Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby on 4-Star Reviewer Appointment on Manda Bay Investigation

 April 12, 2021

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4-star Reviewer Appointment on Manda Bay Investigation  

The Secretary of Defense has completed an initial review of U.S. Africa Command’s (USAFRICOM’s) Army Regulation (AR) 15-6 investigation into the January 5, 2020, al-Shabaab attack on Cooperative Security Location Manda Bay, Kenya. After considering the investigation report, Secretary Austin directed the Acting Secretary of the Army to appoint a four-star general officer to conduct an independent review of the USAFRICOM investigation (and any ongoing inquiries or investigations of USAFRICOM’s subordinate commands); to direct any further investigation that he or she deems appropriate, if any; and to serve as the Consolidated Disposition Authority (CDA) for any appropriate disciplinary actions related to the attack.  The Acting Secretary of the Army appointed U.S. Army General Paul Funk, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), to conduct the review.

We continue to offer our condolences to the family members of the three brave Americans who were killed during this attack.

An independent review will provide added insight, perspective, and the ability to assess the totality of this tragic event involving multiple Military Services and Department of Defense components.

It is the Secretary’s desire to ensure there is a full examination and consideration of the contributing factors that led to this tragic event and that appropriate action is taken to reduce the risk of future occurrence. The families impacted deserve nothing less.

The review is welcomed by USAFRICOM as they continue to work across the African continent to improve security and implement lessons learned from this attack.

Until this review is completed, we will not make any public announcements about the findings of the USAFRICOM investigation and GEN Funk’s review. We will provide updates to the family members impacted by this tragic attack and will ensure that Congress is appropriately informed when the review is completed.

Spray Down

 

Marines conduct a turret drill with a P-19R aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, April 7, 202

Mountain Flight

 

Navy Petty Officers 2nd Class Aaron White and Richard Derrick participate in a mountain flying training event in Fallon, Nev., April 9, 2021.

Secretary of Defense Statements on Latest Defense Department Nominees

 April 12, 2021

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The following statements are attributable to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III:

“Defending our nation from enemies foreign and domestic requires a deeply experienced and capable team grounded in a commitment to our nation’s ideals and a keen understanding of the sweeping challenges facing our armed forces today. The President’s nominations today will help us build that team. Christine Wormuth, Gil Cisneros, and Susanna Blume represent decades of combined expertise in national security, and are well positioned to take on the crises we face in the current moment and prepare ourselves for the threats of tomorrow. I urge the Senate to confirm them soon, so that they can take up this critical work. And if confirmed, I look forward to working with them to uphold our responsibility in defending our nation’s interests and safeguarding the American people.”

“Christine is a true patriot with a dedicated career in service to America and our nation’s security. As the former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Christine advanced the department’s counter-ISIS campaign and the rebalance to Asia, and her deep expertise will be critical in addressing and deterring today’s global threats, including the pacing challenge from China and nation-state threats emanating from Russia, Iran, and North Korea. I have no doubt that, if confirmed, she will lead our soldiers and represent their families with honor and integrity as the Secretary of the Army.” 

Humvee Lift

 

Marines prepare to rig a Humvee onto a CH-53E Super Stallion during a battle drill supporting a weapons and tactics instructor course at Landing Zone Bull in the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, Calif., April 3, 2021.

Atlantic Exercise

 

The littoral combat ship USS Sioux City conducts live-fire exercises with a 57mm gun during operations in the Atlantic Ocean, April 2, 2021. Sioux City is supporting naval operations to maintain stability and security in the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean.

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Neon Defender Marines

 

Marines conduct close quarters battle training during Exercise Neon Defender in Ras al Qarain, Bahrain, April 4, 2021. Neon Defender is a bilateral maritime exercise between the U.S. and Bahrain designed to enhance interoperability and readiness.

Mountain Training

 

A Navy aircrewman assists with confined area landings using verbal controls during a mountain flying exercise at Fallon, Nev., April 8, 2021.

Mellow Yellow

 

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Crudup paints a guardrail during an environmental cleanliness and village safety volunteer event in Guam, April 9, 2021.

Missile Mission

 

The USS Charleston launches a RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile in the Pacific Ocean, April 8, 2021.

U.S. Engagement Needed to Build Security, Prosperity on African Continent

 April 12, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Generalizations on Africa are tough to make except for this: U.S. engagement with the nations of the continent is crucial for peace, democracy and development, said acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Africa Affairs Ronald W. Meyers during a recent interview.

The Defense Department has a role to play in support of U.S. African policy, but it is very much an enabling role in line with the State Department's overall direction.

The DOD wants to continue building partnerships that will help African nations combat the threats posed by violent extremism. This includes providing humanitarian/disaster assistance, when needed, in areas where the U.S. has played an outsized role in countering pandemics, such as Ebola, and mitigating the harm caused by natural disasters, Meyers said. U.S. Africa Command is the combatant command responsible for military-to-military connections on the continent. The command engages with partners to counter transnational threats and malign actors in order to promote regional security, stability and prosperity.

Africa is not a monolithic entity. The continent has countless mixtures of languages, religions, races, histories and more. What works in Morocco in North Africa will be of limited use in Angola, for example. Understanding these differences and working with the countries individually on the basis of mutual respect and shared interest, while staying cognizant of their colonial legacy, is key to U.S. outreach to the nations of the continent, Meyers said.

Violent extremist organizations are a problem for governments and people throughout the continent, but even these organizations have differences. These differences can range from extorting funds by use of violence to organizations seeking to gain local or regional control to some with more global ambitions, the acting deputy assistant secretary said.

Al-Shabab in Somalia is a group that once held the capital of Mogadishu and was supported by al-Qaida, DOD officials said. The group has suffered setbacks, especially since African Union peacekeepers went into the country in 2007. The troops were from Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti and received some U.S. support. The U.S. launched airstrikes against al-Shabab forces and U.S. trainers have worked to build capability and capacity in Somali government forces – with the ultimate goal of enabling these forces to provide security in lieu of U.S. troops.

Boko Haram is a terror group that is centered in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger and affiliated itself with ISIS in 2015. The actions of the group – including the kidnapping of more than 300 schoolgirls in 2014 and the killings of tens of thousands of people – have resulted in the "displacement" of more than 25 million people over the past seven years. The United States, France and the United Kingdom are working with Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Benin and Chad as part of a multinational joint task force against the group.

We probably sometimes forget the outsize role that African partners or African countries play in not only global affairs, but in the world economy. If the European and Asian nations are investing more on the continent, maybe we should be asking what do they see that we should?''

Ronald W. Meyers, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Africa Affairs

The latest terror group is another al-Shabab group that is affiliated with ISIS. The group seized Palma, a city in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province. Government troops retook the city, but the group is extremely violent with reports from the city detailing beheadings and torture, but information is sketchy. 

These groups, and more, grow in ungoverned, or little governed areas, of the continent. The Sahel region – stretching from East to West Africa – is particularly vulnerable with groups proliferating in Sudan, South Sudan, Southern Algeria, Mali and more.

The problems these groups pose are compounded by external factors, Meyers said. Climate change, desertification, inadequate or non-existent infrastructure, disease and more affect national governments throughout the region. The coming boom in the continent's population will tax these governments and, in fact, the migration challenge seen today will become worse unless the governments can build the capabilities and capacity needed to educate, feed and provide economic opportunities for their peoples, he said.

Africa is also an emerging front in global power competition. China and Russia are looking for any advantage on the continent. China has sponsored infrastructure projects in many nations and has used money lending practices that have strings attached that lead right back to Beijing, DOD officials have said. 

"We look to position the United States to be 'the partner of choice' on the continent," Meyers said. "We look to sustainably build national capabilities. Most of this is in the governance and economic sectors, but we are active in the national security sector as well. We do not undermine the economic, political and security institutions. We build them. The Chinese and Russian aid – often just dumped at a dock for a photo op – often increases instability."

The U.S. military's competitive security edge lies with equipment and with the "soup to nuts" paradigm America uses to ensure partner nations can use and sustainably maintain the equipment, Meyers said. U.S. equipment comes with training, education, spare parts and more. 

The U.S. military – notably Africom – partners with nations to combat terrorism. The command works with Pan-African groups to encourage regional solutions and security, and it looks to help the nations and groups to find solutions that work in Africa.

There are many nations on the continent that are doing well. "I definitely believe that there's a lot of opportunity there," Meyers said. "We probably sometimes forget the outsize role that African partners or African countries play in not only global affairs, but in the world economy. If the European and Asian nations are investing more on the continent, maybe we should be asking what do they see that we should?"

Secretary of Defense Austin Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem

 April 12, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU:  Secretary Austin, welcome to Jerusalem.  Your visit here so soon after assuming office is a testament to the importance you attach to our friendship and to our alliance.

You just said a -- a moment ago in our meeting, you said, "We're not just allies; we're family."  We call that mischpoche, and there's so much truth in that statement that our people instinctively understand.

As you know, the U.S.-Israel defense partnership has continually expanded over successive administrations, and our cooperation is crucial in dealing with the many threats confronting both the United States and Israel, threats that you are very familiar with from your distinguished service in Iraq and by your command in CENTCOM.

In the Middle East, there is no threat that is more serious, more dangerous, more pressing than that posed by the fanatical regime in Iran.  Iran continues to support terrorists around the world in five continents, threatening civilians everywhere.  Iran has never given up its quest for nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them, and Iran consistently -- consistently and outrageously calls for Israel's annihilation and works towards that goal.

Mr. Secretary, we both know the horrors of war.  We both understand the importance of preventing war and we both agree that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons.  My policy as prime minister of Israel is clear:  I will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel, and Israel will continue to defend itself against Iran's aggression and terrorism.

You have just come from Yad Vashem.  We, a few days ago, celebrated -- not celebrated, but marked the anniversary of the destruction of our people in the Holocaust, and I think, as I know also from our conversation, that you understand perfectly well that when we say it could never happen again, we mean that we will never let it happen again.  This is something that I think you, the president and the American people respect, and we appreciate that.

Secretary Austin, I can say with great confidence that Israel has no greater ally, and certainly, no greater mischpoche than the United States of America, and I can say equally that the United States has no greater ally and no better mischpoche than the state of Israel.  So welcome.  Welcome to Jerusalem.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III:  Well, good afternoon, everyone, and thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for the warm welcome.  And again, my deepest thanks and appreciation to the people of Israel for their gracious hospitality.

It is, indeed, a privilege to be here in Jerusalem on my first visit as secretary of defense, which was made even more special, as I had the opportunity to visit the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.  I was especially moved by the stories of the victims and the survivors.  And to the prime minister's point, we must never forget their sacrifice, their heartache and their loss.  And may their memory be a blessing, and let it always be a solemn reminder of our duty to be ever-vigilant against mass atrocities.

Today, I was also grateful for the opportunity to meet with the prime minister to discuss a number of security issues that are important to our two countries, and I wanted to reaffirm the -- the administration's strong commitment to Israel and to the Israeli people.

And that's why I thought it was important that we meet face to face and to express our earnest desire for close consultations with Israel as we address shared challenges in the region.  And I also wanted to underscore my personal pledge to strengthening Israel's security and ensuring Israel's qualitative military edge.  The -- the close and strong ties that we enjoy with Israel are central to regional stability and security in the Middle East, and we both agree that we must continue to work closely together to enhance the U.S.-Israel strategic partnership.

And so we discuss ways to deepen and expand our long-standing defense relationship in the face of regional threats and other security challenges, and I affirm the -- the department's support for our ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab- and Muslim-majority nations.

Mr. Prime Minister, I'm grateful for today's discussion to advance shared defense priorities and -- and maintain close cooperation between the United States and Israel, and I am confident that together, we can chart a path toward enduring peace in this region and advance an open and stable order now, and in the years ahead.

Again, thank you so much for a wonderful two days, and I look forward to seeing you again real soon in the future.

P.M. NETANYAHU:  Thank you, thank you, Mr. -- thank you, Mr. Secretary, and thank you all.

Cleaning Crew

 

Airmen clean an Air Force F-16 during a training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., April 10, 2021.

Neon Defender

 

U.S. and Bahraini naval forces conduct underwater mine search training during Neon Defender in the Persian Gulf, April 7, 2021. The bilateral maritime exercise allows troops to develop skills to address threats to regional security, freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce.

Bowling Buddies

 

Air Force Col. Patrick Miller and Lt. Col. Joshua Wolfram participate in a bowling tournament at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, April 9, 2021.

Sea Spray

 

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jazmin Mateo uses a hose during an aircraft fire drill on the flight deck of the USS John S. McCain in the South China Sea, April 9, 2021.

Sunlit Silhouette

 

Airmen prepare to inspect an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker before a bomber task force mission at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, April 12, 2021.

Netanyahu, Austin Agree U.S., Israeli Relationship Like a Family

 April 12, 2021 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

The United States and Israel are more than just allies, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said following meetings in Jerusalem, "We are family."

Netanyahu said this is an idea that Israelis agree with – regarding the United States as "mishpaha" – the Hebrew word for family.

U.S. support for the State of Israel has been constant since the nation formed in the midst of war in 1948. It has transcended political administrations, with both Republican and Democratic administrations pledging an "ironclad" guarantee to support Israel.

That doesn't mean the relationship between the nations hasn't changed, and both Netanyahu and Austin would like to see the alliance move into its next phase.

"The close and strong ties that we enjoy with Israel are central to regional stability and security in the Middle East, and we both agree that we must continue to work closely together to enhance the U.S. Israel Strategic Partnership," Austin said following meetings at the offices of the Prime Minister. "So we discussed ways to deepen and expand our long-standing defense relationship in the face of regional threats and other security challenges. And I affirmed the department's support for our ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalize relations [among] Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority nations."

In the morning, Austin visited Nevatim Airbase, south of Jerusalem. There he saw the Iron Dome anti-missile system along with David's Sling and the Arrow systems. He also saw Israel's ace in the hole – the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "The ability to go out and talk to leaders in the Air Force has been very helpful," he said. "It's a chance for me to see for myself how we are meeting our commitment to Israel's [qualitative military edge]."

It is important for Israel and the United States to continue to work together to ensure interoperability between the militaries of the two countries. This is more than simply buying the same equipment: It's understanding how the equipment works in concert with other systems. Clear communications of ideas and doctrine, as well as on the radio, is crucial to success, Austin said.

He noted that Israel is moving into the U.S. Central Command area from the U.S. European Command. 

"I think it's really important that we continue to work on a partnership, and we heard some of that today as we talked to leadership," Austin said. "[The Israelis] really have been doing a lot to exercise with Centcom, and with our European Command. It's just really impressive to see how, how much further, we've gotten in terms of interoperability."

For his part, Netanyahu warned of the threat of Iran, which has pledged to eliminate Israel. "Iran continues to support terrorists around the world on five continents, threatening civilians everywhere," the prime minister said. "I will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel. And Israel will continue to defend itself against Iran's aggression and terrorism."

The United States, too, does not want a nuclear Iran, and Austin said building on these will allow the two nations to advance shared defense priorities and maintain close cooperation. Doing this would go a long way to charting "a path toward enduring peace in this region and advance an open and stable order now and in the years ahead," he said.

Netanyahu went back to the idea of family:  "I can say with great confidence that Israel has no greater ally and certainly no greater 'mishpaha' than the United States of America," he said. "And I can say equally, that the United States has no better ally and no better 'mishpaha' than the State of Israel."

Related Transcript: Secretary of Defense Austin Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem

Related News: Austin Says U.S. Commitment to Israel Remains 'Ironclad'

Related Press Release: Secretary Austin Travels to Israel, Germany, NATO HQ and United Kingdom

Deputy Defense Secretary Evaluates Effects of Climate on Military Operations

 April 12, 2021 | BY C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

During a windshield tour of Naval Air Station Pensacola on April 8 in Florida, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks saw firsthand the damage caused by last year's Hurricane Sally to the home of the Navy's Blue Angels.

Around the installation, wind had damaged the roofs of historical homes, making some uninhabitable. Trees were felled, windows were broken, and there was flooding and power outages base-wide.

Overall, the air station suffered about $450 million in damages. Twenty-seven football fields worth of temporary blue roofing now covers many facilities. While the NAS Pensacola and Navy Region Southeast teams have managed to keep operations running at the air base, which trains about 59,000 students a year, the 2021 hurricane season still looms in the near future.

"We wanted to come to a place where we could see firsthand how the effects of climate change are playing out at an operational and installation level," said Hicks of the trip. "Pensacola was hit just in September. So because it's hurricane Sally, it's one of our most recent. So it was pretty fresh. We were able to see a lot of what they're still going through there."

But Pensacola wasn't even the most egregious example of damage to Defense Department installations as a result of hurricanes. Tyndall Air Force Base, about 100 miles down the coast from Pensacola, was destroyed by 2018's Hurricane Michael.

"The entire base was completely devastated," Hicks said. 

The estimate for rebuilding Tyndall sits around $6 billion, she said.

As part of the trip, Hicks participated in a climate change-related video conference with leaders from other vulnerable installations around the region.

"At the Department of Defense, we know that the readiness of the force is very much tied to how well we manage through and think about resilience in the face of climate," Hicks told the leaders. "So this is an effort by the team and I to make sure that we understand, again, how that plays out in your plans, in the missions you have to execute, in your budgets, so we can get a better sense of how to help at the high end."

Because it's a challenge to push responsibility for developing resilience against the effects of climate change all the way down to installation commanders, Hicks said, the biggest lift must come from the department itself, through better policies that focus on helping ensure the nation's defense can withstand climate effects.

"I think what we have to do across the entire enterprise for DOD is set as a priority the resilience of our facilities, the resilience of our operations," she said. "Just like we focus on cyber defense — because we know there are threats from cyber — it's the same kind of thing for climate. We need to be focused on that resilience so that we can be ready in the face of challenges."

Some approaches to ensuring resilience, she said, are investments in different kinds of technology, upgrades in military construction and upgrades in utilities.

"Those are all things we can help by prioritizing," she said.

In the short term, Hicks said her focus is to get a better understanding of what climate-related challenges exist across the DOD.

"Part of it is just assessment," she said. "We've got to assess where we are as a department, identify the really challenging areas, and identify the opportunities."

There will be other trips, she said, to visit other installations to help with that assessment.

In the long-term, we will be finding ways to take action on that new understanding.

"I suspect what we will find is those actions will involve how we ensure our installations are more resilient... how we ensure that we aren't as reliant on our fuel lines as we have been in terms of our operations," she said. "And then, how we make sure that we have the capabilities we need to operate in a world with a different climate."

As part of her initial efforts to get a grasp on how climate affects U.S. military readiness and operations, Hicks said the visit to Pensacola was an eye-opening experience.

"The most important thing to me was seeing, down at that installation level, what we talk about in Washington as a crisis," she said. "We know from looking at the dollars that we're paying a high price for not being prepared and not dealing with the climate crisis more broadly. When you get down to Pensacola, you look at the damage and the reality of living in those constant conditions of potential storm effects. It gave me a very strong sense of how much it can affect how an installation has to operate and what the negative consequences can be over time."

Not all of what Hicks saw at Pensacola was related to climate. She also visited several of the school houses there to see how training is conducted and met with some of the sailors there as well.

"They are incredibly impressive — so talented," she said. "They had really thoughtful questions on China and deterrence and sustainability of the aircraft maintenance in the Navy, to just every kind of big-think question — budget top lines. So that was incredibly impressive. On the cyber side, just seeing the ability to have innovation occurring at the ground level, where individual sailors and officers are making contributions that change the way we think about how we train and fight, that was really inspiring."

April 11 Joint Press Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz

 April 11, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz

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STAFF: Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Betty Ilovici. And it is my great honor to welcome United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the State of Israel and to the Ministry of Defense in particular.

We wish you a meaningful and fruitful visit. To our members of the press I will note that the minister has recently finished a series of bilateral briefings and will now be delivering the remarks.

Starting with Israel's Minister of Defense Benny Gantz. Minister Gantz, the floor is yours.

ISRAELI MINISTER OF DEFENSE BENNY GANTZ: Thank you. Secretary Austin, it is an honor to welcome you here. We thank you for making Israel your first visit to our region, reflecting the enduring relationship between the United States and the State of Israel. 

Jonathan Shrier, thank you for enabling it. Mr. Secretary, you and I go back, so I can say first hand that we are very fortunate to be welcoming an outstanding professional and true patriot here.

Our Ministry of Defense and your Department of Defense share the same vision for global security, stability and prosperity. Our partnership is built not only on strategic interest, but on shared values, history and personal relationship. Like your late father, who served his nation as a soldier in this same Allied forces that freed my late mother from the hold of the vile Nazis, today we remain committed to fighting for freedom, democracy, and for the protection of innocent people. Now we both, Israel's defense forces and American armed forces, the same values in basic human decency compel our moral standard in actions.

To our enemies, trying to use our own morality against us and to the cynical attempt to abuse the ICC, I say that they will not succeed in preventing us from fulfilling our duty. We will never neglect our moral obligation to defend human lives and to remain humane as we do so.

Please convey my appreciation and gratitude to President Biden and the entire administration for supporting Israel and opposing the recent decision taken by the ICC. 

In our meeting earlier, Secretary Austin and I agreed to continue in the close consultation on the urgent regional security challenges. I also expressed our commitment to continuing working closely with the United States with true bipartisan support on Israel's long terms planning for defense acquisition to maintain Israel's QME, essential not only for the guarantee for Israel's security, but as a guarantor of the Middle East stability.

During our conversation, I emphasized to Secretary Austin that Israel views the United States as the full partner across all operational threats, not the least, Iran. 

The Tehran of today possess a strategic threat to international security to the entire Middle East and to the state of Israel. And will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will secure the vital interest of the world, of the United States, prevent dangers, unrest in our region and protect the state of Israel.

I further told the Secretary that we are continuing to work closely with the Palestinians authority to help bring stability and prosperity to our close neighbors, Israel.

Lastly, let me say that after a year, of which shook the world to its core, I find great comfort in the assurance of our people's unbreakable bonds and in the knowledge that both in the United States and in Israel, forces of good act to promote unity, solidarity and diversity. Values that I protect in my country and that you, throughout your outstanding career of inspiring public service, exemplify in yours.

I am certain that under President Biden's leadership, our bonds will continue to grow and achieve new heights. Thank you very much and welcome to Israel.

STAFF: Please, Secretary Austin.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, good afternoon everyone and thank you for being here. First and foremost, I'd like to thank Minister Gantz for the warm welcome. And my deepest thanks to the people of Israel for their gracious hospitality.

You know we all took the time last week to remember the Holocaust. And Minister Gantz, you as a son of Holocaust survivors know better than most the horror and heartache your family endured. 

We remember the 6 million Jews and the millions of others who perished during the Holocaust. May their memory be a blessing and let it be solemn reminder of our duty to be ever vigilant against mass atrocities. 

It is indeed a privilege to be here in Tel Aviv on my very first visit to Israel as a Secretary of Defense. And I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet with the Minister, despite the challenges from COVID-19.

It is especially meaningful to join him here ahead of Remembrance Day, which is a most solemn day, honoring those who have fallen in the service to their country is a tradition shared by both Israel and the United States as we recognize the sacrifices our brave service members in uniform make to protect our people and preserve our way of life.

Today, I was tremendously pleased with our discussion on a number of security issues, which are important to our two countries. And I wanted to convey the Biden-Harris administration's strong commitment to Israel and the Israeli people. 

As a major strategic partner for the United States, our bilateral relationship with Israel in particular is central to regional stability and security in the Middle East. And during our meeting, I reaffirmed to Minister Gantz, our commitment to Israel is enduring and it is iron clad.

And I pledge to continue close consultations in order to insure Israel's Qualitative Military Edge and to strengthen Israel’s security. We both agree that we must work closely together to enhance U.S./Israel Defense cooperation and to advance shared security interest and priorities. 

And I appreciate -- appreciated hearing Minister Gantz's perspectives about the challenges in this region. We addressed a broad range of defense issues, to include Israel's long term planning for defense acquisitions; and regional security challenges; and U.S. support for efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim majority nations.

Today's discussions were quite productive and I want to once again thank Minister Gantz for his gracious hospitality. And I look forward to reciprocating this hospitality when you're able to visit the Pentagon and I hope that's one day soon.

MIN. GANTZ: Hopefully.

SECRETARY AUSTIN: Mr. Minister, our dialogue today gives me great confidence in our already strong and enduring security partnership. This is a relationship built on trust, which has developed over decades of cooperation and I look forward to building upon that trust in the years ahead. 

Thank you very much.

MIN. GANTZ: Thank you.

STAFF: Thank you, everyone.

MIN. GANTZ: (Inaudible).

STAFF: No, no questions.

MIN. GANTZ: Thank you.