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.