CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS VISITS TROOPS IN ESTONIA

 FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, second from left, and Estonian Lt. Gen. Riho Terras, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, hold a news conference in Tallinn, Estonia, Sept. 14, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, September 15, 2015 — The highest-ranking U.S. military officer today took part in his final official overseas troop event while visiting with U.S. rotational forces in Estonia.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff greeted soldiers and U.S. personnel during a visit to the headquarters of the Estonian 1st Brigade in Tapa, about 60 miles east of Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn.

"I was especially proud to see those young men and women I met out in Tapa wearing the uniform of our country with the flag on their right shoulder," said U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, who retires at the end of this month.

Dempsey said there's no "greater symbol of commitment" than the presence of U.S. troops, America's sons and daughters, on the ground in the region.

The U.S. soldiers are with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Vicenza, Italy, and are on a six-month deployment to the Baltic nation to train alongside Estonian forces as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

The operation is a demonstration of continued U.S. commitment to the collective security of NATO and to enduring peace and stability in the region in light of Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine.. About 5,000 U.S. troops have rotated through Estonia since April 2014, with other rotations taking place in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

In a talk with the U.S. troops, the chairman thanked them for their service and their commitment to the mission and peace and security in the region.

"The United States in particular, but also several other of our NATO allies, responded quickly and effectively to create a new baseline of activity in Estonia and some of the other nations in the Baltics and in Eastern Europe," he said.

U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Porter, who was manning a gun on a Humvee during Dempsey's visit, said he welcomed the joint training because it allows for the two nations to learn from each other.

"We get a lot of valuable feedback on the way we handle different situations," Porter said. "It's kind of nice to see the way they do things and then we can compare and change things up and make it better."

Sending U.S. troops to Estonia is a "strong gesture" in reassuring the people of the small Baltic nation, said Estonian Land Forces 1st Sgt. Pirger Laur, whose face was painted in camouflage and was manning a jeep disguised in leafy greens.

"One key factor I think [the training] brings here, if you do it on your own, sometimes you go in the wrong path," Laur said. "But if you exchange information, it improves the training."

Dempsey said he and his host nation partners, including Estonia, are assessing what worked and what needs improvement in the operation and looking at long-term strategy for the mission.

After his visit with the troops, Dempsey returned to Tallinn to meet with Estonian President, Toomas Hendrik Iles. He also held a press conference at the Tallinn airport with his counterpart in the Estonian defense forces before departing for Washington and bringing an end the weeklong tour that also took him to Germany and Turkey to close out his final foreign voyage as chairman.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS TELLS TROOPS 'MILITARY MUST BE FORWARD-DEPLOYED'

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Dempsey to Naples-based Troops: Military Must be Forward-Deployed
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

NAPLES, Italy, June 11, 2015 – The United States military needs to be forward-deployed because America does not want to “play a home game,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an all-hands call at the naval air facility here.

During the event, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to service members, DoD civilians and local nationals, answering questions about the extremist threat, Russia and cyber security.

Dempsey said that when the budget gets tight, there is an inclination for many to think the best way to save is by bringing troops back from overseas postings and doing everything from the continental United States. “The truth is, in our line of work, the very last thing we want to do is play a home game,” he said.

Shaping Conflict

“We really want to play an away game and we need teammates to do it. We need to be forward. You need to be forward," he continued. "We need to be closely partnered with NATO allies and other partners who share our values. And we need to be sure that as conflict approaches -- and conflict will approach -- we have a shot at shaping it before we’re in it.”

Dempsey quoted Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, saying “The side that understands when to fight and when not to fight will take away the victory.”

The American military expends great effort training for the fight, the chairman said, but equal thought is placed on when and when not to fight. “We need to make sure that we have friends and partners in a web, a network of allies so that we bear this burden together,” he said.

This security network -- tended by service members around the world -- is what sets America apart from other large powers, Dempsey said. They do not have these allies and partners, the chairman said, and this worries them. “We’ve got to preserve that system of alliances and we’ve got to play away games,” he said.

ISIL's Threat

Dempsey took questions from service members, and many wanted to know if the United States is doing enough to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The extremist group is the latest manifestation of extremist ideology and is operating in the Middle East, North Africa and West Africa.

The chairman said part of the campaign against such extremists is military, and part of it is building regional partners so they “don’t get sucked into this crucible.”

He said the United States is providing capabilities and ensuring regional partners provide the capabilities that they should provide, but asked, "Will it continue to be enough?”

Dempsey detailed the recent decision to open a new training base in Anbar province to train Iraqi forces and reach out to Sunni tribes. It is one of a number of bases in the country to train and supply Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

"If we get to the point where we have to protect our interests, our people [and] our facilities and to guarantee the success, then we’ll have to do that," he said. "But in the meantime, the strategy is to enable them to do it, to have them develop the strategy and we enable it.”

The United States military can do a lot, but it’s up to the Iraqis, Saudis, Israelis and Turks to create an environment where these groups don’t keep appearing, the chairman said. “I’m not portraying for you that I think this will be easy or quick,” he said. “I think we’ve got the right outcome identified and now we have to navigate toward it.”

Addressing Cyber, Budget Issues

On cyber, Dempsey told the service members that there is a healthy debate going on in America over privacy versus security. He said some modest progress has been made. “We do need cyber standards, we do need information sharing agreements between the government and the private sector,” he said. “As to the future, I think like most things we will figure it out. I just hope it doesn’t take a crisis to get us there.”

The DoD budget continues to concern service members. Dempsey explained the situation in Washington and said that the service chiefs are united in telling Congress that American defense is endangered.

“Since we testified to that, we’ve had the following issues manifest themselves: We’ve had an emerging threat from Russia as it becomes aggressive in Eastern Europe, we’ve had ISIL increase its capabilities, we had a deployment because of Ebola, [and] Libya and the Chinese reclamation project in the South China Sea,” the chairman said.

On Russia, Dempsey said the need is to harden allies in Eastern Europe. NATO has to maintain a technological advantage, and the United States must ensure the trans-Atlantic link cannot be severed.

“All of which makes it clear to the Russian Federation that may have had success in eastern Europe with countries that are not NATO allies, that it won’t work on countries that are NATO allies,” he said.

U.S. SUPPORTED NEW SYRIAN FORCES BEGIN COMBAT TRAINING

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey answers a reporter's questions as Defense Secretary Ash Carter listens during a press conference in the Pentagon Briefing Room May 7, 2015. DoD Photo by Glenn Fawcett.  

Carter: Combat Training Begins for New Syrian Forces
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2015 – Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today that combat training has begun for nearly 90 fighters from the new Syrian forces and that a second group will begin training in the next few weeks.

Carter spoke alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey during a briefing to the Pentagon press corps here.

“The program is a critical and complex part of our counter-ISIL efforts,” Carter said, referring to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

The training for what the secretary called “highly vetted individuals” is led by very experienced trainers and taking place in a secure location, he said.
New Syrian Forces

Carter said the trainees have been in the program for quite a while, having gone through a process of being recruited and vetted.

“The training takes some time,” he added, “and then they would be inserted into operations, and the trainees [coming in] behind them. … We hope this to be an ever-expanding program once it proves itself, which I think it will.”
The trainees are being trained and equipped specifically to fight ISIL, the secretary said.

“That is the purpose, and that is the basis upon which they're being vetted and trained,” Carter said, adding that it’s not a goal of the U.S. program to have the new Syrian forces engage the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Engaging ISIL

The trainees are being fielded to engage ISIL, he said. “That will be their principal mission and that's one of the bases on which they would join our program in the first place.”

If Assad’s forces undertook to engage the new Syrian forces being trained, the Defense Department “would have some responsibility toward them,” the secretary said, but the extent of such responsibility and the rules of engagement have not yet been decided.

Carter said that along with the training, those who participate will receive compensation and small arms.

“We're figuring out what the best training is [and] what the best initial deployment is,” the secretary added. “We expect that to be successful and therefore to grow, but you have to start somewhere, and this is where we're starting.”

Growing the Program

Dempsey noted the program will be grown in a measured way.

“This … program is very complex,” the chairman added. “It won't be easy, but I'd emphasize that it's one part, one component, of a much broader approach.”
The stability of the Assad regime could be a consideration as the training program proceeds, and Dempsey agreed that a destabilized regime would pose new challenges.

“Two years ago, Assad was at a point where we thought he was at a disadvantage and that the opposition was on the rise, and then that situation reversed itself for a period of time,” Dempsey explained, “so we've been through the intellectual rigor of what this might mean.”

Counter-ISIL Strategy

For Syria it might mean further instability if power were to transfer precipitously, the chairman said, and it could worsen the humanitarian crisis.

“For us and our counter-ISIL strategy, it wouldn't change the dynamic --
meaning that we still have the fundamental challenge of finding moderate Syrian opposition men to train to be a stabilizing influence over time,” Dempsey said.
“On the side of our diplomacy and our diplomats, there’s the issue of finding moderate Syrian opposition to establish a political structure to which the military force we're building can be responsive,” he added.

The challenges wouldn’t change for the Defense Department, he said, but it would make the situation for Syria more complicated.

Dempsey added, “I do think that the [Assad] regime's momentum has been slowed, and … I do believe the situation is trending less favorably for the regime. And if I were him, I would find the opportunity to look to the negotiating table.”

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS IRAQ TRENDING IN RIGHT DIRECTION

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left, and Defense Secretary Ash Carter conduct a news conference at the Pentagon, April 16, 2015. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen.
  
Trends in Iraq Moving in Right Direction, Dempsey Says
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2015 – The Iraqi government has made gains, and trends there are moving in the right direction, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at a Pentagon news conference today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey met with reporters alongside Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

Hard work remains to be done to integrate Iraq’s militias under state command and control as Iraq continues to prepare its forces to sustain momentum against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the general said.

Iraq’s efforts during the Tikrit offensive are a good step, the chairman said, adding that the United States will continue consulting with Iraq's leadership as it plans and conducts operations. Dempsey also noted that Iraq has helped in its fight against ISIL.

Encouraged by Coalition’s Commitment

“I'm encouraged by the commitment of the coalition,” Dempsey said. “There's been an addition of 300 Australian troops and 100 New Zealand troops to the training mission, and that will certainly contribute to the outcomes we all seek.”
Those forces join the international partnership capacity mission, which includes the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States, he added.

The chairman briefly outlined the military offensive going north of Baghdad through Diyala and into Tikrit, Beiji, and eventually up near Kirkuk from Anbar province.

“The offensive north of Baghdad has been deliberate, measured, steady progress,” he said. “Al Anbar has always been pockets of Iraqi security forces and pockets of ISIL. [The] latest attack on Ramadi is yet another indication that what the government of Iraq needs to do is connect these ink blots … of their legitimate security forces, so that there isn't this constant back and forth.”
Iraq’s Oil Infrastructure

Beiji, part of the Iraqi oil infrastructure, remains a contested area, the chairman said. “[But] when the Iraqis have full control of Beiji,” he added, “they will control all of their oil infrastructure, both north and south, and deny ISIL the ability to generate revenue through oil.”

The ISIL threat to the refinery is serious, Dempsey said, because the extremist group penetrated the outer perimeter.

“It's an extraordinarily large expanse of facility,” he said. “The refinery itself is at no risk right now, and we're focusing a lot of our [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] and air support there.”

Overall, the chairman said, the security environment in Iraq remains as dynamic as it's ever been. “And we remain focused on ensuring that our troops have the leadership, the training, and the resources to accomplish the tasks we ask of them,” he added.

SECURITY DISCUSSED BY GEN. DEMPSEY, AUSTRALIAN CHIEF OF DEFENSE FORCE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Dempsey, Australian Defense Chief Discuss Security Issues
By Lisa Ferdinando
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

SYDNEY, Feb. 23, 2015 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his Australian counterpart met here today to examine security challenges and find ways to further strengthen ties as the U.S. military rebalances to the Pacific.
The day-long meeting between Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and the Australian chief of the Defense Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, was the second Defense Chiefs Strategic Dialogue held between the United States and Australia. The first DCSD was held in Washington in 2013.

A Complex Global Security Environment

Dempsey said the meeting was an important opportunity for both nations to discuss today’s complex global security environment. He cited diverse challenges including Iran, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the campaign against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists.

"We really have to keep our eye on the future while dealing with the issues of the present," the chairman said at the meeting.

There needs to be talk about the long-term threat posed by violent extremists, Dempsey said. The terrorist attack in a café in Sydney in December in which two hostages were killed was a "terrible tragedy," the chairman said.

Australia is a strong U.S. partner and ally that has made incredible contributions to stability efforts in the Pacific and around the globe, said Dempsey's spokesman, Air Force Col. Ed Thomas.

"The United States and Australia have a shared worldview that is governed by international law that has been the foundation for peace and security in the region," Thomas said. "Today's dialogue and the commitment it represents are important as we continue to rebalance to the Pacific."

The defense chiefs, along with their senior staff, talked candidly about the challenges each nation faces and how their militaries can continue to strengthen relations and interoperability, the colonel said.

Expanding Security Partnership

A key aspect of the U.S.-Australian alliance is the expanding security relationship, supported by the Force Posture Agreement, which provides an "enduring foundation for regional security and complements the initiatives upon which the two governments have embarked since 2011," Thomas explained.
Currently, there’s a 1,150-member rotational presence of U.S. Marines in Darwin, Australia, he said. And the growing cooperation between the countries' air forces, he added, is a "tangible measure of the strength of the U.S.-Australia defense alliance and our shared vision for regional security.”

The basis of the military relationship between the United States and Australia is the 1951 Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty, or ANZUS Treaty, Thomas said.

Australia invoked the treaty once -- in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS SEQUESTRATION HURTS U.S. ABILITY TO MEET RESPONSIBILITIES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Dempsey: Sequestration is 'Absolutely Crazy'
By Lisa Ferdinando
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2015 – Sequestration is "absolutely crazy," will hurt national security and make it "impossible" for the United States to meet its global commitments, according to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The world has changed dramatically since sequestration was passed into law in the Budget Control Act of 2011, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said.
Dempsey spoke Thursday, in an interview aboard his plane as he returned to Washington following a European trip focusing on threats to the continent.
"The combination of the Budget Control Act and the sequestration mechanism will make it impossible for us to meet our global responsibilities," he said.
The sequestration mechanism forces across-the-board government spending cuts, a "mechanical withdrawal" that "doesn't allow you to balance your books," Dempsey said.

"The readiness hole is still the readiness hole. The global security environment is more dangerous and sequestration is still on the books as the law. It's absolutely crazy for this country," the top general said.
A More Dangerous World

The changes in the global environment since 2011 include the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Russia's fueling of instability in Ukraine, and a "host of security issues," he said.

"ISIL hadn’t manifested itself as a trans-regional threat," the chairman said. "Russia had not annexed Crimea and violated the sovereignty of Ukraine, and in so doing, by the way, stirred up nationalism and ethnicity in Europe in a very unhelpful way."

In addition, the United States is now engaged in trying to reduce sources of instability in Africa, including the mission supporting the fight against Ebola.
In those years since the law was passed, the world has also seen provocations by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Dempsey said.

"All those things require consideration of forward presence, readiness, resourcing, countering technological advances by some of our potential adversaries, and that's changed a great deal," the chairman said. "We're trying to encourage everyone to understand that change."

Sequestration Hurts National Defense

Military leaders in 2010 were predicting that even if the United States withdrew from Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, the military would need three or four years to recover its readiness.

"Because for 10 years we've been focused very narrowly on the counter-insurgency, counter-terror threat and we've lost some of our training edge," Dempsey said.

The United States deferred maintenance on some of its high-end capabilities because of sequestration, he said, including ships, submarines and airplanes.
In a separate interview with DoD News while in Europe last week, the chairman said he would like to have a "conversation with Congress" about reversing the effects of sequestration.

"If they're not reversed, they're going to be imposed in 2016, and they will negatively affect our national security interests," he said.

The chairman added, "Collaboratively we shouldn't allow that to happen."

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS CREDIBILITY PROBLEM WILL CAUSE COLLAPSE OF ISIL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Dempsey: Lack of Credibility Will Aid Terrorist Group ISIL’s Collapse
By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2015 – Though U.S. and coalition airstrikes are destroying facilities and equipment controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the terrorist group ultimately will fail because the people it’s trying to control will reject its ideology, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview broadcast today.

Appearing on “Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey noted that the new Iraqi government is reaching out to Iraq’s Sunni tribes and has made inroads in the strategic effort against ISIL.

“A group that embraces such a radical ideology has to maintain momentum in order to succeed, in order to maintain its credibility with the very people it's trying to influence,” Dempsey said.

ISIL’s Fate is Inevitable

Tactically, U.S. and allies forces have destroyed ISIL equipment, reversed some of its territorial gains and affected the terror group’s leadership, command and control and logistics, the chairman noted. But the fate of the terrorist regime is inevitable, he added, simply because people won’t accept it.

“It will collapse under its own contradictions, frankly, when the populations in which it tries to maneuver realize that ideology is not to their future benefit,” Dempsey said.

Though military efforts get the most attention, the chairman said, strides other areas such as in countering ISIL’s financing and messaging may be more important in thwarting the organization, Dempsey noted.

Campaign in Iraq Will Take Time

The campaign in Iraq will take time, Dempsey said, pointing out that U.S. and coalition forces are enabling the Iraqi government’s strategy. “It's not our strategy,” he said. “And I'm telling you, that is an extraordinarily important distinction.”

Before it can mount its own offensive against ISIL, the chairman explained, the Iraqi government, with the help of trainers and advisors, must accumulate the appropriate level of force and have it followed by reconstruction and humanitarian relief so the government is providing real governance and not simply security. This, he added, could take months.

Syrian Opposition Under Pressure

Meanwhile, in Syria, the opposition to Bashar Assad’s regime is under “enormous pressure,” particularly in the north, Dempsey, said. That region brings the greatest concern in regard to the ability to attract, recruit and vet a moderate opposition, he added.

“And Iraq, because we have a credible partner there, is the most important thing for us right now,” Dempsey said, “while maintaining pressure through disruptive airstrikes inside of what was a safe haven in Syria.

“As that issue evolves in Iraq, we will then adapt the campaign,” he continued. “And in the meantime, we're trying to build a credible partner on the ground in Syria … to take advantage of airstrikes should we ever turn our attention elsewhere. So it's really about a bit of choreography to get this right and not find ourselves potentially doing more harm if we create vacuums and voids and greater instability in the region.”

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS VISITS VIETNAM

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Do Ba T?, Vietnamese chief of defense, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug. 14, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen.  
Dempsey Building Trust in Vietnam Visit
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2014 – Building trust and confidence is the theme for the first visit by a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Vietnam since 1971.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey met with his Vietnamese counterpart Lt. Gen. Do Ba Ty in Hanoi. The two men discussed the future of the military-to-military relationship between their countries, but also the legacy of the Vietnam War. The chairman will also visit Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City during his visit.
Dempsey’s visit is a message to the region that the United States is serious about the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific, even as the American military is confronted with challenges in other parts of the world, defense officials said.

Dempsey said in an interview with USA Today’s Tom Vanden Brook that his formative years were colored by the specter of the war in Vietnam. Dempsey graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974 -- too late to serve in that war.
“I said to General Ty that ‘I spent the first four years of my military career preparing to fight you,’” Dempsey said. “There’s something profound about being here now trying to build a relationship on the basis of common interests.”
And the two countries do have common interests. Vietnam’s geostrategic position -- sitting between straddling China and Southeast Asia -- makes the nation an important factor player in finding a peaceful solution to the territorial issues in the South China Sea, the chairman said.

“They probably have more influence on the South China Sea and how it evolves than any other country,” he noted.

The two military leaders also discussed longstanding issues related to the Vietnam War, including the U.S. Agent Orange remediation program, finding and recovering U.S. personnel and addressing the problem of leftover unexploded ordnance. The two countries cooperate closely on all these issues, Dempsey said. “We owe it to each other to keep making progress on those [issues],” he said.
These programs were more prominent in discussions a year ago than they are today, Dempsey said. “We’re moving beyond those legacy war issues and toward a new relationship,” the chairman said.

All relationships are founded on trust “and that doesn’t happen overnight,” the general said.

The U.S. and Vietnamese militaries are working together in maritime security, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. “We’ve made a tentative agreement to increase the frequency and depth of our staff talks so we understand each others’ long-term strategies for the region,” Dempsey said. “That’s the place where we can make the most progress.”

Dempsey said he’s seeing more information sharing happening between the United States and Vietnam in the maritime domain as well as more work with maritime law enforcement.

“We’re working most closely right now with their coast guard, to establish a law enforcement capability to protect their economic exclusion zone … so they don’t get militarized,” he said.

U.S. officials are also working with Vietnamese counterparts to enhance the training program for maritime operations.

Dempsey stressed that the U.S. interest in Vietnam is not all about countering China. “The shadow of China hangs over the region,” he said. “Everyone thinks our interest here is just about China. It’s not.”

The rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region is inevitable as the area grows and expands in economic, political and diplomatic clout, he said.

“This is important and we do have our shoulder behind it,” the chairman added.
This was Dempsey’s first visit to Vietnam and he said he was struck by the vibrancy of life and the colors of the city.

“…Standing on the platform for the honor ceremony, listening to the two national anthems and seeing the two national flags flying side-by-side, it occurred to me that often adversaries in the past can become our closest friends,” the chairman said. “That won’t happen without some effort, but I think there’s a possibility there.”

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS WORLD SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IS CONFUSED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with service members during a town hall on Fort Shafter, Hawaii, June 30, 2014. Dempsey told U.S. Army Pacific soldiers that he hopes the military services can retain their own unique field uniforms, adding that having separate military services brings perspectives to the table that are the epitome of “jointness.” DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton.  

World Faces Confused Security Environment, Chairman Says
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii, July 1, 2014 – The world faces a confused security environment, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday, but the United States can deal with it.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told soldiers of U.S. Army Pacific during an all-hands call that it is the right time and the right thing to rebalance U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific theater.

Different areas of the world mean different security situations, the chairman explained.

“In this region of the world, there’s a rising sense of nationalism among the countries,” the chairman said. “The effort and intent of China to emerge on the world stage presents a different type of security challenge.”

In the Middle East, he told the soldiers, nationalism is breaking down amid fragmentation of national identity and the emergence of extremist groups.
The situation in Europe is somewhere between that in Asia and the Middle East, the general said. “There’s a group of nations trying to pull Europe together with organizations like NATO and the European Union,” he added, but he noted that in parts of Europe, there’s also a countervailing trend to see things in terms of national interests and ethnic identities.

Worldwide, Dempsey said, the security environment is confused. “It’s something we have to address,” he added. “You take the world as you find it, not as you hope it to be. And fortunately, we’ve got a great group of leaders and men and women in uniform that are willing to do just that.”

This security environment means the U.S. military must be prepared for different operations in different parts of the world, the nation’s top military officer said. “In this region, it is nations competing with other nations,” Dempsey said. “In the Middle East, it is about groups who don’t even care about borders competing with each other. In Europe, it is something in-between. That makes it very difficult to understand how to build the force.”

In the Asia-Pacific region, the threat of conventional conflict -- nation versus nation -- is higher than anywhere else, he said. In the Middle East, the risk is the long campaign against global terrorism.

“The use of military power in the Middle East is very much different than it would be if something broke out in the Pacific,” Dempsey said. “In Europe is a new challenge with Russian aggressiveness and assertiveness that we are trying to shape through NATO.”

American service members need to be ready to confront a myriad of threats, Dempsey said. “I wouldn’t put away your field manuals that describe how to do maneuver and combined arms effects and traditional conflict,” the chairman said. “It’s probably a little early. We need to do both.”

The Asia-Pacific region has many security interests for the United States -- so many interests and implications for the region and the world, the chairman said, that the U.S. rebalance really is the right thing to do and the right time to do it.
South Asia and Southeast Asia alone have 17 percent of the world’s land mass, he noted, but 50 percent of its population.

“Frankly, the distractions we are facing elsewhere shouldn’t distract from our interests and to posture ourselves better in the Pacific,” Dempsey said.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS GIVE TAKE ON IRAN'S INFLUENCE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Dempsey Discusses Iran’s Influence on Region

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, May 28, 2014 – A diplomatic solution to the problems caused by Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons technology is infinitely preferable to a military operation, but the military option remains available, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an interview that the United States maintains a “credible and capable amount of military force in the region so that if the diplomatic track fails, it is available to my leaders.”

President Barack Obama has stated many times that the United States will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. “If [Iran] takes the opportunity and comes to that conclusion diplomatically, everyone will be better off,” he said.
But ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions won’t solve the problem the country poses to the region, the chairman said.

“They exert malign influence in others ways, to include surrogates and proxies [such as] Lebanese Hezbollah [and] the IRGC Quds Force. They are the region’s biggest trafficker in weapons. They are very active in a malign way in cyber,” he said. “There are many things that cause me concern about Iran, both regionally and globally, that will not be solved even if the nuclear issue is solved.”

Unless they change their behavior, Dempsey said, Iranian leaders will be held accountable for other things, adding that the United States would like Iran to change its behavior and be a constructive influence in the world.

“But we’re not naive,” he said. “There’s a pretty significant distance to where we are today with Iran and where we might like to be.”

With its rich history and a culture that has influenced the world, Dempsey said, Iran can take a constructive turn. “We certainly would hope Iran would take advantage of those things and stop its malign activities,” he added.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SAYS U.S. "NOT POLITICALLY EXHAUSTED"

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Dempsey Rejects Notion of Exhausted United States

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, May 28, 2014 – The United States is not politically exhausted, “and it would be a mistake to come to that conclusion,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said during an interview here today.

“In fact, it would be a mistake to decide that we are politically exhausted or weary militarily,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Sky News.

Many in the Persian Gulf region believe that the United States is exhausted from 13 years of war. They point to the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and the coming drawdown in Afghanistan as proof of this weariness, and they extrapolate a U.S. withdrawal from the region at large.

But this is not the case, Dempsey said, citing what has happened to al-Qaida as an example. Al-Qaida was a centralized organization based out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States and its allies -- including the United Arab Emirates -- put pressure on the terror organization. Central al-Qaida is a shadow of its former self, but the group has adapted, the chairman said.

“They have taken advantage of unsettled and ungoverned spaces elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa,” the general said. “The terror group is a long-term problem and not one the United States is giving up on.”

Rather than being weary or wary, Dempsey said, the United States is “rebalancing our efforts to build partners, to enable others and to do certain things ourselves -- but that should be our last resort.”

“For the most part,” he added, “we ought to address these challenges collaterally and collaboratively with partners.”

U.S. forces do face fiscal challenges, the chairman said, but he doesn’t see that affecting the Persian Gulf region. “We are going through a period of retraction in our budget, but it’s a matter of history,” he explained. “We go through this about every 20 years, and the United States still has the military capability to do many more than one thing at a time.”

The United States doesn’t face a choice to be either in the Atlantic or the Pacific, in Europe or the Middle East, or in Asia or Africa, Dempsey said.

“We have global responsibilities. We have global partnerships,” the chairman said. “One of the greatest strengths of the United States is its alliances, its partnerships, unlike some others who aspire to be great powers, but they don’t have friends, they don’t have partners. They try to go it alone. We, on the other hand, see our strength through our partners.”

U.S. MILITARY IN AFGHANISTAN ADAPTS TO TRAINING ROLE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is greeted by Army Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander of the International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command East and of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, upon his arrival on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 1, 2014. Dempsey is in Afghanistan to visit troops and commanders. DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton.  

American Units Adapting to New Missions in Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 2, 2014 – As you walk into the headquarters for Regional Command East here, you see a photo of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Underneath the photo is an inscription: “Never again.”

“Our soldiers understand why they are here,” said Army Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, the commander of Regional Command East and of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division. “International terrorists will never use this country to launch attacks on the United States or our allies again.”

Townsend spoke during a break in meetings with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is visiting here to confer with senior leaders.

But the mission American and coalition service members perform has changed from one in which Americans did the combat operations to one in which U.S. and coalition forces train, advise and assist Afghan forces.

When he does battlefield circulations, Townsend said, he tells the U.S. and coalition service members that the mission is to “get the Afghan national security forces stood up, so we can stand down.”

This, the general said, is the biggest change he has seen since his last deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, American and coalition forces conducted about 95 percent of the operations. A few Afghan soldiers accompanied them, he said.

“Now, it’s exactly the opposite, with 95 percent of the operations led by the Afghans,” he said. “In fact, between 80 and 85 percent of those operations are Afghan unilaterals. There’s nobody from the coalition with them at all.”
This does not mean that American and coalition forces are out of danger. Last week, two 10th Mountain Division soldiers were killed conducting force-protection patrols.

Veterans of multiple deployments understand what is happening, Townsend said. “They are very happy to advise the Afghans and help train them and encourage them as they leave the gate on a mission,” he said. “They stand by as part of a quick-reaction force if needed.”

But they understand that “victory has an Afghan face,” the general said.
The mantra now is to train the trainer. U.S. forces train Afghan officers and sergeants, who in turn train Afghan privates. “That’s the only way we can build an institution that can sustain itself,” Townsend said.

The effort also is transitioning from unit-based security force assistance to functionally based assistance. In the past, American soldiers have been covering down on Afghan kandaks, or brigades, to train all aspects of what that unit needed to function effectively. “Now we are shifting our lens to functions -- critical functions,” he said.

Logistics and intelligence are two of these critical functions. Training now strives to connect kandaks through the chain of command to the Afghan Defense Ministry. “A lot of the Afghan units are functioning just fine,” Townsend said. But they do need things from outside the unit to perform best, he added.

Spare parts, replacements and intelligence sharing are examples of functions outside a unit that are critical to the unit’s success, he explained. “We’re trying to get the Afghans to push their intelligence down through channels to the unit that needs it,” he said. “We’re trying to make that pipe work.”

With logistics, the Afghans have no historical data to forecast what spares will be needed. As a result, they are still buying bulk parts. This is inefficient, the general said, because “you end up buying too many of one widget and too few of another.”
“They don’t have enough money to be inefficient and wasteful,” he added. “They have to be very efficient. We’re trying to help them maximize their bang for the buck.”

When Townsend speaks with U.S. and coalition troops, he said, they ask him about the status of the bilateral security agreement that would allow a continued U.S. presence in Afghanistan beyond this year. They also ask if the United States will leave a residual force in Afghanistan, and what it will do. “They may operate at the foxhole-and-rifle squad level, but they think at a national level,” he said.
The general said he believes Americans should know about the work his troopers are doing here.

“We lost a soldier, … and I read a post on the Internet from an American that said, ‘I thought we were out of there,’” Townsend said. “The American people need to know we are still here and doing the nation’s mission.”

RECENT DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
U.S. soldiers install a transmission in an AH-64 Apache helicopter on Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, Feb. 14, 2014. The soldiers, who are maintainers, are assigned to 159th Combat Aviation Brigade. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joseph Green.

A U.S. Marine performs battlefield movements during a live-fire exercise at Arta Range, Djibouti, Feb. 18, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Staci Mill.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS GENERAL DEMPSEY SEES SYRIAN CONFLICT TAKING YEARS TO RESOLVE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Syrian Conflict Will Take Years to Sort Out, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - The conflict in Syria will take years to sort out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today during an interview here.


The Syrian civil war has reverberated around the Middle East and involves a diverse cast of players and power blocs, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. The chairman is here to meet with South Korean defense leaders.

"It's very complex, it's changing and most importantly we have to see it as a long-term issue," he said during the interview. "The issues that underlie this conflict will not be solved any time soon. I think we're looking at a decade of challenges in the region with Syria being the epicenter."

The war in the Middle Eastern nation has gotten to the point where it has spilled over the borders. "It is not useful to look at Syria as Syria meaning it's not useful to look through the soda straw at the boundaries of Syria and believe you understand the situation," he said.

The conflict stretches from Beirut to Damascus to Baghdad, he said, and it has historic roots. At the beginning, he said, the war had religious undertones, but he believes the more appropriate term should now be religious overtones. "A conflict that started as a rebellion has been hijacked by extremists on both sides al-Qaida affiliates on one side and Lebanese Hezbollah on the other," the chairman said. "The question seems to be what should we be doing to help our regional partners. And we are."

The United States is taking a whole-of-government approach to the region, he said. From the military side, the United States is looking to see how to assist the Lebanese armed forces. U.S. service members are working with the Jordanian military and the United States is working with Turkey a close NATO ally.

"Through the whole-of-government [approach,] we're trying to apply economic factors assistance of other kinds to help identify a moderate opposition so as this thing develops we can have some influence in a positive way on the outcome," he said.

Dempsey has been in touch with concerned chiefs of defense throughout the Middle East and Europe. "We've got incredible experience with building partners, and building military and police formations," he said. "And so we've been in discussion about whether if we could find a way to collaborate on ... the issue of whether we could develop a moderate opposition, in particular to stabilize some of the humanitarian issues in northern Jordan and southern Turkey."

These discussions have not risen to the level of a plan, he said, more as a concept. "And I think it's a valid concept to be thinking about in particular if [Syrian President Bashir] Assad after the chemical issue is reconciled if he fails to come to Geneva 2 with an intent to seek a political settlement," Dempsey said. "Then I think like-minded nations might have the opportunity to contribute in different ways if we're asked to."

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WANTS MORE STRATEGIC DIALOGUE WITH CHINA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Dempsey Urges More Strategic Dialogue Between China, U.S.
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BEIJING, April 22, 2013 - The strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific doesn't mean deploying high numbers of U.S. troops into the region, but it does involve more interest, more engagement and more quality in equipment and capabilities, America's senior military officer said here today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff for the Chinese army, spoke to reporters here during a news conference following about three hours of meetings at the Bayi Building, China's ministry of national defense.

"My theme [on this visit] is quite simple, actually -- a stable and prosperous region is in everyone's best interest," Dempsey said.

The two leaders met before the news conference during a small-group meeting for about an hour, then moved to a larger group meeting. As translators rendered Dempsey's remarks in Mandarin and Fang's in English at the news conference, the pair spoke with similar voices on topics including terrorism, North Korea, disaster relief and cyberattacks.

Responding to a reporter's question asking his stance on North Korean nuclear capability, Fang said he always has maintained that the Korean Peninsula should be free of nuclear weapons.

"We are thoroughly opposed to the nuclear test conducted by the [North Korean government]," he said. "We support the U.N. Security Council in appropriate and reasonable sanctions against North Korea."

Fang said he thinks peaceful dialogue is the most desirable approach to resolving multinational concerns about North Korea's nuclear ambitions. The last round of six-party talks aimed at the issue -- involving North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- was in 2009.

"We ask all sides to work actively ... [to persuade] the North Koreans to stop the nuclear tests and to stop producing nuclear weapons," he said.

Fang also answered a question about cyberattacks in the wake of recent reports that many are launched from within China's army and said cyberattacks are a concern for all "big cyber countries."

If the Internet is not managed well, he said, "it may bring damaging consequences." He added, "If the security of the Internet cannot be guaranteed, then ... results may be as serious as a nuclear bomb."

China is a major victim of cyberattacks, he said, and the nation's leaders have no tolerance for it. Fang pointed out, however, that pinpointing the source of attacks can be very difficult, as the Internet is open to everyone and attacks can be launched from anywhere.

"General Dempsey and I have already talked about the importance of maintaining cybersecurity," he said. "I believe it is important that we check out the idea that we should jointly work on this issue."

Dempsey responded to a reporter's assertion that three obstacles inhibit U.S.-Chinese relations: U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, reconnaissance by U.S. ships and aircraft, and "the discriminatory laws against China." The reporter asked what the United States can do to improve the relationship.

"We talked about all three of those issues today, and another three, four or five beyond that," the chairman said. "And maybe isn't that the point? It's the first time we've spoken about these issues."

The two nations have frequent military-to-military contact on the tactical level, Dempsey said, but could benefit by more frequent senior-leader engagement. "It's our desire, both of us, that we maintain dialogue at the strategic level. ... We are committed to building a better, deeper, more enduring relationship," the chairman added.

It's important that each side do that while keeping in mind the other side's commitments to other nations, Dempsey said. The United States considers its relationship with China in the context of historic and enduring alliances in the region, he noted.

"This isn't about choosing any one or the other," he said. "We have some treaty obligations, but we will build this relationship by increasing our contact at the strategic level and recognizing [those alliances]."

The final question was to Dempsey, asking why the United
States conducts military exercises in China's vicinity. Dempsey said the answer "is probably at the core of why I've made this visit."

The United States is and has been a Pacific power, and while its military has been particularly active and busy in the Middle East, it has never left and will not leave the Asia-Pacific, the chairman said.

"Our intention, of course, is to contribute to stability in a way that protects our national interests, which are very much tied to this region," he said.

Dempsey said the United States seeks to be a stabilizing influence in the region. "We believe that it would be our absence that would be a destabilizing influence on the region, not our presence," he added.

Fang led the news conference by welcoming Dempsey and his delegation, and said he hopes the chairman's visit furthers the exchange of ideas between the two nations' militaries.

In his opening remarks, Dempsey thanked Fang for his hospitality and offered his condolences for the victims of the April 21 Sichuan magnitude 7.0 earthquake, a temblor that left a reported 189 people dead and injured more than 11,000. The chairman also complimented Fang on the Chinese army's quick response after the earthquake, and the general's leadership of that effort.

The chairman also expressed sympathy for the family of Lu Lingzi, a Chinese graduate student who had been pursuing a master's degree at Boston University when she was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings April 15.

She "was a gifted student, tragically killed," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to her grieving family."

Dempsey arrived in Beijing yesterday after a stop in South Korea. Later this week, he will continue his Asia trip with a visit to Japan.

GEN. DEMPSEY BELIEVES 2014 TROOP LEVELS IN AFGHANISTAN SHOULD NOT BE DECIDED NOW

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
'Too Soon' For Post-2014 Troop Level Decision, Dempsey Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service


BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 6, 2013 - Although it is too soon to tell what the post-2014 troop arrangement will be in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expects a decision by this summer, he said yesterday.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan today to, in part, hear from commanders on the ground what they think the Afghans need to help them develop, he said.

In an interview with reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan, Dempsey said evaluations are well underway on a range of options.

Each set of options is formed around a theme, Dempsey said.

"One is, at what level we will provide training and assistance ... at the lowest tactical level, all the way up to the institutional level," he said. Alternatively, training and assistance might be provided only at the institutional level.

What other agencies need to operate on the ground forms a second core question, the chairman said. He offered the U.S. Agency for International Development as one key organization to consider in post-transition planning.

The concerns of NATO partner nations must also be reconciled, Dempsey said. The NATO implementing directive for Afghanistan favors a hub-and-spoke approach to basing troops, he said.

"Once you ... lay that template out, it begins to illuminate what the options are for the post-2014 presence," the chairman said, "not only on basing, but on numbers."

"I'm not in the camp that is trying to rush that decision," he said, adding that he wants the Afghan security forces to have a chance to lead through two fighting seasons, as outlined in the NATO agreement signed last summer in Chicago. They will also be responsible for the security of the 2014 elections, Dempsey noted. "I want to see how they deal, frankly," the chairman said.

Milestone 2013 will mark the point when the Afghan security forces are in the lead nationwide, Dempsey said. "It'll be coming up here soon," he added. "We haven't exactly fixed the date."

To ensure the drawdown progresses smoothly and according to schedule, "we've got to have a steady rate of retrograde," Dempsey said.

"My military judgment is that the decision about the enduring presence, though it will be necessary to help us and our NATO allies plan, actually pinning it down is not a matter of urgency," he said. Rather than a definitive number of troops, he said, a range would be prudent.

SEVERICE MEMBERS WORRY OVER DEFENSE CUTS

Photo:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Fiscal Uncertainty Worries Service Members
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss., Jan. 16, 2013 - Concern about the impact that budget cuts may have on the force emerged as a common theme as the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with enlisted service members from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps at several locations here today.

Marine Corps Sgt. Major Bryan B. Battaglia said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta wants service members to know military pay will not be cut. Instead, annual pay increases likely will be decreased, Battaglia said.

The plan for dealing with upcoming defense cuts calls for belt-tightening for everyone, the sergeant major said.

"But we're not going to take it from any one source," he said.

Service members aren't going to bear the burden of defense cuts alone, Battaglia said.

"DOD civilian workers have been on their third year of a pay freeze," he said, "so they got a head start on us already."

The defense secretary has vowed to "fight for all he's worth" to mitigate any impacts on retirement by making changes applicable only to future service members, Battaglia said.

"If I can offer any consolation," he said, "it's that your best interests are at heart."

Battaglia said the question of whether fiscal uncertainty would mean a return to a single service utility uniform was one he has also heard elsewhere. He told service members that he hoped not, but that one possibility was a single uniform for operational environments.

"We've been there before," he said. However, "service identity is extremely important," he added.

"Each and every morning you need to wake up and be an airman ... that's important and I don't want to see that change," the sergeant major said.

In the 1990s "we all wore one uniform," Battaglia said. "It has been costly for the services to do all these different variations of uniforms."

The sergeant major said he thought having a single uniform for wear in operational theaters made fiscal sense and would reduce confusion for the United States' international partners.

Battaglia also addressed questions about whether programs such as tuition assistance would be able to continue in a time of fiscal austerity.

"Tuition assistance is not an entitlement," he said. "It's here because we want to help -- we want to make you better -- but it's not a disqualifier for being a good service member."

But, he said, the military is a learning organization.

"While it's here, use it," Battaglia said of tuition assistance, adding that he couldn't guarantee that it would continue indefinitely.

"We've got some fiscal challenges coming up," he said, noting the percentage of service members who use the tuition assistance benefit isn't very high.

"So when you get that metric ... it dissipates the chances of it remaining viable," Battaglia said. "So, again, use it while it's here."

GENERAL DEMPSEY HOSTS USO HOLIDAY TOUR SHOW AT BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN



Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, onstage, hosts one of his annual USO holiday tour shows at Bagram Airfeld, Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2012. DOD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, USO TOUR, AFGHANISTAN, CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, GEN. DEMPSEY

Chairman's USO Tour Show Entertains Troops in Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff greeted and praised troops at two U.S. bases in Afghanistan during his annual USO holiday tour show.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, along with his senior enlisted advisor, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, and their spouses visited Bagram Airfield here, followed by a visit to Kandahar Airfield the following day, entertaining troops with what the general called "some extraordinarily talented people."

"They're great Americans, and they're patriots," Dempsey told troops at Bagram. "And they really care about you. They've given up their holidays. I'm actually very privileged to be traveling with them, and bringing them here to you tonight."

Battaglia, who spoke after the chairman and before the start of the entertainment portion of the show, had a similar message for service members at both bases.

"As our 18th chairman said, it is, indeed, a privilege and honor to spend part of Christmas and the holiday season with you all," he said. "We'd love to stay here with you through Christmas, through New Years, you know we would."

The sergeant major said while it's unfortunate that most of the troops are unable to be home with their families for the holidays, they are certainly not alone.

"While you're not at home or not able to be home with your biological family to spend the holiday season, you're here, by God, with your uniformed military family to spend it," Battaglia said. "And it doesn't get much better than that, right?"

Both senior leaders used different, but effective methods, to energize the crowds. Battaglia led service members in a raucous chant of "U-S-A," while Dempsey highlighted the troops' individual pride of their units and branches of service.

"Those folks that the chairman are going to introduce you to, in just a minute here, are from a country that you love, they're from a country that you protect, and from a country in which you live," Battaglia said. "It's the USA, and that would be the most motivating force right now. Those three letters -- all in unison."

Dempsey introduced each USO celebrity to kick off both shows. Washington Nationals Major League Baseball players Ross Detwiler and Craig Stammen; Matt Hendricks from the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals; comedian Iliza Schlesinger, winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing; and country music singer Kellie Pickler and her band performed on behalf of the USO.

Additionally, the chairman recognized USO President Sloan D. Gibson, and Shane Hudella of "Defending the Blue Line," an organization that donates hockey equipment to military families.

Following both shows, Dempsey showcased his own talent, serenading the packed venues with his rendition of singer Bing Crosby's "A White Christmas."

"It is Christmas and I hope that you had a few moments to remember that and to forget about everything else in your life right now," the chairman said.

Dempsey also praised the troops for their service to the nation.

"I hope you know how proud we are of what you do every day for the country," he said. "We're proud of your service. You're all volunteers -- that includes the civilians out there that have come over here to help support the men and women in uniform. And we're really proud of you."

U.S. JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN WARNS OF SEQUESTRATION CONSEQUENCES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Dempsey Warns of Sequestration's Potential Impact
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

MANAMA, Bahrain, Dec. 14, 2012 - The potential impact of sequestration, if it happens, could significantly degrade the Defense Department's overall readiness for years to come, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said here yesterday.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey was responding to a sailor's question on the possible effects of the massive budget cuts that could take effect in January, while speaking to an audience from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Sequestration is a mechanism built into the Budget Control Act which would trigger across-the-board cuts in federal spending -- including an additional $500 billion cut in defense -- if Congress and the president cannot agree on a plan to reduce the federal deficit before Jan. 2, 2013.

"It'll be a significant degradation," Dempsey said. "How does it translate to you? Stretched out maintenance periods, less flying hours before deployment, less training, potentially some interruptions of PCS movements or schools."

The Defense Department has spread the word that allowing sequestration to occur would be "a really bad idea," Dempsey said.

"It will have an effect, and I think it'll be an effect felt for two or three years," the general said. "There are some who think we can just let it happen, and then sweep it up over the next six months."

The chairman explained how he and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta requested military manpower be exempt from the additional proposed budget reductions.

"We went to [President Obama] and asked him to use his authority to exempt manpower," Dempsey said. "If we hadn't done that, in an almost inconceivable way, we would have had to cut the endstrength by 8 percent as part of the package."

The president approved the exemption, he said, but the "bad news is it puts a bigger burden on the other accounts," which include operations, maintenance, training and infrastructure.

"So those will now be impacted at about a 10 percent blow across the board," Dempsey said. "What does this mean to your particular community? I can't say for sure because the CNO -- chief of naval operations -- is the one who has to figure that out."

However, operations won't be impacted by sequestration if it occurs, the chairman said.

"So now I just told you we've exempted two places. Now when I say operations, I mean deployed operations," he said.

The Joint Strike Fighter is among defense projects that would be disrupted by sequestration, Dempsey said, adding that
civilian DOD employees would likely also feel the impact.

"There could be some civilian employees placed on unpaid furloughs," the chairman said. "So it's really serious."