Pentagon Press Secretary Conducts an Update for Reporters

Feb. 26, 2021

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Lynn Rosenthal, Independent Review Commission On Sexual Assault In The Military

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PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Sorry we're a few minutes late here today.

As you're aware, President Biden ordered a 90-day commission to pursue solutions to sexual assault in the military. To carry out the president's direction, Secretary Austin ordered the establishment of a 90-day independent review commission on sexual assault in the military -- we refer to it as the IRC -- to review department policies and processes as directed by the president.

The secretary has designated Lynn Rosenthal, formerly the first-ever White House advisor on Violence Against Women, and a longtime advocate for survivors of gender violence, to lead this commission. In a moment, I'm going to turn the podium over to Lynn to walk through some of the specifics of the IRC's structure and goals and then to take some questions.

In addition to the Independent Review Commission, the secretary directed immediate actions to bring the department in compliance with evidence-based practices to ensure accountability of sexual assault and harassment efforts at every level of the total force.

The secretary also pledged on day one that countering sexual assault and harassment in the military is a top priority. Keeping with that pledge, the secretary participated in a virtual roundtable just this last Tuesday, with Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough and sexual assault survivors and advocates.

This engagement informed ongoing work to review and improve our approaches to countering sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military, and to caring for survivors during transition and beyond. The meeting reaffirmed these leaders' commitment to these shared priorities, and they solicited participants' perspectives on the way ahead.

Every member of the total force deserves a workplace free of sexual assault and harassment and personal fear. We must commit ourselves to eliminating this illegal and corrosive behavior.

And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Ms. Rosenthal to address the independent review committee activities specifically, and then she'll stay up here and we'll take some questions on that and then we'll get into the regular briefing later.

So with that, Lynn?

LYNN ROSENTHAL: Thank you.

Good afternoon. This effort, this commission is dedicated to those service members who suffered from sexual assault, both those who have come forward and shared their stories at great personal cost, and those who suffered in silence and who continue to suffer in silence, alone, and also at great cost.

The trauma and life-altering effects of sexual assault are devastating in any context. What I'm struck by here, as I listen to stories of military survivors, is what -- how much their service meant to them, how their life was about this dream of serving in the military. And this dream was a part of their identity. And for many, their dreams were shattered by the trauma of sexual violence and sometimes retaliation for coming forward. This must end.

I'm grateful for the leadership of President Biden and Secretary Austin in establishing this independent review commission. As both the president and the secretary have said, all options must be on the table.

The most pressing task facing this commission is accountability for those who have committed sexual assault. But I want to be clear that that is not the only task. We will also look at climate, culture and prevention.

One of the hardest things to hear when you listen to survivors talk is how hostility was conveyed by their attackers, this hostile approach to them, as a part of the sexual assault. And that approach was to the victim, "you don't belong here, you don't belong in this military. No one will believe you if you talk about what happened, and you will be blamed."

This commission says to that service member, you do belong in this military. You belong. And it's our job to make this climate safe for you to be here.

 I know firsthand from my work that there is tremendous capacity in this building and in the force, there's capacity that there are best practices that are in place. And this commission will build on that knowledge, but we will also consult outside experts and stakeholders. We want to hear a diversity of views from every level of the services and in civilian society, and we will take all of those views into account in our deliberations and our recommendations.

So more to come on our process and our membership, but that's where we're starting today. So thank you so much.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Lynn.

We're going to go to normal policy practice here, we'll go to the phones first and then into the room, and we'll go one for one. So I would ask you to limit your questions, for this part of the briefing, to Ms. Rosenthal and the work of the Independent Review Commission.

And with that, Lita, did you have a question?

Q: I'll pass, thanks.

MR. KIRBY: In the room? Tara?

Q: Hi, thanks for doing this, Tara Copp with McClatchy. What we've seen in past sexual assault reporting incidents is that sometimes the very people on base that these victims are having to report to are sometimes the ones perpetrating these attacks. And there's been a call, time and time again, for there to be a counselor on-base or a civilian on-base, an independent civilian for military personnel to report to. I'm just wondering if that will be one of the things you take into account.

MS. ROSENTHAL: I think we'll look closely at that, and I've seen that recommendation from the previous reports, so I think that's what we mean by all options are on the table. We want to think creatively about that, and we want to hear from service members about what it is that they think would make the climate safer for them.

Q: So will your work result in actionable recommendations for --

(CROSSTALK)

MS. ROSENTHAL: Absolutely.

So we have a 90-day commission and we're working on the charter now, working with the deputy secretary's office on what our charter will look like. Within 60 days, we'll have some initial recommendations, particularly on the accountability issue, and within 90 days we'll complete the work of the commission.

But I also know that that's just the first step for the secretary. I think the secretary is our greatest asset in fighting this problem. He gets it so deeply, he cares about it so much, he cares about his service members.

And so the commission ends in 90 days, but the implementation of the recommendations will certainly continue.

STAFF: In the back here.

Q: Hi there, Nick Schifrin from "PBS NewsHour."

Can you talk a little bit more about the commission itself? I know it's early, but are your members going to be from this building or are they all going to from outside, and to Tara's point, one of the main things, as you know, that advocates call for is the removal of commanders from the adjudication process. Is that idea just an option, or is that idea part of the charter itself?

MS. ROSENTHAL: Well, the president and the secretary have said that all options should be on the table. I don't think we have a predetermined outcome of this question which we must very carefully examine. And the membership of the commission will be made up of military leaders, former leaders, sexual assault advocates and sexual assault experts, so it'll be both internal and external, and we hope to have a very dynamic process. And I don't think we need to be afraid of a diversity of views. That is part of this conversation, and we need not fear it, and especially because the secretary has invited that kind of inquiry.

MR. KIRBY: On the phones, Aaron Mehta, Defense News.

Q: Hi. I've got nothing for this one, but one for later. Thanks.

MR. KIRBY: Okay. In the room. Yes, ma'am.

Q: Hi. Caitlin Kenney with Stars and Stripes. I know this is very early, but I have a question to follow up. For the secretary, do you believe that he may be taking some of the recommendations that you may have along the way, like, immediately, or do you think he's going to be waiting until the recommendations are all out there? Do you think that he'll actually take what you guys come up with and immediately act on it?

MS. ROSENTHAL: Well, he's already taking immediate action, so I know that's the case, and I think if we identify something that needs to be fixed right away -- and those may be out there -- where we feel that service members are in jeopardy, I think he would take immediate action. I mean, I can't speak for him at this point, but I think that he's so devoted to making sure that we're protecting service members that if something needed to be done right away, he would make sure that it happens.

Q: Okay, and I guess after this commission, I know you talked about it's -- this is a first step. How do you make some of these recommendations part of the military culture, a movement for everyone from, you know, the basic trainee all the way up to the secretary, I guess?

MS. ROSENTHAL: That's the core question. That's what the commission will be charged with. That's a great way to put it.

Q: Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Lara Seligman, Politico?

Q: Hey, John. No questions on this, but I'll have a question later. Thanks.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, Meghann, in the back.

Q: So as part of the commission, is there going -- are there going to be teams traveling around and doing sensing sessions or doing interviews with service members? Will there be a place online where someone can put in their suggestions or share their stories? How can service members get to you guys and tell them -- tell you what they want?

MS. ROSENTHAL: That's absolutely what we want to do, so we're working on what that process would be now. So I envision that part of it will be online. We want to hear from as many people as we can about their experiences, so we're working on that process now. And I'm not sure -- I think that there will some travel because there are places we're going to want to go and visit and see, particularly if we identify something that's really working, where the metrics show that they're moving the needle. I think we're going to want to go see that. So I think we'll do all of what you just described.

MR. KIRBY: Okay, any others? Yes, Helene? 

Q: Will you be -- are you going to be talking to Kirsten -- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office? As you know, she's pushed very hard to have this taken out of the military chain of command and the -- the Pentagon has pushed in the other direction, but there a lot of critics who think you can't really do anything about this until you at least do that. Where do you -- A, are you going to be talking to her, including her office in this commission? And B, where do you stand on that?

MS. ROSENTHAL: Well, we're absolutely engaged in outreach to members of Congress, and particularly, Senator Gillibrand, who has so much capacity and thinking about this. And I've spoken with her about it over the years, so I'm very familiar. And as I described, we don't have a predetermined outcome.

I think that accountability is critical. I absolutely believe that. I also believe that these pillars intersect with each other, so without a clear pathway for accountability, the work we want to do on prevention will be completely undermined. And by the same token, we could address that one issue of the chain of command, and if we don't do all the other things, that's not going to work, either.

So I believe this, and I've expressed this view before; that all of this travels together. So I think we're going to -- we're going to look with an open mind and diverse views on this question of the chain of command, without a doubt, and the secretary has said that himself.

MR. KIRBY: Okay. Any other questions in the room?

Okay, ma'am.

MS. ROSENTHAL: Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: We'll cut you loose.

MS. ROSENTHAL: Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you so much.

Thanks. 

Okay. As we announced yesterday evening, military forces conducted an air strike against infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria. The strike was authorized in response to recent attacks against American and coalition personnel in Iraq and to ongoing threats to those personnel. We recognize the significance of this operation as the first of its kind under the new administration.

And so while I typically am loath to get into operational details, given that this has the interest that it does, and it is the first one that President Biden has authorized, I can offer a little bit more detail than I would typically be comfortable sharing at the podium.

Two F-15E Strike Eagles dropped seven precision-guided munitions, totally destroying nine facilities and partially destroying two facilities, making them functionally destroyed. The structures were located at the Abu Kamal terrorist entry control point located near the Syria-Iraq border on the Syrian side. This location is known to facilitate Iranian-aligned militia group activity.

We have preliminary details about casualties on site, but I won't be able to discuss additional details at this time because our battle damage assessment is ongoing.

This response was conducted together with diplomatic measures, including consultation with coalition partners. The department notified congressional leadership before the strikes. Administration officials have been briefing at the member and staff level today, and there will -- and there will be a full classified briefing early next week.

As we made clear last night, and I think through President Biden's order, he made clear that the United States will act to protect American and coalition personnel and our security interests in the region.

Moving on, today, Secretary Austin spoke with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, H.E. Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. The secretary acknowledged the Kuwaitis and Americans who have bravely fought side-by-side to restore Kuwait's territorial integrity and respect for its sovereignty alongside of the largest coalition the world had seen since World War II.

We also underscored that 30 years later now, the United States and Kuwait maintain a strong bilateral partnership. The United States and Kuwait remain committed to a close defense partnership that brings peace and prosperity to the Gulf region.

On other news, we're excited to announce the 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando from September 12th to the 22nd. This annual event brings together hundreds of wounded, ill and injured service members from the U.S. military and our allied nations as a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of Wounded Warriors by providing them exposure to adaptive sports. This is the first time the Warrior games have been held at this location and in coordination with Disney and we're grateful for that coordination and -- and opportunity.

As we prepare for this event, we will work closely to obviously ensure the health and welfare of all athletes and spectators involved. More information and all of the COVID measures are available on the Department of Army's website.

Now, I also know that many of you are interested in the training materials we provided to the services and to the force for use during their stand downs -- the extremism stand down that the Secretary ordered a couple of weeks ago.

I'm happy to inform you that we've posted all of this material and it's available on our website, defense.gov/newsrooms/publications, if you want to look at it. The materials are consistent with the Secretary's approach to his priorities and provide enough guidance to facilitate these important stand-down conversations.

It is not meant to be prescriptive; it is not meant to be all-inclusive. We want the services, we want commands, we want leaders to conduct these stand downs in the way they see best fit for their schedule, their operations, their culture, their people. Services and components are and will continue to provide additional information to enable commanders to address this issue in greater detail with their units.

I can also announce that our new Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will join the Twittersphere today and her handle is @DepSecDef -- D-E-P-S-E-C-D-E-F. So please feel free to follow her on Twitter.

And finally, I need to correct something that I said during the Tuesday press gaggle. There is no change to U.S. policy regarding the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands. As President Biden underscored in his call with Prime Minister Suga, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed in his call with Foreign Minister Motegi, and Secretary Austin further reaffirmed in his call with Defense Minister Kishi, the United States is unwavering in its commitment to the defense of Japan under Article 5 of our security treaty, which includes the Senkaku Islands. The United States opposes any unilateral action that seeks to change the status quo. For further discussion on U.S. policy, I would of course refer you to our colleagues at the State Department but I do regret my error the other day. That was on me and I apologize for any confusion that that caused.

Okay, let's get to questions. Lita?

Q: Hi, thanks. John, a couple of questions on the strikes. Can you say whether or not there was any imminent threat coming from those facilities that were hit versus just a -- sort of a retaliatory strike against something they had?

There's been some reporting that there was trucks hit. Was it just buildings and was it, like, a weapons -- were there weapons or something there that -- for -- to prevent future attacks? And then just one quick thing on Congress -- you mentioned that there was some congressional notification. There's been some complaints that there was no congressional authorization and questions about the legality of the U.S. making a strike in Syria. Can you address that? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: So there's a lot there, Lita. I won't get into -- as I think you can imagine, I'm not going to get into specific intelligence assessments. The purpose for striking these targets was twofold -- one, clearly to -- to try to make an impact on these groups and their ability to conduct future attacks, and -- and two, to send a very clear signal that the United States is going to protect its people and it's going to protect our interests and it's going to protect those of our -- of our partners in -- in the region. So this was a -- these targets were chosen carefully, very deliberately and struck in exactly the same manner.

And I'm sorry, Lita, your second question was -- I think it was on notifications?

Q: Right, notifications to Congress. There's been some complaints that Congress was not able to provide any authorization for the strikes and questions about the legality of striking structures in Syria. Can you address that?

And I guess just jumping back to your previous comments, can you say if there were weapons at all in any of the structures that were hit? Thanks.

MR. KIRBY: On the second question -- I'll try to -- not to forget now the other one -- but on -- on the issue of weapons, again, our battle damage assessment is ongoing and I don't have any more information than what I've been able to provide you today. I've -- I've gone as far as I actually can, based on what we know.

And to the degree we are able to share additional information, you know, we will but I also caution you to -- to -- to understand that there's going to be a limit to how much more information we may be able to provide.

On the legality, there -- there are -- are two frameworks here, which clearly define the legality of this strike. One is Article 2. The Commander in Chief, under Article 2, has not only the authority but the obligation to protect American forces in combat theaters and in operations -- military operations. So clearly, under his constitutional -- under U.S. constitutional authorities, this was -- this was right -- right there.

And then second, under Article 51 of the United Nations international law, it gives nations involved in operations the right of self-defense. And as I said at the very outset, this really was a defensive strike meant to help protect, in the future, American forces and coalition partners.

Given what we knew those -- those structures were used for, right there on the other side of that border, to -- to -- to provide throughput for these groups and their activities inside Iraq -- so very much was a -- a -- a defensive operation to -- to protect our troops and our coalition partners, as well as, as I said at the outset, to send a strong signal about our resolve.

Does that answer your question, Lita?

Q: Sure. I -- I -- I guess it -- you're sort of saying that it was to protect troops and throughput but you're not saying that was in any of these multitude of structures, that I think --

MR. KIRBY: So much as the detail, we're confident that these were legitimate targets that were utilized by groups associated with these recent attacks -- structures, housing, capabilities that they -- that they utilized to help perpetrate attacks on our troops and on our coalition partners in Iraq. We're confident in that. I'm not going to get into the specific intel of that.

And as for the -- again, you know, your question about were their weapons hit. Again, our battle damage assessment's ongoing. I'm just not going to get ahead of that. And to the degree we are able to provide more context, in time, when we know more, I certainly will.

Tom?

Q: Hi, John. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 17 were killed in this operation. I know you're still doing the BDA, but does that sound way off the mark from what you know right now?

And also, did you communicate at all with the Russians, did you deconflict with them before this operation?

MR. KIRBY: On the -- on the casualties, I've seen those press reports, Tom. As I said in my opening statement, we received preliminary indications of casualties on-site, but I don't have more detail right now in terms of numbers.

Q: Multiple casualties?

MR. KIRBY: We have preliminary indications of casualties on-site, I'm not going to go any further than that.

The Russians were contacted just prior to the strike, using the deconfliction mechanism that is in place. Yeah.

Dan?

Q: At what point did it become clear who was behind the rocket attack in Erbil? And -- and then how -- how long did it take you to sort of decide on the target and carry out the operation? And also were the other rocket attacks at Balad air base and in the Green Zone afterward, were those also linked to those same groups?

MR. KIRBY: Well, when we refer to -- when we refer to the justification for the strikes, we talked about recent attacks. So I'd leave it at that, but that -- certainly you can take away from that that -- this structure was hit because we know it was utilized by groups that were responsible for -- for these recent attacks, not just Erbil.

And as for the tick-tock that you're asking, I don't have that level of specificity except to say that -- and you heard the secretary talk about this last week -- that our Iraqi partners were conducting an investigation, and he said last night that some of the information they gleaned, what they learned from that certainly was of significant assistance in our ability to develop this target set.

So that process evolved over the last couple of weeks, since the attack in Erbil, when their investigative and intelligence efforts began. So it sort of was evolving over the last couple of weeks.

I don't know, I can't give you a date, certain, Dan, when you know, when all of a sudden, the -- you know, the light bulb went on and we knew, you know, this is -- this was the -- these were the groups and this is what we were going to -- what we were going to do. But I can tell you that the -- the president himself authorized this yesterday morning.

Let me go to the phones. Luis Martinez, ABC?

Q: Last night on the plane, Secretary Austin talked about the importance of having the Iraqis conduct the investigation, he talked about encouraging them to conduct this investigation. Can you talk -- can you address that, and also the level of involvement that the U.S. had in narrowing down the linkage between these militia groups and these attacks? And how much was relying on the Iraqis, and how much was relying on U.S. intelligence? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: It was very much a team effort, Luis. The secretary was very sincere when he praised our Iraqi partners for their investigative and intelligence work that they did. I won't speak for them, that wouldn't be appropriate. But -- but there was some very good work done on the -- on the intelligence side that helped lead to this -- these successful strikes.

And as I think he said, we offered support and assistance. We were able to provide some information to their investigative process that -- that helped. I won't get into the details of that, but it was -- I think it's safe to assume that while it was an Iraqi investigation, clearly, I mean, there was some assistance provided by the United States to help with the information-gathering and the intelligence assessments.

But that is not unusual, Luis. You know that throughout our mission there in Iraq, at the invitation of our Iraqi partners in this counter-ISIS effort, that sort of information-sharing is a fairly routine process between us and our Iraqi partners.

Lucas?

Q: Can you clear something up, John? The Iraqi military is saying today that they did not help in these U.S. strikes in eastern Syria, that they only help the U.S. military when it comes to striking ISIS. Who's right here?

MR. KIRBY: There's not -- I don't think there's a split here, Lucas. It is true that the -- the mission inside Iraq is a counter-ISIS effort. This mission didn't take place in Iraq, it took place in Syria. And as the secretary said last night, the Iraqis were critical, Iraqi and Kurdish partners were critical in -- in their investigative process and the things they learned and the intelligence assessments that they were able to provide to the -- to the process in terms of assisting our targeting.

Q: So when the secretary says the Iraqis were, quote, "very helpful to us," that's the investigation into the rocket attack --

MR. KIRBY: Yes.

Q: -- not in the targeting --

MR. KIRBY: That's correct, that's correct.

Q: -- in eastern Syria?

MR. KIRBY: That is correct, yeah, thank you for clearing that up.

Nick?

Q: Can I go back to attribution? I've been told that it's been made more difficult since Soleimani and al-Muhandis' death, these groups are a little more gray in terms of who they are and their control. So can you just go into a little bit more detail on why you're so confident that these group or groups or what was behind it, and that Iran is behind those groups.

And then, following that, what is the message this strike sends to Iran?

MR. KIRBY: So, Nick, on -- this will be a fairly unsatisfactory answer. I'm not going to get into the specifics of -- of the intelligence any more than I already have. And again, I want to credit our Iraqi and Kurdish partners for some terrific intelligence work that they did to lead us to the degree of confidence that we had that these two groups were responsible.

And -- and have actually been responsible even prior to these three most recent attacks. And it's been no secret that -- that they do have ties to Iran. That's -- that's a -- I think a longstanding understanding that we -- that we have.

And I'm sorry, you had another one?

Q: And what's the message this strike sends to Iran?

MR. KIRBY: I think the strike sends a message to anyone in the region, to all adversaries in the region, people that -- organizations, people, leaders that are operating in ways that are inimical to security and stability of the region, and to our interests and to those of our partners, that we will defend ourselves, that we will protect our interests. We're certainly going to act to protect our people and our -- and the forces of our allies and partners.

That is an unambiguous, clear message to anyone in the region about what the stakes are if you're going to continue to conduct attacks on our people and the Iraqi people.

Let me go to the phones again. Idrees?

Q: Hey, John. Just wanted some clarification on the Iraqis and what role they played. So I might have misheard, but I think you said they helped sort of – with some targeting data but -- but the Iraqis say they didn't exchange any information about the targets within Syria.

So could you just again help me explain what the Iraqis exactly did with regards to the strike?

MR. KIRBY: It's that they helped with targeting data. In fact, my answer to Lucas was -- to -- quite -- quite to the opposite point. I -- I did not say that they helped with targeting. What I did say and what the Secretary said last night is that through their investigative process and through their own, good intelligent -- intelligence work, it -- it was able to help us better determine who was responsible for these attacks, what groups were responsible for these attacks, and then that helped us -- that gave us, you know, the ability to -- to do the targeting process and to determine what would be the -- the best set of targets for this particular circumstance, for these strikes.

But they -- you know, I -- I -- there -- there was -- they -- they -- they're -- they're correct when they say they did not assist in the targeting process. Kristina, good to see you.

Q: Hi, good to see you too. So two questions, one Iraq related, one non-Iraq related. First, can you explain the thinking behind striking in Syria versus Iraq, where the rocket attacks were believed to have come from?

And -- and I'll -- I'll address the second one later.

MR. KIRBY: So I think I'd worry less about the geography and more about the function, right? And these -- these -- these structures, again, we had information that -- that -- that we believe gave us confidence that the -- the -- these structures, this site, this compound -- cause all the buildings were on a single compound -- were being used by these groups to facilitate the movement of resources, material and weaponry into Iraq to conduct the attacks.

So it was really more that than -- you know, than the -- than the map. Do you have another question?

Q: Yes. The second one -- has Secretary Austin had a chance to consider the Medal of Honor nomination for Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe or has it not risen to his level yet?

MR. KIRBY: I'm going to take that question. I don't believe it is -- that that package has gotten that far in the process but I don't know that for sure so let me take that question. Dan Sagalyn on the phone?

Q: No, I'm good, Nick asked a question for us.

MR. KIRBY: Okay. I guess I should've thought of that. Sorry, Nick. Missy Ryan, Washington Post?

Q: Sorry, I had a hard time unmuting myself. Thanks, John. I just want to go back to the -- the role of these particular facilities at Abu Kamal, and I just -- I just want to make sure that I'm understanding what you're saying. You're describing these as way stations kind of that are used by these specific militias -- Kata'ib Hezbollah and Kata'ib -- the KSS -- as moving militants from where to where?

And -- and also are you saying -- are you saying that the Iraqi government didn't help the targeting but they ID'd KH and KSS as behind the Erbil attack? So I just want to make sure that I'm understanding what you're saying.

MR. KIRBY: Again, I'm loathe to get into too much more detail than what I've said thus far, Missy. It is -- what -- as we get -- back to my answer to -- Lucas, our Iraqi and Kurdish partners were helpful in helping gather the information and the intelligence which gave us the degree of confidence that these two groups were responsible for recent attacks.

And as I said at the outset on this -- on this structure, this compound, Abu Kamal, "entry control point" is -- is the way I described it, located near the Syria-Iraq border, and I think I tried to describe that as best I could, as a sort of -- a -- you know, a way for them to throughput into Iraq.

You called it a way station, I don't -- I don't think that's necessarily a -- a bad way of putting it but, I mean, we know that this compound was used by these groups to help resource and help facilitate their ability to conduct the -- these kinds of attacks in -- inside of Iraq.

And again, this is not something that I think is all that new to many of you who have covered this region for a long time, that that area of -- of Syria, it's not uncommon for -- since it is largely unpopulated, very austere environment, that -- that groups like these and in fact -- and ISIS used to significantly use that area of -- of Syria as a -- as way stations, training facilities, weapons caches, places to make possible the attacks that they were doing in Iraq. And again, I think that's a -- that's in keeping with what we understood about -- about this compound. Yeah, Joe?

Q: Thank you, John. I would like to ask you if the Pentagon is concerned about the mil-to-mil relationship with Riyadh in the aftermath of the release of the Khashoggi report by the DNI?

MR. KIRBY: I think the Secretary -- we addressed this when the Secretary -- when we offered a readout of the Secretary's call with -- with the Crown Prince. I mean -- and -- and I -- I don't -- I'm not going to speak to the specifics of this report. That's outside the lanes of the Defense Department.

But Saudi Arabia remains a strategic partner in the region. We have to be courageous enough as friends to speak candidly and -- and to make clear our concerns about the rule of law and about civil and human rights, even with friends and partners.

And I'll leave it to my State Department colleagues to -- to speak to that. From -- from a military -- military perspective, as I've said many times, we take seriously our security commitments to Saudi Arabia, with respect to their ability to defend themselves, and they do need to defend themselves, particularly along that southern border, and -- and it's important that we continue to be able to have frank and candid conversations about how that relationship should go forward.

Again, I won't speak for the broader government on this but from a military to military perspective, we recognize our commitments and those requirements and we also respect our government's right and responsibility to make clear the -- the broader context of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Abraham?

Q: Thank you. You described the -- these Syria strikes as defensive and known, so then why wait until American service members and diplomats are endangered by rockets to strike these facilities? And is the Defense Department ready to finally lay blame on Iran as ultimately responsible for these strikes?

MR. KIRBY: I -- I take issue with the premise of the question, Abraham. You said, "Why wait?" I mean, we've talked about this many times. I can't speak and I won't speak for what the previous administration did or the speed with which they acted. What I can speak for is this administration, and this administration took these attacks very seriously and wanted to make sure that if and when there was a response, it was the appropriate response and done at a time and a manner and a place of our choosing, and that is exactly what we did based on collaboration and information that we got from our Iraqi and Kurdish partners, which gave us a high degree of confidence that we were -- that we were going after the -- the right groups here.

And I -- I -- I know it may seem like this is a simple thing to do. You get hit, so you hit right back. But we wanted to be absolutely certain about what we were doing, when we were doing it and who we were doing it against. And we make no apologies for the fact that we took the time and we allowed our -- our Iraqi partners to take the time to get this right.

And then your second question was --

Q: Are you ready -- is the Department of Defense ready to -- to lay blame on Iran as ultimately responsible?

MR. KIRBY: I -- I think we have been very clear since -- since the beginning about our concerns over what Iran has been doing in the region and their malign activities, and -- and to include their support for these militia groups who continue to attack our interest and our people, as well as the other things they're doing in the region. There's been no walking back from them.

Let me go to the phone here. Lara, you had a question, Lara Seligman?

Q: Yes, I did, thank you, John. So two related questions. One, can you talk a little bit more about what other options were considered. Were -- was it discussed targeting additional facilities? And what was the reason for not going with -- for a more aggressive response? And then also, can you respond to the criticism from lawmakers, particularly from Senator Sanders about the administration interpreting War Powers authorities too broadly, and putting us on a path to continuing forever wars? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Okay. So your first question, again, I won't get into discussing here from the podium the decision-making process and -- and the range of options that the commander-in-chief had -- had before him to choose. What I will say is, as I said at the outset, we believe that this was a deliberate and proportionate attack, a -- a strike on -- on infrastructure that we know was being utilized by the groups responsible for these recent attacks. There was a high degree of confidence that those were the right groups, and the that -- that -- that hitting this compound was -- was the right approach. There's -- but I won't get into speculating about other options that might or might not have been considered.

As for the comments about the War Powers Act and forever wars, I think President Biden has been nothing but clear, as Secretary Austin has been nothing but clear that we -- that we know we want to end these, quote/unquote, "forever wars"; and specifically, that oftentimes refers to Afghanistan, even though I know we're not talking about Afghanistan right now. I mean, they -- the -- the leadership has been very clear that it is time to do this. But it is also time to do it in a responsible and sustainable way, and it is also incumbent upon the secretary and the president, in keeping with his duties as commander-in-chief, to protect our people and to protect our allies, and this was a defensive strike that went at their ability, these groups' abilities to do just that -- to attack our -- our -- our people.

And as for the legal authorities, again Lara, I'll go back to what I said that the -- the outset: There are two primary justifications where -- where the president was well within his legal right to order these actions. One is Article II under the Constitution, his duties as commander-in-chief; and two, Article 51 of the United Nations, which makes it clear in international law that nations have the right to -- of -- of self-defense.

And then the last thing I'd say is that there was congressional notification prior to the strike, and as I also said at the outset, congressional briefings and the provision of information, including a classified briefing, will be done later this week. That's ongoing. So Congress will be kept informed as much as possible here, going -- going forward. But there was congressional notification beforehand.

Let's see -- Tony Capaccio?

Q: Hi, John. John, hi. Can you hear me?

MR. KIRBY: I can, yes, sir.

Q: Okay. I have an -- I have a non-strike question. You mentioned that Hicks was going -- that Ms. Hicks was going to go on Twitter this week. Can you talk a little bit about her February 17th memo to the services on her reviews for the '22 budget process? Does this essentially kick off the -- the '22 process for the -- for the Austin Pentagon? When does she expect these reviews to be completed? And does the memo actually constitute a -- a Hicks hit list of programs likely to be -- be reduced in the '22 plan versus the current budget plan left by the last administration?

MR. KIRBY: Thanks, Tony. I -- I think you can understand I'm not going to speak to -- to internal pre-decisional documents, regardless of the fact that some of them have found them -- found themselves in the public domain, counter to what their purpose is. All I would say, Tony, is the deputy does remain, and has since literally her first day in the building, has remained focused on preparing the department's F.Y. '22 budget submission. OMB controls the timeline for that. You know that better than anybody, Tony. I'm not going to get ahead of any specifics, and I'm certainly not going to preview any details inside that budget, in terms of, you know, programmatic decisions. Just to say, again, that -- that the deputy secretary is focused on this in a very concerted way. She's already had several meetings with -- with key leaders here in the Pentagon, and I think you're going to see that energy continue here throughout the spring. And when we have something that we can speak to specifically, you know, we'll -- we'll do that. But right now, for this administration, the process is in its nascent phase, and I want to respect the secretary and the deputy -- deputy secretary's ability to make decisions on -- in their own time.

Jennae?

Q: Thanks, Mr. Kirby.

I have a question about the North Korean nuclear issues. Recently, Secretary of State Blinken has mentioned that the priority is to resolve North Korea issues as much as missile launches and also WMD, weapons of mass destruction in North Korea. Will the DOD, Department of Defense, implement a strong policy toward North Korea or will it be concerned with diplomatic support? Which one you are -- DOD is – is it?

MR. KIRBY: Well, I -- and I won't get ahead of the State Department and -- and -- and their approach. As Secretary Austin has said literally from even before he was confirmed, that he believes our job here at the Defense Department is to support the work of diplomacy, and the President's been very clear that he wants diplomats in the lead and we're supportive of that here at the Defense Department.

But North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction represents a threat to U.S. interests and the security of our allies and partners. We anticipate a review of the U.S. government's entire approach to North Korea, and of course the Department of Defense is going to support that review. We'll have a role in that, we'll have a voice in that and we'll take that seriously.

In the near time, we're going to work in close coordination with our allies and partners to seek to deter negative behavior from -- from North Korea. And, you know, as you and I have talked about many times, I mean, that -- that includes strengthening the alliance with the Republic of -- of Korea, which we believe is a linchpin of security in the region, and that also means working closely with our South Korean allies on making sure that our two militaries have the -- the capabilities and the readiness to -- to defend our interests on the -- on the peninsula.

Okay, I have time for a couple more. Yeah, Caitlin?

Q: Were the strikes -- was, like, the goal of it in terms of taking out this specific location? Was it trying to stop that capability from ever being used again? Was it trying to really set back those groups from operating or was it just -- when did you accomplish that goal?

MR. KIRBY: So the -- the battle damage assessment is ongoing but as I said in my outset, I -- I -- of the nine structures destroyed, we're pretty confident that even the ones that weren't totally destroyed are going to be extremely difficult for these groups to use again and many of them, they won't be able to use again.

So in -- but again, I don't want to get ahead of the -- the battle damage assessment. We'll learn more in coming hours and -- and days. But to your broader question -- and I -- I -- I apologize if I didn't make this clear at the outset -- but this was very much about hitting a compound, structures, facilities that we know belong to these two groups or that they used these -- that these two groups used those facilities to -- to enhance and -- and enable their operations inside Iraq.

So it very much was about taking away a capability, and now we're going to -- you know, obviously we'll see how, you know, if the -- we'll see to -- to what degree there's a reaction to that but this was a very deliberate strike on a very deliberate set of targets that we believe were valuable to these groups.

Q: Okay, and then on the -- I guess is -- what I'm getting at is, like, does -- is this a -- was this trying to just stop these facilities from being used or was this trying to be a bigger thing of really stopping the future actions of this group, like, for -- for several months, for years? Like, what was, like, I guess the overall goal? That they will never, ever be able to operate again or --

MR. KIRBY: Fair question. Look -- look, the -- it's -- I don't think anybody would argue that this compound alone is the only facility that these two groups have or have access to. Our desire was to remove it from their inventory and to send a strong message about future attacks.

Clearly we want there to be a deterrence message here, delivered straight to them, about the repercussions of going after our people and our Iraqi partners and our facilities inside Iraq. Now, we'll have to see, but that was the intent. One more. Go ahead.

Q: Do you have anything on that explosion that hit the Israeli ship in Gulf of Oman?

MR. KIRBY: I do not, no.

Q: Nothing?

MR. KIRBY: Paul Shinkman, are you on the phone still?

Q: Yeah, hi, John. Thanks for taking my call. So there's -- going back to the question about geography, there's been a lot of discussion about the strike being in Syria and not in Iraq, is that there was an intention not to give Shia militia in Iraq something to rally behind and to incite further violence.

So I suppose my -- my question is the U.S. more willing to strike these kinds of facilities in Syria than it is in Iraq? And then separately, going back to the question about informing foreign countries, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said this morning that -- I think he said that Russia was given four minutes notice before this attack took place and that that was negligible, given that -- I think his phrasing was that the strike was already in the air and that that would endanger it. Do you have any response to that?

MR. KIRBY: On the first question, again, I -- I -- as I've said before, we believe this target set was relevant to -- to damaging these groups' abilities to operate in -- inside Iraq, and I won't speculate at all about future operations or future decisions with respect to protecting our -- our troops and our people in Iraq. I just won't go there.

We are confident that this was a -- a -- a purposeful set of targets that -- that did -- to Caitlin’s question, accomplish two things -- removed those facilities from their ability to use them as a way station, as an entry point, if you will, in -- into Iraq, and -- and clearly to send a very strong message about how we take the attacks on our people -- how seriously we take the attacks on our people and -- and Iraqi partners, and I'll just leave it at that.

And as for Foreign Minister Lavrov, I won't get into the specifics of exactly the -- the timing that was involved here but I'm -- I'm grateful to see that the Foreign Minister confirmed what I've been saying for the last couple of hours, that they were, in fact, informed through the deconfliction channel. So I'm grateful that -- that he was willing to confirm that.

And again, we did what we believe were the proper amount of notification before this, and I think I can -- you know, without getting into the details, it shouldn't come as a shock to anybody that we're going to -- we're going to do what we have to do to notify but we're also going to do what we have to do to protect our -- our forces, and in -- in this particular case, the air forces that were conducting this strike. There's a -- a matter of operational security that we take very seriously.

Okay, thanks, everybody.

Q: John, does Iran --

MR. KIRBY: You always get the last one, you always jump in right at the end.

Q: John, does Iran control the militias that you hit last night?

MR. KIRBY: We know that these groups have been and continue to be supported outside -- out of Iran.

Q: And what is the definition of extremism?

MR. KIRBY: Oh my goodness, Lucas.

(Laughter.)

Let's -- let's have this -- let's -- come to my office later today and we'll have a conversation about that. All right, thanks, everybody. Have a good weekend.

Q: Have a good weekend.

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Austin Tells DOD Education Activity Students About His Heroes, Inspirations

 Feb. 26, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Each generation has heroes — people who rise above the humdrum and mediocre to inspire those around them and who follow them, to aspire to better themselves and their nations.

Henry O. Flipper — the first African-American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy — was one of the heroes who inspired Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, the secretary told students at Defense Department Education Activity high schools at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The first African American leader of the department, who was also a West Point graduate, spoke virtually about his motivations and inspirations for Black History Month.

Flipper was from Austin's hometown of Thomasville, Georgia. He was born enslaved and freed as a result of the Civil War. After his 1877 graduation from West Point, Flipper was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 10th Cavalry Regiment — an all-Black unit in the western U.S. that American Indians called Buffalo Soldiers.

"As a young man growing up in Georgia, I never would have, would have imagined that I'd be walking the halls of the Pentagon, let alone doing that with the president and the vice president of the United States of America," Austin told the students.

"It is my distinct honor to serve as a secretary of defense," he said. "In that capacity, my number one job is to defend our country and secure our nation's interest[s] around the globe. I do this by leading and serving alongside a diverse group of nearly 3 million hard working professionals — soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and guardians."

The secretary told the students that DOD is stronger the more diverse it is. He wants DOD to mirror the make-up of the larger American people, which it does with 40 percent of the force representing people of color.

"I think … the military has led the way … in terms of providing opportunity, not only to join, but providing opportunity for promotion," he said. "One of the things that I think we're going to have to work on going forward is making sure that the senior ranks of the military also reflect what the military looks like." 

Austin wants senior leadership in the United States military to mirror America's diversity. "That's one of the things I'm going to work on while I'm in this job," he said.

"Black history is American history," Austin said. Heroes of every hue inspire Americans of every hue.

The heroes are willing to step up and make the country better. They are willing to secure the freedoms and rights and privileges for all Americans. "Your generation won't be any different," Austin said.

Flag Officer Announcements

 Feb. 26, 2021

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Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

Rear Adm. (lower half) William E. Chase III has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral.  Chase is currently serving as senior military advisor for cyber policy to the under secretary of defense for policy; and the deputy principal cyber advisor to the secretary of defense, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Christopher C. French has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral.  French is currently serving as legal counsel to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

Rear Adm. (lower half) William C. Greene has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral.  Greene is currently serving as fleet maintenance officer, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph D. Noble Jr., has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral.  Noble is currently serving as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) John A. Okon has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral. Okon is currently serving as commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

Rear Adm. (lower half) Scott W. Pappano has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral.  Pappano is currently serving as program executive office, Columbia, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Dean A. VanderLey has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral.  VanderLey is currently serving as commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic with additional duties as fleet civil engineer (N01CE), U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia.  

Capt. Kristin Acquavella has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Acquavella is currently serving as director, plans and policies, N415, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Capt. Maria L. Aguayo has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Aguayo is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, D.C. 

Capt. Joseph B. Hornbuckle has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Hornbuckle is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland.  

Capt. Ronald J. Piret has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Piret is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, John C. Stennis Space Center, Hancock County, Mississippi.  

Capt. Anthony E. Rossi has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Rossi is currently serving as major program manager, Mission Integration and Special Programs Office, PMA 298, Patuxent River, Maryland.

Capt. Stuart C. Satterwhite has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Satterwhite is currently serving as deputy director, enterprise support, Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Washington, D.C.

Capt. Ralph R. Smith III has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Smith is currently serving as director, Maritime Operations Center, U.S. Tenth Fleet/U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Sunlit Aircraft

 

A B-1B Lancer pilot prepares to take off from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Feb. 21, 2021. The B-1 is capable of providing vast numbers of precision and non-precision bombs at any moment against any enemy, anywhere in the world.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks at L.A. Vaccination Center

 Feb. 25, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

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Q: You'd look a lot nicer without a mask.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, my wife thinks I look better with a mask on. (Laughter.) I'm just kidding. 

Hey, it's -- it's been a -- it's been a great day for me today. And I've had an opportunity to go to NORTHCOM and visit with General VanHerck and talked about -- talked to him about what the command is doing in support of FEMA. He was in support of the overall whole-of-government, whole-of-nation effort to -- to get the vaccines out. 

And we clearly -- his command has done some impressive things over time in a very short period of time, quite frankly. And what you see here today is evidence of that. 

This is -- this looks easy. But when you think about the fact that we have active components troops here, National Guardsmen here, civilian agencies here, local agencies all working together like a well-oiled machine, it's really impressive. And -- and when you -- when you take a look at this, it makes you proud to be in America. 

Now, many of these troops that you see here have -- have served in combat zones. They've been out helping people all over the world do things like run their local governments and, you know, towns and villages; administer health care to their citizens; you know, you name it -- provide security. 

But you know, I asked a number of our troops today how they feel about being able to come here and help in America, understanding that every shot that they deliver to a person is probably helping to save that person's life eventually. And -- and that's a big deal. That's -- we're in the business of -- of protecting Americans and saving lives. And they feel really good about what they've been doing. 

As important, the people that they've been helping feel really good about having them here as well. You know, I talked to some of our local officials and civilian agency heads. And they've told me that, you know, what the military brings to -- to this equation is -- is discipline, organizational skills and effectiveness. And they were impressed by the fact that, every day, our troops take a look at things and endeavor to get better.

You know, good is not good enough. And so they've started in one place and over time -- a very short period of time increased the capacity in ways that we probably couldn't have envisioned a couple of weeks ago. In the walk-up site, I think we're doing some 2,000 shots a day and with a very short wait -- wait time. And here you see the evidence of what organization and teamwork and discipline brings to the equation.

You know, I'm not a very emotional guy, but there are two things I heard here today that almost brought tears to my eyes. 

The first thing I heard was from the commander, Lieutenant Colonel Olson, who said, our ability to be here is a bestowal of trust by the American people on us. 

You know, that -- that -- that rocked me backwards. Unsolicited, heartfelt -- Olson's been in some tough places and -- and -- and that's a powerful statement.

The other thing I heard that almost brought tears to my eyes was one of our young soldiers here, a young sergeant, is from this neighborhood -- and you've seen him reported on before -- but I didn't realize this and he told me he administered, you know, the vaccine to his mother. That -- that rocked me backwards, as well, and -- and -- almost brought tears to my eyes.

So the ability to do things like that, I think, you know, it really makes a difference and our -- our troops find -- find this to be a very meaningful deployment. And -- and -- it's -- it's a real pleasure to come and -- and -- and see how well this is working but just be -- just -- just as a reminder, you know, we're in support of FEMA, who is in support of the whole of nation effort to get the vaccines out as -- as -- as rapidly as possible and as effectively as possible.

And I think we're learning some lessons, we're sharing those lessons and so I think we're off to a -- a really, really good start. And with that, I'll stop and -- and take a couple questions. 

Q: Hi, thank you, Mr. Secretary. You've talked about lessons learned. Can you give us an example of what you think the military has learned at, say, here or these spots that you've talked to people about today, that they can put into motion in other places so it's sort of the new ones?

And you've approved 25 so far, back to these (inaudible). When do you think you will be approving more?

SEC. AUSTIN: We'll improve more when -- as we get requirements, requests from FEMA. You know, again, we're in support of FEMA and -- and -- and until that happens, we'll continue to make sure that we identify the capability and capacity to -- to continue to help.

In terms of the things that we have learned, you know, it's interesting -- our civilian counterparts have -- have -- we've learned a lot from them -- excuse me -- and then we have -- they've learned some things from us, as well, in terms of how to organize, you know, the queues, you know, how to -- how to be more effective in reaching out to people.

I talked to the mayor earlier and he pointed out to me that, you know, with the help of mobile teams, they've been able to reach populations and people that -- that -- you know, that would -- they would not have reached otherwise.

And so one key lesson learned is more mobile teams are -- you know, are good. And so we'll take those lessons back to Jeff Zients, who's running the national effort, who no doubt has already heard this, but he and his team are doing amazing work, great work.

Q: Mr. Secretary, do you think that – how can I put it -- is there a way in those lessons learned to make the civilians learn to react faster, quicker? Has the military taught that lesson to people?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, you know, I -- I think -- I think we're learning from each other and I think there are -- there are, you know, elements in -- in every community, every state that are really moving at -- at -- at a pretty rapid pace.

Again, what we bring to the -- to the table is organizational skills that -- you know, a little discipline and -- and -- and we -- we have a focus on -- on trying to be better tomorrow than we were today. I mean, that's -- that's in our DNA, that's how we train, that's how we fight, that's how you win -- that's how you win battles, as you well know.

So, you know, I think -- I think there are things that we can continue to export to the civilian community but as important, there are things that we're learning from the civilian community and -- and we'll certainly -- certainly take those lessons to heart.

(CROSSTALK)

Q: ... Mr. Secretary, can I ask -- I'd like to ask you about vaccine hesitancy, particularly in the African American community. You are the highest ranking African American male in the Biden administration. What would you say directly to African Americans who point to things like the Tuskegee syphilis experiments on black men as a reason why they don't want to come here and get a vaccine?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well I think -- I mean, they're -- because of some things that have happened in the history, there's a -- there's a degree of -- of mistrust and I think we have to collectively work hard to -- to dispel rumors and to provide facts to people.

And it's been my experience that when armed with the facts, people will -- will tend to make the right decisions -- and these are individual decisions and we want to make sure that they have the best -- best information available to -- to make those decisions.

At the end of the day, you know, people are going to go home and -- and talk to their -- their families, their physicians, and we want them to do that, but we want them to have the facts. And so in DOD, what we do is -- is we're -- we're trying to make sure that we get as much information out -- factual information out as possible through the chain of command but we also do things like -- like, you know, put as much information as possible on our website, we -- we have commanders that are -- that are making videos, talking -- addressing this issue -- I've made a video myself -- and -- and -- but -- but it's -- it's really important that -- that, you know, people have the facts. And we've found that armed with the facts, they'll make the right decisions typically.

I've taken a vaccine. It is -- it is -- you know, I consider it to be safe. You know, we've not seen very many side effects that are -- that are harmful and -- and so this is the most researched, you know, tested vaccine that we've seen ever probably and it's -- and the efficacy is just incredible.

So my -- my counsel to -- to everyone is, I mean, this saves lives. And it's not just about saving our life, it's about saving our partner's life, our neighbor's life, and in the military, you know, we -- we -- we thrive on teamwork and we have to think about our teammates, as well.

So my getting the vaccine could potentially help save the life of a -- of a teammate.

(CROSS-TALK)

Q: So on that note of you making the push to service members to get vaccinated, the Navy has decided they're going to relax on liberty rules for some sailors on deployment if they've been vaccinated. Is there any guidance you can push to the service secretaries, the service chiefs about looking at their own -- the way that things work for them and coming up with some sort of incentives for soldiers, for airmen to get vaccinated?

SEC. AUSTIN: You know, the -- the greatest incentive to getting vaccinated is that it saves your life and it saves the life of -- of the folks that -- that -- that mean a lot to you and -- and I think that -- that, in and of itself, is -- is very, very important.

And I'd just like to say that -- that I have every confidence in our service secretaries and our service chiefs that they will do the right thing in terms of taking care of their -- their populations and I'm really proud of them and thankful for their focus on what they're doing.

STAFF: Last question to you, Jim.

Q: Mr. Secretary, did the civilian authorities ask you for anything? Did they -- did they say that they would recommend this process in other communities?

SEC. AUSTIN: I -- I -- I -- there's no question -- I -- I didn't ask that specific question but there's no question in my mind that, based upon what I heard in terms of feedback, that they would, and -- and they -- they really liked the approach that -- that we've all taken in terms of, you know, what can we do to get -- to -- to become more efficient, to get better, to get more vaccines in arms. They -- they liked the way that these various communities have come together, and -- and -- and quite frankly, I -- I think this is one of the most amazing things that we've seen lately.

Again, you -- you don't see any competition here. The only competition is, you know, to -- to beat the vaccine, to -- to get as much -- to beat the pandemic, to get as much vaccine out as we can possibly get out, but -- but I think, just based upon what I've heard from them, that, you know, there's no question in my mind that they would recommend a process like this in other places.

STAFF: Thank you all very much, we've got to get going. Appreciate it.

Q: Thank you.

Practice Partners

 

Soldiers participate in a live-fire exercise during Al Tahreer at Udairi Range Complex, Kuwait, Feb. 23, 2021. The exercise strengthens the U.S.-Kuwait relationship and promotes regional stability.

Atlantic Refueling

 

Coast Guardsmen aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Charles Moulthrope conduct astern refueling with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Venturous during training in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 23, 2021.

Support Team

 

Marines conduct helicopter support team aerial lift training during Hagatna Fury in Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 24, 2021. The exercise allows Marines to hone abilities to seize, defend and provide expeditionary sustainment for key maritime terrain.

On Mark

 

An airman prepares to assemble a Mark-82 munitions component at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Jan. 26, 2021.

Former White House Advisor to Lead DOD Commission on Sexual Assault

 Feb. 26, 2021 | BY C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

The Defense Department announced today that Lynn Rosenthal will head an independent review commission on sexual assault in the military, the Pentagon press secretary said.

"To carry out the president's direction, [Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III] ordered the establishment of a 90-day independent review commission on sexual assault in the military ... to review department policies and processes as directed by the president," John Kirby said during a briefing today. "The secretary has designated Lynn Rosenthal, formerly the first-ever White House advisor on violence against women and a longtime advocate for survivors of gender violence, to lead this commission."

In addition to the independent review commission, Austin has also directed actions to bring the department in compliance with evidence-based practices to ensure accountability of sexual assault and harassment efforts at every level across the department, Kirby said.

"Every member of the total force deserves a workplace free of sexual assault and harassment and personal fear," Kirby said. "We must commit ourselves to eliminating this illegal and corrosive behavior."

All Options on the Table

"The trauma and life-altering effects of sexual assault are devastating in any context," Rosenthal said. "What I'm struck by here, as I listen to stories of military survivors, is how much their service meant to them, how their life was about this dream of serving in the military, and the dream was a part of their identity. And for many, their dreams were shattered by the trauma of sexual violence and sometimes retaliation for coming forward. This must end."

While the commission's primary task is to provide accountability for those who commit crimes of sexual assault, Rosenthal also said the commission will be looking at climate, culture and prevention.

Right now, she said, the commission is working with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks on developing a charter for the commission. Rosenthal said within 60 days the commission will have initial recommendations, including those on accountability issues.

The commission's membership will include military leaders, former military leaders, advocates for those who have been sexually assaulted, and experts on the crime of sexual assault, she said.

"We want to hear a diversity of views from every level of the services and in civilian society," Rosenthal said. "We will take all of those views into account in our deliberations and our recommendations."

Discussions about solving the sexual assault problem within the ranks and improving the climate so that those who are sexually assaulted feel comfortable coming forward have frequently involved the idea of removing commanders from the process of investigating sexual assaults. Rosenthal said that is something that will be looked at by the commission.

"The president and the secretary have said that all options should be on the table," she said. "I don't think we have a predetermined outcome of this question, which we must very carefully examine."

By 90 days, she said, the commission's work will have finished, but work on sexual assault in the military will continue long after it is done.

"I think the secretary is our greatest asset in fighting this problem," she said. "He gets it so deeply. He cares about it so much. He cares about his service members. And, so, the commission ends in 90 days, but the implementation of the recommendations will certainly continue."

Related Publication: Immediate Actions to Counter Sexual Assault and Harassment and the Establishment of a 90-Day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks on USS Nimitz

 Feb. 25, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

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Q: Mr. Secretary, (inaudible), this ship has been on a very long deployment. How do you balance the security needs and the need to show presence in the Pacific with what you're very familiar with, which is General McKenzie's argument that he needs a carrier in the Middle East, and that having a carrier there has, indeed, in his view, turned Iran in the past? As you look ahead to the next several months, are you going to send a carrier back to the Middle East? And how do you balance that with the needs here in the Pacific?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Yeah. By the way, happy birthday, Lita.

Q: Yeah!

(Laughter.)

Q: (inaudible) --

SEC. AUSTIN: Since it is your birthday, I think it only appropriate that you got the first question.

Q: Thank you very much.

SEC. AUSTIN: So the question is, you know, how -- how do we balance requirements against, you know, the, you know, precious resources we have, and how -- how do we utilize those resources?

Well, I'll tell you that one of the first things that we -- the president asked me to do with, and certainly, I want to do is to -- to -- to take a look at our global force posture. And so we are relooking our global force posture to make sure that those -- those resources that we're talking about are focused on our priorities. You know, our -- our -- our -- we -- we should be resourced to -- to match our strategy, our strategy ought to match our policies, and our policies ought to reflect the -- the will of the American people.

And -- and so we've embarked upon that process. We're going to do a very detailed review of -- of our force posture. It'll -- it'll include all the agencies; most important, State Department, our intelligence agencies, and we'll make sure that -- that we have, you know, a -- a good lay-down that's -- that's focused and are supported from our strategy.

Having said that, you know, things happen in the world, and -- and so we have to have the -- the capability to surge when -- when a -- an unexpected or strategic surprise happens, and hopefully, there will -- won't be many strategic surprises.

So we're doing that, and -- and we'll -- we'll finish that probably in mid-summer.

Q: And -- and any decision yet on the carrier, on the Eisenhower?

SEC. AUSTIN: No, I've -- I've not reached a decision on that yet. When I -- when I get back, I'll consult with -- with the chairman, and also look at the recommendations -- the CNO, the CENTCOM commander, the EUCOM commander, and based upon their input and -- and what I see as -- as a current need, you know, we'll make that decision here. So --

STAFF: Jim ? Go ahead.

Q: Sir, just again, through the long deployment, how -- how long is too long? I mean, how -- how does -- how does that -- is it personnel that break? Is it the ship that breaks? Is it a combination of all those sort of things? And how do you know that, you know, you're not pushing these guys too hard?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, you know, I -- I think -- I think our sailors, our soldiers, our airmen, when they -- when they signed up to -- to -- to be a part of the military, they know that at some point there'll be some unexpected things that happen, some -- some -- some requirements that are -- that are a little bit tougher. And by -- for the most part, they -- they understand and they're -- and they're willing to -- to make sure that they're meeting the need, the requirement.

We've seen that happen here. These sailors have done a great job, and most importantly, Jim, their families have been very, very supportive, as well, and I want to make sure I, like, I give them a shout-out and -- and provide our thanks for -- for their sacrifices.

We have seen this happen in the past, and you've covered this in the past, Jim, in -- in -- in Iraq when we -- when we (inaudible) --

Q: Fourteen months, right.

SEC. AUSTIN: We had deployed troops over for a -- for a, you know, a year, and that -- that deployment turned out to be 18 months. By the way, I had two of those 18-month deployments, and I -- I understand the -- the stress that that can place on a family. So as secretary, what I want to do is make sure that, number one, going forward we do everything we can to minimize that kind of stress; that we do what -- what's necessary to take care of our -- our equipment, but most importantly, our people, our families, because I -- I know the impact that that can have.

We've learned a -- a lot about how to reintegrate families or -- or service members with their families, and so we're much better at that than we -- when we started this, you know, some 20 years ago. But we're not perfect, and we're going to continue to learn. We're going to continue to make sure we have the resources, that we're doing the right things to pace ourselves going forward, because I -- I really think this is important.

Q: Thanks.

Q: Hi, sir.

SEC. AUSTIN: Hi Helene. How are you?

Q: I'm good. So I -- I -- this has been -- again, on the deployment. This ship left -- when they left their home port in Bremerton, Washington, April 27th, it’s a completely different America now, and in that time we have a new president. We have a new defense secretary, and they also sat down on the ship and watched the Capitol being breached on January 6th, and which, I had a sailor just tell me that they're going around the world defending America from harm outside, and they're watching harm within the borders and saying, "I wonder what kind of country we're coming back to." What do you say to these sailors who want to know, sir, about the America that they are now returning to, in light of what -- what's happened over the last (inaudible) days?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, I want to tell them that we're the greatest country in the world, and we have been that for a very long time. We will be that for -- for the, you know, forever. And it's a great country because of them and their families, their leadership.

And so yeah, it -- you know, you know when you were gone for 12 months or 18 months, just like I said, you know, had happened to me a couple of times, it is different when you -- when you come back, and it does take some -- some readjustment. But our sailors haven't been, you know -- they've maintained some degree of situational awareness in terms of what's going on in America, and -- and our leadership has kept them informed. They've kept them focused on the right things.

And -- and so reintegration is always a challenge. But in this case, I think we're -- as I said to Jim earlier, we're much better at that than -- than we were many years ago. And you know, I have confidence in our sailors and -- and Marines and -- that they're mature enough to -- to -- and they're focused enough to make sure that as they reintegrate, those values that we -- we've instilled in them, they'll stick to those values, they'll stay focused on the right things, and they'll continue to represent us well. And they have done amazing things all around the world to -- to represent us, and they’ll continue to do that.

Q: Yeah. Yeah, so given that the carrier maintenance and availability in the Navy, is there a possibility, a circumstance where you would feel comfortable deciding to have a carrier in the Middle East, for several months or up to a year at a time?

SEC. AUSTIN: Sure. There's -- you know, I mean, I -- I'd like to have a carrier in every -- in every spot in the world, you know. But that's just not possible because, as you know, we don't have those kinds of resources.

We've made decisions in the past and gapped the carrier in the Middle East, and -- and as we do that, we do things to make sure that -- that we have resources in the right place to ensure that we can respond to -- to contingencies as they arise.

But yeah, I mean, there -- there's -- there's going to be gaps at periods of time. And again, we're going to look at ourselves and make sure our resources are -- are in alignment with our priorities based on our strategy going forward.

STAFF: Mosh, you got one?

Q: Yeah. Thanks, again for doing this. So the previous administration, their response about the Navy and -- and having a carrier presence, the previous administration felt that less carriers. I just wanted to know your thoughts of the carrier program in the future (inaudible) the appearance of (inaudible).

SEC. AUSTIN: I -- I'm sorry. I -- I -- I didn't hear your question. You're -- you're pretty soft-spoken, so if you could --

(CROSSTALK)

Q: Sorry. I’ll do it again. So in the previous administration, when they talked about the future of the navy, in terms of the carrier program, talked about a navy with less carriers. Does that give you pause? What is your thought in terms of future of the Navy, in terms of the carrier program?

SEC. AUSTIN: And -- and that's a great question. So in terms of the numbers of carriers that we have going forward, you know, again -- and I -- I think that's based upon how we envision future conflicts, what our strategy's going to be, what those requirements are, what kind of capabilities we need. And -- and -- and that will -- that will kind of shape the design of the force.

And you know, we've had the greatest navy in the world for -- for -- forever. It is -- it is a, you know -- it's been relevant in everything that we've done, more than relevant, and it will continue to be so going forward. But we want to make sure it's relevant today and for the foreseeable future. You know, the things that we do in the future may be -- may be different from what we've done -- will be different from we've done in the past. And so it's incumbent upon the leadership to -- to make sure that -- that we envision what the next conflict could be like, or what our challenge is going to be like going forward, and we -- and that we have the right capabilities. And you've heard the president talk about making sure that we have right capabilities for today, but also, for tomorrow, and into the future. That -- that's really our focus.

Hey, listen, guys, this has been real great. Hey, thanks for coming out to the carrier. Encourage you to talk to some of these great sailors and Marines, but they are truly our nation's finest. So thanks a lot.

Q: (inaudible) with you, sir.

The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Honors Contributions of African-Americans to the Armed Forces During Black History Month

 February 26, 2021

Each year, Black History Month gives us the opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the contributions that African-Americans have made in all aspects of our Nation’s history, including within the armed services. Many have valiantly volunteered their lives to protect the freedoms of the citizens of a country that has not always provided them with those same freedoms. African-Americans have contributed to military life throughout the entirety of American history, serving in every conflict since the Nation’s inception. As of 2015, African-Americans made up 17% of active duty military members, more than their 13% share of the U.S. population. Many consider the first casualty of the Revolutionary War to be Crispus Attucks, a Black man shot during the Boston Massacre while protesting British oppression.   During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman served as a spy for the Union Army and led troops in combat, in addition to her role helping hundreds escape slavery through the Underground Railroad.  And, most recently, on January 22, 2021, Secretary Lloyd Austin became the first African-American to lead the Department of Defense.

The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative (SVI), a part of the Civil Rights Division, advocates for the fair treatment of former and current military members by building a comprehensive legal support and protection network focused on serving servicemembers, veterans, and their families. The Civil Rights Division enforces certain laws that protect the rights of servicemembers, including those affecting their employment, housing, financial, voting, and disability rights. The Initiative builds upon this critical enforcement work, as well as the work of other Department components that serve the military community, by sharing information, identifying servicemember and veteran needs, and coordinating the distribution of resources. Throughout Black History Month and the rest of the year, SVI will work to utilize the powerful resources of the Civil Rights Division to ensure that African-Americans who have answered the call of duty enjoy the rights and resources that they deserve.  If you have any questions about SVI’s work or have a concern

Veteran Vaccination

 

Army Spc. Alexis Ruth prepares to administer the COVID-19 vaccine at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Baltimore, Jan. 30, 2021. Ruth was part of a Maryland National Guard mobile vaccination support team working with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to distribute hundreds of vaccines to veterans.

Vaccine Prep

 

A sailor prepares to administer the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Elizabeth, N.J., Feb. 22, 2021.

Vaccination Center

 

Army Pfc. Tanner Tate prepares to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to a fellow soldier at a vaccination center in Elizabeth, N.J., Feb. 22, 2021.