  Thank you, John.

MR. KIRBY:  You bet.  Nancy Youssef?

Q:  Thank you.  I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I just want to come back to the COVID vaccination numbers.  You mentioned that there isn't tracking of those who've declined, but in the USNI story on Friday, the admiral in charge of personnel not only said that they were tracking but that they were using those and surveying people who declined to figure out why they wouldn't get more people to take the vaccine.

And so, I just wanted to ask if there was a way for us to get a number -- the numbers of those who've declined by services?  It appears that they're keeping them.  And just a request of any information put out that vaccines that statistic go to their entire press corps.  Thank you.

MR. KIRBY:  On your second point, Nancy, and I'm up here every day giving you the number of doses delivered and administered.  If -- and certainly that's knowable information, and if it's something that we need to push to you every day we can do that.  That's not -- that's not difficult.  That is knowable.

Back on the -- on the numbers of those who decide not to get it, as I said it's possible that some commands and maybe even some services have a better sense, but at the Department of Defense, at the OSD level, and the level that we're operating here, we don't have a central tracking data mechanism to do that.

So we can certainly refer you to the individual services to speak to this, but it's not something, as I've said before, that we -- that we have some sort of central tracking mechanism for. 

Yes, sir?

Q:  So on the -- just on the... 

(CROSSTALK) 

MR. KIRBY:  (inaudible) Wait, hang on.  Sorry, go ahead? 

Q:  I was just going to say when -- on the stats, the reason I'm asking is sometimes when questions are taken it only goes to the reporter, and so on that specific one I'd just like any clarity if possible provided to all of us as well? 

MR. KIRBY:  OK, noted, thank you. 

Q:  (OFF MIKE)  I understand that the U.S. and Iraqis I guess also are saying that people who are responsible for the attack on Irbil will be held accountable?  Is it different than the previous equation that whoever is going to attack us we are going to retaliate?  Is retaliation off the table? 

MR. KIRBY:  Again, I -- there's an investigation going on, I'm not going to get ahead of that and the results of that.  As we've said before, our forces and our commanders always have the right of self defense.  I'm not going to prejudge specific results or outcomes as a result of what we learn from this investigation.  I just won't do that. 

Lara? 

Q:  Thanks, John.  So I just wanted to follow up on Iraq.  I -- in the previous -- the previous times that this kind of thing has happened, CENTCOM has attributed the attacks to specific groups and linked them to Iran very quickly.  So I'm just wondering what's making the difference this time?  Is just the evidence just not there yet, and -- or is there some kind of policy change that they need more evidence to attribute that -- an attack so specifically? 

MR. KIRBY:  Each case is different.  I can't speak for the speed with which previous rocket attacks were attributable.  I can only speak to the one we're talking about this weekend, and I think there's a process ongoing to try to get better information about who is accountable for this. 

There is, as I said, an investigation going on that we've pledged support to if they -- if they would want that support, and then as my colleague at the State Department said yesterday, if and when there's a response it'll be at a time and place of our choosing in cooperation and consultation with our Iraqi partners. 

But I can't speak to speed.  Obviously -- and I think I mentioned this at the top, that I think everybody is angered by this, everybody feels a sense of urgency about it, you know, an individual was killed and there's a grieving family right now and there are other families worried about their loved ones who were hurt.  Sadly this isn't the first time that we've seen this.  And so we -- while we certainly -- there is a sense of urgency, there's also a real strong interest in being sure that we're deliberative in the process here, and the decision-making process, and that we are in lockstep with our Iraqi partners as we work through that process. 

Q:  Is that a change from previously?  Because CENTCOM meet with -- immediately would post photos of evidence that they found and my understanding is that the investigators have already found the launching trucks.  So I'm wondering why that isn't out there in the public sphere yet and if that's a change in policy? 

MR. KIRBY:  I can't speak to -- again, previous policy, so you're asking if it's a change; I can only speak to how we're treating this particular attack.  I would not read into the manner in which that we're going about this as some sort of policy derivative.  It is -- it is -- it just happened over the weekend, we've reached out both at the State Department and at the Defense Department to our Iraqi counterparts, and they're working their way through this. 

And they've made it very clear to Secretary Austin that they're taking this investigation seriously, that they didn't -- they didn't waste any time getting after it.  And we want to give them - them the time and space that they need to investigate it, OK? 

MR. KIRBY:  Let me go back on the phones here.  Jeff Seldin from VOA? 

Q:  Thank you very much for doing this.  A two-part Afghanistan question.  First part, in the new -- since the Department of Inspector General report on Afghanistan that was out today, it cites DIA intelligence as saying that members of Al-Qaeda have been integrated into the Taliban's command and control structure in Afghanistan.  So is that compatible with the terms of the U.S. deal with the Taliban? 

And part two, just the other week, CENTCOM Commander General McKenzie was saying that ISIS in Afghanistan, ISIS Khorasan, has been able to stabilize; wondering is that stabilization an indication that the Taliban had kind of eased up on the pressure they had been applying on ISIS, something that CENTCOM had said they had been doing effectively about a little over a year ago when they were losing ground in Afghanistan? 

MR. KIRBY:  So both those questions really get to the issue of compliance with the deal, because as you know, in the deal that the Taliban committed to renouncing ties to Al-Qaeda and Al-Qaeda affiliated groups, and I'm just not going to, today, get into an assessment of compliance with the deal. 

As I said, that agreement is under review by this administration.  We want to do that again in a deliberative fashion, and I'm simply not going to prejudge whatever outcomes we -- whatever findings we come to as we work through that review. 

Yes, Meghann? 

Q:  Are there any numbers available on the number of vaccine doses that have been distributed down range and are deployed troops part of the same prioritization scheme as they would be if they were back home in terms of essential personnel, critical national security capabilities, that sort of thing? 

MR. KIRBY:  They are factored into the schema, I don't have that -- I don't think I have that in front of me, let me just check to make sure if I do.  I thought I did.  I don't have the schema, but they are -- I mean, deploying and deployed personnel are prioritized.  I can -- I need to get you a better, more specific answer, I just don't have it in front of me in terms of where they are in that scheme. 

But obviously from the very beginning I mean we knew that troops that we're getting ready to deploy were going to have to be prioritized.  And now that more vaccines have become available, there has been additional capacity to provide them to troops that are downrange as it -- as it is, but let me get back to you on where they actually are in the -- in the tiers and whether we can nail down by a combatant commander.  I don't have that data with me right now. 

Q:  And if there's anything about how many -- roughly how many have gone out to the people who are deployed? 

MR. KIRBY:  To deployed personnel? 

Q:  Yes. 

MR. KIRBY:  OK, I'll see if we -- I'll see if we have that, Meghann.  I don't -- I don't know if I've got that here and I don't want to take up more time. 

Yes, sir? 

Q:  Thank you.  Yesterday there was a video posted on Twitter about Indian and American soldiers dancing on the Hindu festival, Basant Panchami, that's a Hindu goddess of learning (inaudible).  Did that backdrop -- I would like to ask you about the India-U.S. defense relationship in the next four years.  Has the secretary -- do you know how this defense relationship is and how does he want to take it forward?

MR. KIRBY: It's a very important bilateral relationship that we have and particularly military-to-military relations. India is a critical partner, especially when you consider all of the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and what I can tell you plainly is that the Secretary is prioritizing this relationship, wants to see it continue to grow and develop and to get stronger and he's very much looking forward to working on initiatives to do just that.

Q: I have a follow-up on what you mentioned on Indo-Pacific. There's a report in the Japanese press about a Quad leadership summit in the works. Does the Secretary support the leadership summit from the Quad countries?

MR. KIRBY: I haven't seen the press report so I can't speak to this specific report but if you're asking if we would be supportive of gatherings of as you call it "the Quad countries" absolutely he would, sure.

Q: Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah. Yes, sir.

Q: Thank you. I have two questions. First, since the Japanese government announced yesterday that Japan and the United States agreed to keep Japan's cost of stationing of U.S. forces in the country at around the current rate until 2021. Do you have any comments on the cost sharing agreement? And secondly, do you think Japan should pay more for things the U.S. forces after 2022?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to get into hypothetical future issues in that regard.  Japan, our alliance with Japan has really never been more resolute or essential in the region and the secretary believes that firmly and deepening that defense relationship is a top priority for both nations. We continue to train and exercise together to improve our interoperability and strengthen our capabilities.

As to the details of this agreement, I would refer you to my colleagues at the State Department. But obviously separate from that, we're very grateful for the support that we get from the Japanese government and again, very much look forward to deepening and strengthening that bilateral relationship and our security commitments underneath the alliance.

I have time for just a couple more. Back there.

Q: Hey John. Nick Schiffrin from PBS News Hour. One on Afghanistan about conditions. I know you don't want to prejudge but there's a difference between the public and private aspects of the February 29th deal and as you know the February 29th deal does talk about Al Qaeda, talks about negotiations with the Afghan government, but it doesn't use the word "violent", it doesn't use the word "attacking the city". So what are these conditions that you're going to be basing whether the Taliban are adhering to, and if I could just quickly ask about that sexual assault; Senator Gillibrand, Representative Spier sent a letter asking for the Sexual Assault Commission to be outside DOD. Candidate Biden said that he wanted outside experts. Are either of those options being considered? Thanks.

MR. KIRBY: On your first question, I think that's what we're hoping the Center Agency Review will help drive us to is first of all we want to assess the agreement itself. We weren't in the seat when that agreement was signed. We want to take a look at the compliance mechanisms of it, so again, I'm not going to get into an assessment of that right now. And I think all of that will help inform to your point what the conditions ought to be; when we say where any withdrawal will be conditions-based, we're still doing the homework on that.

And then on your other question, the secretary did receive initial reports from the services as he asked for by the 5th of February. He's working himself through those reports and I suspect you'll hear something more from us soon about the makeup of the commission and how it will be actualized and implemented going forward. I just don't have anything to announce today.

Q: But you're saying there's no decision made on whether there could be outside experts or where it will live exactly?

MR. KIRBY: I don't have anything to announce today in terms of the makeup of the commission and how it's going to perform its necessary functions. So rather than get ahead of decisions that the secretary hasn't put his pen to yet, I think I'm just going to defer for now. But I will tell you that again he was informed by the work he asked the Services to do and I do think you'll hear from us relatively soon on sort of what that's going to look like and how it's going to take shape. Okay? Lucas?

Q:  On the coronavirus vaccine, when are you going to make it mandatory?

MR. KIRBY: Well, we've talked about this, Lucas. I mean it's not – it's under emergency use authorization right now. It doesn't – achieved final FDA approval and so there's a real limit legally that we have to make it mandatory for our troops and their families; that's why it's a voluntary basis right now. I don't have a timeline on that.

Q: And are you disappointed that more service members aren't rolling up their sleeves?

MR. KIRBY: We want to – obviously the secretary's concern is primarily for the health and safety of the force and he's taken the vaccine and he did that after talking to his doctor and determining that it was the right choice for him, both for his own personal health and the health of his family as well as what he believed was to improve his ability to do the job, to make him a ready round, if you will.

But he recognizes that these are individual decisions and that individuals need to have these conversations with their doctors to determine if it's the right thing for them. He would encourage and he has encouraged the men and women of the department to get on the CDC website, read the studies about these vaccines, look at the safety monitoring that they've gone through and again, to talk to their person physicians. Everybody is different and we want, what the secretary wants is for the men and women of the department to make the best and most informed decision for them and for their health and the health of their families.

Okay. Thanks, everybody. Appreciate it.

Q: Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you.

Q: Have you been vaccinated yet?

MR. KIRBY: Have I?

Q: Yes.

MR. KIRBY: I have received one dose.

Q: Oh.

MR. KIRBY: I’m supposed to receive my second one soon.

Q: Great. When did the secretary receive the vaccine?

MR. KIRBY: He received his first one, I don't know the exact date but it was before he took office and his second one shortly after becoming secretary; I think it was in the first week or so of his tenure.

Q: Will it be offered to the press corps as well?

(CROSSTALK)

MR. KIRBY: (inaudible) -- for you on that right now.

Readout of Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks at Day Two of the NATO Defense Ministerial

 Feb. 18, 2021

---

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III provided remarks today at the second and final day of the NATO Defense Ministerial.  Today, Allies focused on NATO operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Alliance military readiness.

On Afghanistan, the Secretary thanked Allies for their continued commitment to the Resolute Support Mission and reiterated that the U.S. remains committed to a diplomatic effort to end the war.

He told the Allies that the U.S. is conducting a thorough review of the conditions of the U.S.-Taliban Agreement to determine whether all parties have adhered to those conditions. And he made clear that he is committed to consulting with Allies and partners throughout this process.  He reassured Allies that the U.S. would not undertake a hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

On Iraq, the Secretary reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the enduring defeat of ISIS, respecting Iraq’s sovereignty, and ensuring long-term regional stability.  He noted that the recent rocket attack in Erbil underscores the importance of our continued work in the region.

Secretary Austin welcomed the expanded role for NATO Mission Iraq, and expressed confidence that all of the work done to date with the Iraqi government and security forces will lead to a self-sustainable mission.

The Secretary also discussed the need to maintain ready forces and capabilities to both support ongoing NATO operations and to respond immediately to emerging crisis.  He noted progress on the NATO Readiness Initiative and Allied efforts to rebuild a culture of readiness.

Secretary Austin thanked his colleagues and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg for his first opportunity to meet and consult on important transatlantic security issues and said he looks forward to continuing to build on this momentum going forward.