Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Bilateral Meeting With U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace

 July 12, 2021

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

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace today at the Pentagon to reaffirm the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

The leaders discussed the importance of transatlantic cooperation and burden sharing to address a wide range of security challenges across the globe. They also discussed strategic competition with a focus on Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, ongoing operations in the Middle East, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.  

Secretary Austin committed to continuing consultations with the United Kingdom on strategic reviews, including the National Defense Strategy.  Secretary of State for Defence Wallace highlighted the United Kingdom’s investments in defense modernization and increased focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

The leaders look forward to deepening U.S.-U.K. defense cooperation. To this end, they signed a one-year extension of the U.S.-U.K. Statement of Intent Regarding Enhanced Cooperation on Carrier Operations and Maritime Power Projection.

After their meeting, Secretary Austin joined Secretary of State Wallace at Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Night Departure

 

Marine Corps F-35B pilots and maintainers make final preparations for the nighttime departure of three F-35Bs from the flight deck of the USS America in the East China Sea, June 24, 2021.

Wildfire Support

 

An Air National Guard C-130 drops retardant on Beckwourth Complex Fire near Frenchman Lake in Northern California, July 9, 2021.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace Opening Remarks at Bilateral Meeting

 July 12, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace

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SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, good afternoon, Mr. Secretary. It's great to see you again, and so soon after our last meeting in Brussels, so welcome to the Pentagon. I've really been looking forward to hosting you here, and to returning the hospitality that you extended to me and my staff last April. A lot of things have changed since even then, and we have no shortage of items to talk about, everything from the Alliance's drawdown in Afghanistan and our future relationship with Afghan forces, to the persistent challenges posed by -- posed to the rules-based order by nations like Russia and China.

Now, as for Afghanistan, today, we witnessed an important turnover between General Miller and General McKenzie. General McKenzie will now assume leadership over our force presence in Afghanistan, and I want to thank General Miller for his exceptional leadership over the last three years. That we've been able to secure our interests in Afghanistan, as well as those of our Allies and Afghan partners stands as a testament to his operational acumen and strategic vision.

It's also worth noting that we have conducted our retrograde safely and orderly. Understanding the importance of speed, he has led this drawdown without a single casualty and with great efficiency. It has truly been historic. And as General McKenzie noted in his -- in his own remarks today, this transfer of authority is not -- is only the next milestone in our drawdown process. It does not signify the end of our drawdown process, which the president has told us to complete by the end of August, and so we are on track to meet that goal.

Now, let me say right up front how much we are looking forward to working with the U.K. as it implements its new integrated review which aligns well with the priorities outlined in our own interim National Security Strategic Guidance. The U.K.'s emphasis on modernization is especially important in this era of strategic competition, and we welcome your government's emphasis on trans-Atlantic security, support to NATO and focus on the Indo-Pacific region. 

As you turn these priorities into action, we are certainly pleased to be a part of the combined U.S.-U.K. deployment of Carrier Strike Group 21. As you know, we deployed the U.S. Marine Corps F-35s, along with 200 U.S. Marines and sailors aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, and they are accompanied by one of our destroyers, USS The Sullivans. The Sullivans is famously named after five brothers who were killed in the fighting off Guadalcanal in 1942, and the ship's motto is "We stick together", which I think is very fitting for this particular deployment. 

I expect we'll get the chance to talk about Russia's aggressive actions in the Black Sea region. We stand with you and with our Allies in reaffirming our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that, of course, extends to its territorial waters. And you can see our partnership in many ways, and I'm especially grateful for the U.K.'s significant investment in defense and for its valuable contributions to NATO, and I look forward to working with you and other Allies in fulfilling the NATO 2030 proposals at the June summit.

And finally, I'm looking forward to signing a one-year extension with you of the U.S.-U.K. statement of intent regarding enhanced cooperation on carrier cooperation and maritime power projection, and of course, I'm very grateful that we'll make a stop later today by Arlington to pay tribute to our fallen heroes, a sacrifice to which Great Britain is certainly no stranger.

So it's going to be a busy and productive day, and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for coming, Mr. Secretary.

U.K. SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE BEN WALLACE: Thank you, Secretary, for welcoming to the Pentagon. Thank you for your kind hospitality while I'm here.

Can I just place on record our -- both our admiration and our thanks to General Miller in Afghanistan. He's been an outstanding leader and a strong friend to the United Kingdom, and the professionalism in which he carried out the leaving of Afghanistan is of the highest standard, and we are better off for it. So we shall miss him, and we, on the United Kingdom side, just want to pay tribute to all the support that the U.S. forces has given Afghanistan and to us all. I think, like yourselves, we are on track to leave together towards the end of August as the Resolute Support draws to an end.

Can I thank you also for your support on the carrier group? Not only have you been very supportive in helping us retain our carrier ability, but also on the deployment with the support of the U.S. Marine Corps on board, and indeed, in the recent event with the tragic fatality on HMS Kent and recently helping us with that situation.

And sticking together is what it's all about, we go together to the Pacific. For us, that is a reengagement with a carrier group after a considerable break, and we will be looking throughout that process, not only work together on board, but also, exercising together with other carrier groups in the Pacific towards the end of the year.

Could I also say that NATO 2030 is a joint endeavor for us together; that I think there's much work to do in making sure that NATO is ready for the future to face an adversary that is constantly competing with us and constantly often -- prosecuting malign activity against the member states of NATO, and I think that is very important, that the United States and the United Kingdom work to deliver a modern NATO that can set about seeing off that threat.

And when it comes to China, the United Kingdom stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States in making sure that our Allies around the region in the Pacific are protected by the international rule of law, and that we uphold those values that we all stand for, and I look forward to working together for the future to make sure that Britain's values and the United States' values are held up and protected from whatever threats are thrown against them.

So I look forward to, obviously, working together more. It was great to see you in Brussels where -- alongside the president of the United States, as well. I think we have a lot of work to do. And thank you also for enabling me to visit PACOM on the far side of -- of this great country, and I look forward to visiting Hawaii on my way through to Japan later on. Thank you.

SEC. AUSTIN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

Starry Sail

 

The USS Mahan transits the Gulf of Oman, July 7, 2021.

Life and Look

 

Soldiers watch a military vehicle being lifting from an Army watercraft system during Forager 21 at Naval Base Guam, July 10, 2021. The exercise is designed to test and refine soldiers’ ability to flow landpower forces into the theater, execute command and control of those forces and effectively employ them.

Sea Signal

 

A sailor signals to a United Arab Emirates air force helicopter as it prepares to land on the flight deck of the USS Lewis B. Puller in the Persian Gulf, July 11, 2021.

Austin, Wallace Praise Miller as Command Transitions in Afghanistan

 July 12, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace made special mention of Army Gen. Austin S. Miller's leadership in Afghanistan during their meeting at the Pentagon today.

The defense leaders met on the day that Miller transitioned command and authorities of Operation Resolute Support to Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

"I want to thank Gen. Miller for his exceptional leadership over the last three years," Austin said at the Pentagon meeting. "That we've been able to secure our interests in Afghanistan as well as those of our allies and Afghan partners stands as a testament to his operational acumen and strategic vision."

Austin noted that Miller has conducted the retrograde from Afghanistan safely and in an orderly fashion. "Understanding the importance of speed, he has led this drawdown without a single casualty and with great efficiency," Austin said. "It has truly been historic."

Wallace echoed Austin's praise. "Can I just place a record on both our admiration and our thanks to Gen. Miller in Afghanistan," he said during his remarks. "He's been an outstanding leader and a strong friend of the United Kingdom, and the professionalism in which he carried out the leaving of Afghanistan is of the highest standard, and we are better off for it. So we shall miss him."

Both men were quick to point out that this is not the end of their nations' support to Afghanistan. 

The two leaders also discussed other matters during the meeting. Austin said the U.S. military looks forward to working with the United Kingdom as that nation conducts an integrated review. He said it aligns well with the U.S. National Security Strategic Guidance. "The U.K.'s emphasis on modernization is especially important in this era of strategic competition, and we welcome your government's emphasis on transatlantic security, support to NATO and focus on the Indo-Pacific region," Austin said. 

Spotlight: NATO

The two men spoke of the deployment of U.S. Marine Corps F-35s aboard the U.K. 's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of the combined U.S.-U.K. deployment of Carrier Strike Group 21. The group also contains the USS The Sullivans, which is named after five brothers who were killed during the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942. "The ship's motto is 'We Stick Together,' which I think is very fitting for this particular deployment."

The two men also discussed Russia and Austin reaffirmed America's unwavering support for Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

"When it comes to China, the United Kingdom must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States in making sure that our allies around the region in the Pacific are protected by the international rule of law and that we uphold those values that we all stand for," Wallace said.

After their Pentagon meeting, the two men went to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where Wallace placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

 July 12, 2021 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

Seventeen soldiers, one Marine and one Coast Guardsman have earned spots in the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The games, which were postponed last year due to COVID-19, will be held from July 23 to August 8.

Earlier this year, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz defeated the country's top rated 87-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestler to earn a spot in this year's games.

"Being able to represent the USA on an international level while being in the Marine Corps is the highest honor that I have ever felt. It is something that is almost indescribable. I have finally accomplished this mission that has had an insurmountable amount of adversity, that has required years and decades of perseverance," he said.

"This could not be possible without the support I have had from my team and coach," Stefanowicz said. "The struggles that we have had to overcome as a team have made us all stronger, and in particular, coach Jason Loukides has helped transform me into the person and Marine that I am today."

Coast Guard Lt. Nikole "Nikki" Barnes will compete in the Women's 470-class sailboat category.

"I fell in love with the Coast Guard. I am always on the water and the allure of creating a safer environment for fellow boaters was a big intrigue for me. As I have been in the Coast Guard, I have seen even more how this is a tremendous organization of people working hard to make a safer maritime environment," she said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks will compete in Paralympic swimming's 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter backstroke. 

In 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she won a gold medal in the Paralympic Games in the 100-meter breaststroke and a bronze in the 100 meter medley.

Marks enlisted in the Army in 2008 as a combat medic. She was injured while serving in Iraq and was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas for recovery. It was there, she said, that she fell in love with swimming, which was used as a form of therapy.

Like most of the soldier-athletes going to the Olympics, Marks is a member of the Army's World Class Athlete Program, a program which enables soldiers with athletic potential to receive professional coaching, while keeping current with Army military occupational specialty and training requirements.

Although Marks said she trained hard to compete and to win, "none of it would have been possible without my brothers and sisters in the military believing in me and pushing me to do so."

Athletes Headed for Tokyo

Army

1st Lt. Amber English – women's skeet

Staff Sgt. Naomi Graham – women's boxing, 75 kilogram category

Staff Sgt. Nickolaus Mowrer – 10m air pistol, men; 10m air pistol, mixed team; and 50m rifle, 3 positions.

Staff Sgt. Sandra Uptagrafft – 10m air pistol, women; 10m air pistol, mixed team; and 25m sport pistol. 

Sgt. Samantha Schultz – modern pentathlon

Sgt. Amro Elgeziry – modern pentathlon

Sgt. Ildar Hafizov – Greco-Roman wrestling, 60 kg category

Spc. Alejandro Sancho – Greco-Roman wrestling, 67 kg category

Spc. Benard Keter – 3,000-meter steeplechase, track and field

Sgt. Patrick Sunderman – men's smallbore rifle

Spc. Sagen Maddalena – women's smallbore rifle

Spc. Alison Weisz – women's air rifle

Sgt. Philip Jungman – men's skeet

1st Lt. Sam Kendricks - pole vaulting

Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks – Paralympic swimming in 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter backstroke

Staff Sgt. John Joss – Paralympic shooting, 50m rifle

Staff Sgt. Kevin Nguyen – Paralympic shooting, 50m rifle

Marine Corps

Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz – Greco-Roman wrestling, 87 kg category

Coast Guard

Lt. Nikole Barnes – 470-class sailboat category

Brief History of Olympics

The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia, Greece, beginning in 776 BC. The games featured running, a pentathlon, boxing, wrestling, pankration and equestrian events. The Olympic Games ended sometime between 393 AD and 426 AD, when the Romans gained power and influence in Greece.

The first modern Olympic Game, under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, took place in Athens, Greece in 1896.

There were 280 athletes from 13 nations, including the United States, competing in 43 events. The United States took the most gold medals (11), followed by Greece (10) and Germany (6).

Although U.S. military members did not compete in the 1896 games, several who won gold medals later joined the military. Among those were:

• John Paine, sport shooter, joined the Army and served during the Spanish-American War.
• James Brendan Connolly, triple jump, joined the Army Corps of Engineers and served during the Spanish-American War.
• Thomas Burke, 100-meter sprint and 400-meter sprint, served in the Army during World War I.
• Thomas Curtis, 110 meter hurdles, served in the Massachusetts National Guard during World War I.

In 1924, the Winter Olympic Games were added. The Paralympics were added in 1948.

Since the 1896 Olympics, many members of the U.S. military have participated in the summer and winter games as well as the Paralympics and many have medaled.

Warrior Moves

 

Marine Corps recruits participate in Basic Warrior Training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., July 8, 2021. The weeklong training event teaches recruits the basics of combat survival and rifle maneuvers.

Recovery Mission

 

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Draft Criss, a member of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recovery team, does an initial sweep of an excavation site during a recovery mission in Quang Binh province, Vietnam, June 15, 2021. The mission involved days of digging and screening in hopes of finding a missing service member lost during the Vietnam War.

Hose Handlers

 

Sailors practice fire hose handling during damage control training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island in the Pacific Ocean, June 30, 202

Freshly Painted

A black and grey Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies back to Fort Wayne, Ind., after being painted at the Air National Guard paint facility in Sioux City, Iowa, July 7, 2021. The paint scheme, a departure from the standard two-tone grey, was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of aviation in the Indiana National Guard.

Top Brass

 

Members of the U.S. Air Force Band’s Ceremonial Brass perform during a live broadcast of the TODAY Show in New York City, July 2, 2021.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III Phone Call With Philippines Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana

 July 6, 2021

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Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Philippines Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana on the phone today to discuss the July 4 Philippines C-130 crash in Jolo.  

Secretary Austin offered his deepest condolences to the people of the Philippines and the families of those lost in this tragedy.  Secretary Lorenzana provided an update on the response to the incident and the Secretaries discussed critical medical evacuation support provided by U.S. personnel for the crash victims. Secretary Austin offered to provide any additional assistance that is possible, including for the crash response and potential identification of victims. The two leaders closed the call by reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening the U.S.-Philippines alliance, noting that they hope to meet in the coming months.  

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar

 July 8, 2021

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

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar to continue discussions over the ongoing drawdown in Afghanistan. The Secretary and Minister shared views over security concerns and agreed to stay engaged with respect to arrangements at the Hamid Karzai International Airport. 
 

Desert Landing

 

A Marine conducts parachute operations in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, June 20, 2021.

Pacific Partner

 

A Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor flies in formation with a French air and space force F3-R Rafale near Oahu, Hawaii, June 30, 2021. The flight was part of Exercise Wakea, an effort to promote bilateral cooperation in the Pacific between the United States and France.

Rafting Team

 

U.S. and Indonesian Marines conduct integrated training aboard combat rubber raiding crafts in Indonesia, June 11, 2021.

Helicopter Repair

 

Army Cpl. Zachary Tallis works on the rear engine of a helicopter in a maintenance bay of the Connecticut National Guard in Groton, Conn., June 22, 2021. The chopper is undergoing a complete overhaul after being badly damaged from a hard landing in Iraq.

Hicks Assesses DOD Modernization, Innovation

 July 9, 2021 | BY Terri Moon Cronk , DOD News

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks is on a trip to New England to assess the Defense Department's innovation and modernization efforts and partners’ capabilities to better enable the warfighter with the latest technology.

The deputy secretary began her trip June 8 at Bath Iron Works in Brunswick, Maine, where she met with troops and toured the USS Daniel Inouye, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. She traveled that afternoon to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"How [ships] innovate is a huge piece, of course, of where the department is going today with different kinds of actors, research institutions, universities and startups …" she said of ship and submarine modernization. 

Those elements are important to how DOD modernizes by ensuring shipyards have space availability and move with agility through repair work and understand software upgrades that are moving at a fast pace, Hicks said.

At Pease, the deputy secretary met with troops and toured the KC-46A Pegasus, a 2019 wide-bodied, multi-role tanker aircraft that can refuel all U.S., allied and coalition military aircraft that are in line with international aerial refueling procedures. The KC-46, used by the Air Force, can also carry passengers, cargo and patients, according to Boeing.

Spotlight: Engineering in the DOD

Traveling to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Hicks went to Harvard University's engineering school and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for innovation assessments and briefings. At Harvard, she met with former Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

DOD is building on the path Carter laid in his Defense Department career by working in partnership with the private sector and academia to quickly get innovation into the warfighter's hands on the battlefield.

At MIT, Hicks visited military and academic teams at the Air Force-MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, which is designed to make fundamental advances in AI to improve Air Force operations. She also went to the Army's Natick Soldier System Center at Draper Laboratory, a nonprofit engineering innovation company, and The Engine, a venture firm founded by MIT to support "tough tech" companies.

Spotlight: Science and Tech

DOD has done well in the last decade to make clear its interest in embracing new technology, she said.  

"Where we need to go next is knitting [everything] together so that we have an ecosystem in the department that doesn't crush the ability to have innovation in small teams because I think there's a lot to be gained from that," she said. 

Hicks emphasized the need to have what she called feedback loops and the ability to understand what such teams are doing to share lessons learned and spread innovation to share with the warfighter.

"[Regardless] of what that pathway is, we need to hear those insights and lessons learned from those who are … deploying forward into the innovation base," Hicks said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly Opening Remarks at Bilateral Meeting

 July 9, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly

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SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III:  Well, bonjour, and thank you for joining us today, Madam Minister.  It's very good to see you again so soon after our last meeting in Brussels, and I'm delighted to host you here at the Pentagon.  I've been looking forward to this for quite some time.

It's not lost on me that your visit falls between our prospective (sic) independence days, July 4th and July 14th.  It's an honor to have the chance to meet with our first ally at a time of year when we celebrate the democratic values that we share.  Our cooperation in NATO, the Sahel and the Middle East are a key to our long-standing partnership, which is grounded in common strategic interests, our shared understanding of the importance of diplomacy and a powerful interest in preserving the international rules-based order.

Today, as you well know, some of our competitors are working to undermine the stable and open order that we both support.  So in the Indo-Pacific in particular, France is an ideal partner for the United States as we work to bolster our shared interests in the region.  In Europe, we look forward to continuing to consult with France, as well as our other NATO allies and partners, as the Department of Defense moves forth with its strategic reviews and as we continue to confront an increasingly-aggressive Russia.

We'll also spend some time today discussing our cooperation in the Sahel, where France and coalition forces from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger work to bring peace and security to the region.  The United States is proud to support our French and African partners.

Closer to home, we'll also discuss implementing deliverables that we agreed upon at the NATO leaders summit and at -- and the U.S.-E.U. summit in June, and of course, we thank France for your contributions in Afghanistan since the very beginning of operations there in 2001.  We thank the French people and the French military who served bravely alongside us for the last 20 years.  And now it's time for us to end that war, and we appreciate the coordination we've had as together, we and our NATO allies have begun to transition to a new relationship with our Afghan partners.

I'm also looking forward to our -- to continuing our efforts in other areas and discussing new areas for potential cooperation, and to that end, I am especially pleased that later today, we'll be visiting USCYBERCOMMAND together, where the United States is working to develop our defenses and build up our resilience against adversaries in cyberspace.  I know you have also made cybersecurity a top priority, and that France has developed a cybersecurity strategy to mitigate risk and increase its capabilities.  Our countries have a strong shared interest in protecting our critical infrastructure and that of our allies, including cyber infrastructure, and that's a foundation for our future cooperation in the area of technological infrastructure more broadly.

And finally, I'm looking forward to signing the Special Operations Forces roadmap, which paves the way for enhanced cooperation between our Special Operations Forces, who have a long history of working together on a number of issues.

And so Madam Minister, I hope that your visit to Washington will be a memorable one.  I'm looking forward to our time together and to deepening the U.S.-France partnership on defense issues.

Merci beaucoup.

FRENCH MINISTER OF THE ARMED FORCES FLORENCE PARLY:  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.

I've been very (inaudible), because I want first and foremost to thank you very much for your warm welcome.  I'm very delighted to continue the discussions we started in Brussels a -- a few weeks ago.  Our cooperation is already very strong and deep, especially in the field of operations, and we want to seize every opportunity to strengthen it.

Intelligence, space and cyber are also domains where we cooperate more and more.  I met, a few days ago, General Dickinson in Paris, and it was a -- a very good symbol of the relationship we are going to create more and more in the future.

I also want to thank you sincerely for your support in the Sahel.  Today, President Macron unveiled the broad outlines of the transformation of Operation Barkhane.  Your support will continue to be needed in the fight against terrorism and we are very grateful for it.  France and the United States are known to be the oldest allies.  These are not just pretty words; they reflect something real.  We are allies in words and deeds.

Thank you.

Giving a Vaccine

 

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Johnathan Norton administers the COVID-19 vaccine to an employee at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, July 2, 2021.

Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks' Travel to Boston, Massachusetts

 July 8, 2021

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Deputy Press Secretary Jamal Brown provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks visited Boston, Massachusetts, to meet with academic institutions, industry partners, and military innovation incubators to discuss and assess their efforts in support of Secretary Austin’s commitment to modernize and drive innovation across the Department of Defense. 

The Deputy Secretary met with representatives from Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex, including former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs retired General Joseph Dunford.

Following the visit, she visited the Air Force Artificial Intelligence Accelerator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), had lunch with Fellows at MIT-Lincoln Labs, and visited the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center at Draper Labs. While at Draper Labs, the Deputy Secretary spoke with soldiers and scientists involved in biotechnology and security and microelectronics about their work to advance and support America’s warfighting capabilities through rapid experimentation, innovative technologies, prototyping, and testing and evaluation. 

Donley Welcomes the New Professional Challenge of Old Job

 July 9, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Mike Donley is an example of the way Washington should work.

Donley, a consummate defense expert, is one of those rare people who have been appointed to national security positions by both Democratic and Republican presidents. He served as the Defense Department's director of administration and management in the Bush Administration and as the Air Force Secretary under President Obama.

And now he is back with DOD serving for the second time as the director of administration and management. He says he is engaged in "worthy work" as the department moves forward.

Donley started his service in the Army and continued in civilian jobs with the Senate Armed Services Committee, DOD, the National Security Council and more. Throughout his career he has worked with many current defense leaders. "We are truly fortunate that Secretary Donley agreed to return to the Pentagon to serve as the director of administration and management," Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said in a written statement. "He embodies our core values of duty, integrity and honor. As we emerge from the pandemic and look forward to modernizing how we manage the department, we will benefit from his decades of expertise across multiple administrations. I look forward to working closely with him."

He hadn't expected to come back to the department. "I was watching this from a distance," he said during an interview in his E-Ring office. 

In this community, no matter where we work, we share that deep commitment to serving the nation's defense and our men and women in uniform. It's always a privilege to be part of this mission."

Mike Donley

Donley had been involved in discussions between the department and Capitol Hill on establishing the DOD chief management officer position in 2005. "I've always been interested in how does one manage one of the world's largest enterprises. It's a huge challenge for a secretary and deputy secretary of defense," he said. 

When he was administration and management director the first time he learned a lot about a wide range of management areas. Congress established the chief management officer position, but then shut it down at the end of 2020. "There was a fair amount of turmoil associated with that, and it just looked to me like there was going to be a challenge to put things back together in some fashion," he said.

And many of the duties performed by the chief of management did not go away when the position disappeared. "Now there is a challenge to figure out where all the pieces go, and how the intention of the Congress and the department in creating this additional level of oversight across the department would be implemented," Donley said. 

He had discussions with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks about the situation and he suggested some people who could do the administration and management job. "She eventually turned the discussion around and asked if I would do it. So I said, 'Yes,'" Donley said.

Donley advises the secretary and deputy secretary on organization and management aspects of the department. He also oversees a wide range of administrative, logistical and technological support for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and associated agencies and offices. Finally, Donley is responsible for running the Pentagon reservation. 

The job is not going to be the same as it was in his first iteration. The elimination of the position of chief management officer is one reason, technology is another and necessity is a third. The CMO functions need to continue, and the office may pick up those for at least a time, Donley said. Once there is time to study them, the functions may go to another DOD agency [or] to one of the services, he said. New technologies often mandate new methods of doing things, and that, too, causes changes. 

The professional challenge is one part of the reason that Donley came back to DOD. "The people is the other part about coming back," he said. 

Many of those who worked with him originally have retired or moved on to other jobs, but there were a number of career civil servants whom he had worked with and trusted who are still in the organization. "It was good to see many people when I came back into the building," he said. "I know they are committed to the DOD mission, and that is something that unites really everybody in this building. In this community, no matter where we work, we share that deep commitment to serving the nation's defense and our men and women in uniform. It's always a privilege to be part of this mission."

French, U.S. Defense Leaders Discuss Ways to Further Cooperation

 July 9, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly to the Pentagon today and discussed myriad ways the United States and France can work together.

It is safe to say that without France, the United States would not have won independence in 1783. More than 200 years later, the two nations still work and fight together. 

The two leaders also signed the Special Operations Forces roadmap, which enhances cooperation between French and U.S. special operators.

"Our cooperation in NATO, the Sahel and the Middle East are a key to our long-standing partnership, which is grounded in common strategic interests, our shared understanding of the importance of diplomacy and a powerful interest in preserving the international rules-based order," Austin said at the beginning of the meeting.

The meeting follows the NATO Summit and the two leaders discussed the ways the two nations will work together in NATO and bilaterally. The challenge from China was among the topics of discussion. "Today, as you well know, some of our competitors are working to undermine the stable and open order that we both support," Austin said. "So in the Indo-Pacific in particular, France is an ideal partner for the United States as we work to bolster our shared interests in the region. 

Russian challenges in Europe and elsewhere also concern both nations and Austin promised the United States would continue to consult with France on this issue and more.

Spotlight: NATO

France is a bulwark in West Africa, and especially the Sahel region. Austin and Parly spoke about working with coalition forces from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to bring peace and security to the region. "The United States is proud to support our French and African partners," he said.

French and American service members worked shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghanistan and Austin praised the French contributions. "We thank the French people and the French military who served bravely alongside us for the last 20 years," he said. "And now it's time for us to end that war, and we appreciate the coordination we've had as together, we and our NATO allies have begun to transition to a new relationship with our Afghan partners."

But the allies are looking to the future. After the meeting Austin and Parly went to Fort Meade, Md., to visit U.S. Cyber Command. "I know you have also made cybersecurity a top priority, and that France has developed a cybersecurity strategy to mitigate risk and increase its capabilities," the secretary said. "Our countries have a strong shared interest in protecting our critical infrastructure and that of our allies, including cyber infrastructure, and that's a foundation for our future cooperation in the area of technological infrastructure more broadly."

Parly wants the two nations to build on the very robust military-to-military relationship. "Our cooperation is already very strong and deep, especially in the field of operations, and we want to seize every opportunity to strengthen it," she said. "Intelligence, space and cyber are also domains where we cooperate more and more."

Parly specifically thanked Austin for American support in the Sahel. "Your support will continue to be needed in the fight against terrorism and we are very grateful for it," she said.

"France and the United States are known to be the oldest allies," the minister said. "These are not just pretty words; they reflect something real. We are allies in words and deeds."

Furling Flag

 

Navy Petty Officers 3rd Class Jeremiah Rivera, left, Brandon Lester, center, and Arthur Cataag fold an American flag aboard the USS Ross during Exercise Sea Breeze in Odessa, Ukraine, July 6, 2021. The annual exercise brings together military units from several countries to enhance their warfighting capabilities and build strong relationships.

Phoenix Support

 

Arizona National Guard soldiers help prepare donations at a food bank in Phoenix, July 7, 2021, to support COVID-19 relief efforts.

Steadfast Sentinel

 

A soldier assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” walks the mat at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a rainstorm at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, July 8, 2021.

Gunnery Prep

 

Army Reserve soldiers load .50-caliber ammunition into a holding can on top of a Stryker vehicle before a live-fire night gunnery training exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga., June 25, 2021.

Ordnance Disposal

 

Airmen perform an expedient multiple unexploded ordnance disposal walk during training at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 2, 2021. Airmen cleared simulated ordnance from a mock airfield during the event.

Deck Check

 

Sailors inspect the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for debris during flight operations in the Arabian Sea, July 3, 2021.

Forward Fire

 

Army Sgt. Keeiaru Lee fires an assault rifle during a qualification for the Schuetzenschnur, the German Armed Forces badge of marksmanship, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, July 7, 2021.

Summer Fury

 

Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys conduct refueling operations at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., July 7, 2021, during Summer Fury, an exercise designed to enhance Marine Air-Ground Task Force integration and increase aviation operations proficiency.

Quick Response

 

Airmen participate in a quick response training event at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, June 12, 2021.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Bilateral Meeting With France Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly

 July 9, 2021

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

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met France Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly today at the Pentagon to reaffirm the deep cooperation between our governments and militaries.

The leaders discussed the importance of transatlantic cooperation and unity, particularly as strategic competitors contribute to increased security challenges worldwide. They also discussed bilateral cooperation and opportunities for continued engagement in the Middle East and Africa, where France and the United States have a long history of working together to address common challenges.

Secretary Austin committed to continuing consultations with France and other NATO Allies on strategic reviews, including the National Defense Strategy. Minister Parly conveyed appreciation for the United States’ reinvigorated engagement with NATO Allies and EU partners, noting the recent NATO and EU Leaders Summits attended by President Biden.

Secretary Austin and Minister Parly concluded their meeting with a signing ceremony of the U.S.-France Roadmap for Increased Cooperation in the Area of Special Operations. The Roadmap signals U.S. and French intent to identify areas where increased special operations coordination and cooperation is possible.

After their meeting, Secretary Austin and Minister Parly visited U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, where they discussed shared interests, opportunities, and initiatives in cyberspace to deepen the enduring U.S.-France bilateral partnership.

Road Trip Day Sixteen: Grandma’s Breakfast

 Last night, anticipating an easier drive I set my phone alarm for 7AM.  I learned early this morning that the previous occupant of my hotel room had set the hotel alarm clock for 5:45AM.  After a quick hotel coffee I was packed and on the road at 630AM. 

On Highway 70, shortly after leaving Terre Haute, Indiana I crossed into the southern tip of Illinois at the city of Effingham.  I hadn’t gone 5 miles when the Illinois Department of Transportation shut down the highway.  Fortunately, I was at an off ramp which was conveniently located next to a Cracker Barrell.  Breakfast sounded better than traffic.  At 715AM in the morning the Effingham Cracker Barrell is empty.  There were very few customers and it was fully staffed.  I was seated and served Grandma’s Breakfast very quickly. 

As I ate breakfast I remembered that my Grandmother, Rose, was born in Gibson, Illinois.  A quick check and I found I was only 90 minutes from Gibson.  I was tempted to make the side trip, but a three hour detour without proper research on what to look for or at, didn’t make sense.  I also remembered that I had at least one great uncle who lived for a time in Effingham. I overheard the information on Effingham and Gibson over 50 years ago and just couldn’t remember much of the substance nor context.  As I was eating I used the phone to research Effingham and found that I was only a half mile or so from the Effingham Masonic Lodge.

The construction of the Lodge was very interesting.  The exterior looks as if they only thing it houses is

a Lodge room.  It is situation East to West and the building simply looks like someone covered a lodge room.

Back on to the highway.  The southern tip of Illinois is pretty flat.  Small towns and hamlets are dotted between flat farm land consisting of acres and acres of corn.  I think corn fields are creepy.  Nothing good (except the corn) happens in corn fields.  Think Casino or The Get Away.  I crossed over the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and was in St. Louis, Missouri. 

About the time I crossed into Missouri the Dodgers began to play Tampa Bay.  Coffee, Baseball and cruise control for three hours and I arrived in Kansas City, Missouri.  My hotel is in the northeast part of the city, right across from “Worlds of Fun” and “Oceans of Fun.”  I can see giant roller coasters looping in the sky from my hotel room.  Thus, the area is filled with families.  It feels like I am staying in a hotel in Anaheim across from Disneyland.

Tomorrow a tour of the Truman Presidential Library followed by a relatively short drive to Wichita, Kansas. 

Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks’ Travel to Maine, New Hampshire

 July 7, 2021

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Deputy Press Secretary Jamal Brown provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks met with representatives from Bath Iron Works in Brunswick, Maine, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to discuss and assess efforts to bolster U.S. warfighting capabilities and maintain maritime dominance.

While in Brunswick, Deputy Secretary Hicks visited the Bath Iron Works operations as well as the DDG 118 (USS Inouye) and met with troops.

In Portsmouth, Deputy Secretary Hicks spoke with key personnel at the structural shop at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the future Waterfront Support Facility, toured a KC-46 display at Pease Air National Guard and spoke with troops.

Today’s visits underscore Secretary Austin’s commitment to modernizing the Department of Defense to meet future threats.

Road Trip Day 15: The Kia Nav Hates Me

 It should have taken 9 hours to drive from Lamar, Pennsylvania to Terre Haute, Indiana.  It took 12.  The first problem happened a half hour into the drive with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation decided to close the turnpike.  The car’s nav saw the red-lined highway and suggested an alternate route.  Off the highway and through the Pennsylvania countryside. 

It was early and I was rested.  No problem.  Windows down, sunroof open and I drive 30 minutes through beautiful Pennsylvania farm country.  Seemed like a bonus, not an omen.  Back on to the highway in a couple of hours I was at the Ohio border.  I buzzed through Ohio: Youngstown, Canton, Columbus and Dayton.  Then I got to Indiana.

On 70, in an area called Spiceland the two-lane highway came to a complete stop.  There were signs warning of construction, but there have been a lot of areas of construction on the entire trip.  There was no sign that said they were going to close the highway for about an hour.  There I sat, me and hundreds of big rigs.  I checked the car’s nav.  It gave the error message “There are no alternative routes.”  That is Kia’s way of saying you are “f’d.”  It was that kind of stop on highway where people got out of their trucks and cars.  The next off ramp was AFTER the stoppage eight miles ahead and the previous off-ramp (presuming you could 4-wheel drive over the marshy looking meridian) was 5 miles back.  After an hour it started to move.  But, a wagon train of big rigs moves glacial rate.  Finally, I hit the open road about 200 miles from tonight’s stop.

As I approached Indianapolis, the nav said to take the 65 south.  As I approached the transition, I could see signs that said the 65 was closed, but usually the nav compensates.  When I got up to transition, I could see that the 65 was not only closed, it was gone.  There was nothing but concrete columns and debris.  It wasn’t under construction, it was under destruction.  The nav was still saying take the 65 south.  The Kia Nav hates me.  I had two options:  North to Chicago or follow the train of cars and trucks off the freeway into downtown Indianapolis.  I was already in the downtown lane.

Down the ramp and into truck driver hell on Ohio Street in downtown Indianapolis.  The nav adjusted and wanted to follow the line of trucks.  Like 50 of them, all waiting to make a left turn onto some street that paralleled the highway that wasn’t there.  One truck at a time, they made the left turn.  Slowly they turned, truck by truck. 

That’s it.  I turned off the nav.  Time to go old school.  As I sat there I looked at the map.  I could see that if I went 12 blocks west and then south on Capital Street I could pick up the highway.  But how do I get around 50 trucks?  There was no lane, but there was space.  I drove in the gutter between the wall of massive big rigs and the sidewalk filled with pedestrians.  I crept forward and made the first block.  One more to go.  The light turned green and I kept to gutter.  I looked in the rear-view mirror and I was now leading a parade of a dozen passenger cars.  We got through.

West to Capital Street and about 8 blocks south and I was back on the highway.  I made it to Terre Haute, Indiana.

Six-hour drive tomorrow to Kansas City, Missouri.  That is the staging stop for the visit to the Truman Library.  I have tickets for Friday Morning.  The short drive to Wichita for overnight.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar

 July 7, 2021

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

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar to discuss bilateral cooperation and our ongoing drawdown in Afghanistan.  

Both leaders reasserted the importance of adequate security at Hamid Karzai International Airport and agreed to speak again in the near future on the topic.  

The Secretary reaffirmed the importance of the longstanding U.S.-Turkey defense relationship and thanked the Minister for his continuing communication.