DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL TOUTS IMPORTANCE OF U.S.-JAPAN PARTNERSHIP

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel waves to the pilots of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after landing at Hardy Barracks in Tokyo, April 5, 2014. Hagel met with troops at Yokota Air Base earlier in the day and will continue his three-day stay in Japan, meeting with the Japanese prime minister and the defense and foreign ministers. DOD Photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel: U.S.-Japan Partnership Critical to Regional Security
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

TOKYO, April 5, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel landed in Japan today as part of his fourth official trip to the Asia-Pacific region to reassure the nation’s leaders that the U.S.-Japan relationship is one of America’s strongest partnerships, friendships and treaty relationships.

This evening Hagel met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, the secretary thanked Abe for his leadership and for helping the two militaries maintain a strong relationship.
Hagel expressed his firm commitment to the U.S.-Japan treaty of mutual cooperation and security and to working closely with the leadership of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to improve the nations’ collective capabilities, Kirby said.

The leaders discussed a range of regional security issues, including recent provocations by North Korea, Chinese maritime claims and military activities, and the need for a continued focus on dialogue and cooperation among the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Hagel affirmed strong U.S. support for Japanese efforts at defense reform and thanked Abe for supporting the Japanese government last December in securing a landfill permit for the Futenma replacement facility.

Tomorrow, Hagel will meet with Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, Foreign Affairs Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy.
“There are challenges in this part of the world that include Japan’s future,” the defense secretary told reporters traveling with him.

“I’m visiting Japan … not just [to] reconnect and recommit U.S. efforts but to build on the recent meeting President {Barack] Obama had with Prime Minister Abe and South Korean President Park [Geun-hye],” Hagel said, “as we look at new opportunities and challenges in this part of the world.”

He added, “The Japanese-American partnership is a very critical anchor to peace and stability and security in this part of the world, so I look forward to conversations here in the next couple of days with the senior leaders of Japan.”
Even before he landed in Tokyo, Hagel initiated and hosted in Honolulu an informal meeting of defense ministers of the 10 countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. The meeting was the first ever held in the United States.

“The ASEAN defense ministers conference was an important first step in what I’m doing here in the region because it represented the initial effort we have been working on as we continue to collaborate and coordinate with and strengthen our relationships in the Asia-Pacific,” Hagel said.

As President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Hagel himself have said many times, ASEAN is an important organization now and will continue to be important, the secretary said, because it represents the collective interests of the region.

ASEAN member countries are Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“When you add to [this] the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus members [which consists of the 10 ASEAN defense ministers and defense ministers from the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand and Russia] … that’s a significant representation of this part of the world,” Hagel observed.
The U.S. strategy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region “is very much based on these relationships and all their variances and dimensions,” the secretary said, “so to start [his fourth trip to the region in less than 12 months] spending a couple of days with ASEAN members was important.”

Hagel landed here today at Yokota Air Base, whose host unit is the 374th Airlift Wing, and his first visit was with 200 U.S. service members and Japanese Self-Defense Forces troops.

In a hangar on a stage in front of giant flags of the United States and Japan, the secretary brought greetings from President Obama and thanked those from U.S. Forces Japan and their families for their service and sacrifice.
Hagel also thanked those from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces “for what you do for your country and for our partnership, and for helping keep peace and stability in this part of the world.”

In Hagel’s discussions with Japanese leaders, a senior defense official traveling with the secretary said Hagel will have an opportunity to maintain the positive forward motion initiated in Tokyo last fall during the historic Two Plus Two meeting he attended with Kerry.

That progress, the official said, involved work on the bilateral U.S.-Japan alliance to revise the defense guidelines, move forward with the realignment of U.S. military forces in Japan, and strengthen and orient the alliance to focus on 21st century challenges.

Hagel and the Japanese leaders also will discuss building a common understanding of the regional and global security environment.

“Here the secretary will … share perspectives with the Japanese prime minister and defense minister on what they’re seeing on the Korean Peninsula, in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea,” the official said, and conduct important alliance consultations on opportunities and challenges of the international security order.

The senior defense official said Hagel and Japanese officials also would discuss Japan’s relationships with other countries in the region.

“The president and Prime Minister Abe and South Korean President Park had a historic trilateral summit on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit at the Hague recently,” the official said, “and there will be an opportunity to continue underscoring the importance … we see in greater trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan and South Korea, and the United States, Japan and Australia, and how to move those relationships forward.”

In Washington on April 17-18 the United States, South Korea and Japan will hold a sixth round of Defense Trilateral Talks, the official said, and in late April President Obama will visit Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Malaysia.
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DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL THANKS PORTUGAL FOR SUPPORTING NATO'S BALTIC AIR POLICING

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center left, meets with Portuguese Defense Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, center right, at the Pentagon, March 31, 2014. The two leaders met to discuss defense-related topics. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett  

 FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Defense Secretary Welcomes Portuguese Minister to Pentagon
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today welcomed Portuguese Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to the Pentagon, and expressed to the minister his appreciation for Portugal’s many contributions to international security, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a Defense Department news release.

The secretary specifically thanked Portugal for supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing rotation later this year, and Portugal’s support in combating piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, Kirby said in the release.
Kirby said Hagel also thanked Aguiar-Branco for Portugal’s hospitality towards U.S. airmen at Lajes Field.

The two leaders “discussed the situation in Ukraine and reaffirmed both nations’ steadfast commitment to our collective defense obligations,” Kirby said.
Both men, he said, agreed on the need for Russia to begin discussions with the Ukrainian government, as diplomacy remains the only acceptable means of resolving this crisis.

“Secretary Hagel looks forward to seeing Minister Aguiar-Branco at the NATO Summit in Wales, this September,” Kirby said in the release.

JENS STOLTENBERG CHOSEN TO BE NEW SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATO

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT  
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Designated to Lead NATO
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2014 – Former prime minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, was designated today to serve as the next secretary general of NATO.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement that he welcomed the selection.
“Former Prime Minister Stoltenberg will bring strong credentials and experience to the alliance at a critically important time,” Hagel said.

“NATO has been and continues to be a force for peace, prosperity and freedom, not only in Europe, but around the world,” the defense secretary said. The United States, he added, will continue to strongly support the alliance and all of its member nations.

America's commitment to NATO's collective defense is firm and resolute, Hagel said.

Stoltenberg will succeed current Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen when his term expires Oct. 1, 2014. Rasmussen was prime minister of Denmark for eight years before becoming NATO secretary general in 2009.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to NATO Secretary General Rasmussen for his many years of strong leadership, for his commitment to strengthening the alliance, and for his continued hard work in bringing a critical NATO summit together this coming September in Wales," Hagel said.
The 2014 NATO summit will take place Sept. 4-5 in Wales. The last NATO summit was in Chicago in 2012.


WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT ON SELECTION OF JENS STOLTENBERG TO LEAD NATO

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Selection of former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as the Next NATO Secretary General

We welcome the selection of former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s next Secretary General, beginning October 1, 2014.  Mr. Stoltenberg is a proven leader with a demonstrated commitment to the transatlantic Alliance.  As Prime Minister, he built Norway’s military capabilities and actively contributed to NATO operations and political dialogue.  We are confident he is the best person to ensure the continued strength and unity of the NATO Alliance.

We also are grateful for the service of current NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and will rely on his expertise to bring the Alliance through the NATO Summit in September.  Secretary General Rasmussen has been an exceptional leader at an extraordinary time.  His vision and dedication have strengthened the Alliance’s strategic direction and focus on ways to bolster defense capabilities while reinforcing the commitments and values underpinning it.  From preparing for NATO’s transition in Afghanistan, to seeing us through the intervention in Libya, and – now – to providing strong leadership in the face of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, Secretary General Rasmussen has been a steadfast partner and a trusted friend of the United States throughout his tenure.  We know that Mr. Stoltenberg will prove the same.

RUSSIA REINFORCES UNITS ALONG BORDER WITH UKRAINE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Russia Reinforcing Units on Border with Ukraine
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2014 – Russia continues to reinforce units along the eastern and southern Ukraine border, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a news conference today.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week that the Russian troops were massing for regularly scheduled exercises.
“The minister said it was exercises, no intent to cross the border,” Kirby said. “They need to live up to that word.”

The build-up on the Russian side of the border does nothing to de-escalate the tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Kirby said. “It’s doing nothing to assist in the stability of that part of Europe,” the admiral said.

The United States is concerned about the build-up and is monitoring it closely, he said.

The United States has added aircraft and personnel to the aviation detachment in Poland. The United States and other NATO nations have added to the force comprising the Baltic air police mission.

“I would tell you that the staff here in the Pentagon, both the civilian and uniformed, are constantly looking at other ways that … we can further reassure our allies and partners in Europe to potentially look at either adding to or reinforcing existing operations or exercises or even adding on additional opportunities,” Kirby said. “We’re looking at that very closely right now.”

There has been no indication of any Russian exercises in the region, the admiral said. “The way it was explained was that these were springtime exercises,” he said.

He urged reporters to call the Russian Ministry of Defense for more information.
“Our concern is for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people and their nation,” Kirby said.

Moscow has violated Ukraine’s sovereignty. “The forces they have in Crimea and the forces they have along the border with Ukraine are doing nothing to deescalate the tension,” he said. “And that's the concern.”

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL PRAISES RESTRAINT OF UKRAINE

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL 
Hagel Praises Ukrainian Restraint in Call With Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2014 – In a phone conversation with Ukrainian Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel repeated his praise for the restraint demonstrated by Ukrainian forces in Crimea and commended Tenyukh’s leadership, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

"For his part, Minister Tenyukh updated Secretary Hagel on the situation in Crimea and throughout the country,” Kirby said in a statement summarizing the 35-minute call. Hagel reaffirmed U.S. support for Ukraine and stressed that officials are actively reviewing Ukraine's request for military assistance materials, he added.

"Both leaders agreed on the need to find a diplomatic, peaceful resolution to this crisis," Kirby said, and Hagel agreed to stay in close contact with Tenyukh going forward.

DOD WORKING ON COORDINATED RESPONSE TO CRISIS IN UKRAINE

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Robert F. Hale, the Defense Department's comptroller, testify on the Defense Department's 2015 fiscal year budget request before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2014. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo.  

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
DOD Supports U.S., Allied Response to Russia-Ukraine Crisis
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Mar. 6, 2014 – The Defense Department is working to support the coordinated U.S. response to Russia’s recent aggression toward Ukraine, and to help Ukraine and U.S. allies and partners in the region, DOD and administration officials said here today.

The United States is focusing diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine, and senior administration and defense officials continue to engage with their Russian counterparts.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry is meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today, for example, and this week the United States announced a $1 billion package of economic assistance to Ukraine, and the European Union announced a $15 billion assistance package.

This morning, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that allows the administration to initiate financial sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities that steal assets, engage in destabilizing activities, or take flight unlawfully. The administration also is imposing visa restrictions on those responsible for violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Defense Department is making substantial contributions to U.S. and international efforts in support of Ukraine. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey summarized the department’s activities this morning in advance of their testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on the president’s fiscal year 2015 defense budget request.

Hagel said he strongly supports the administration’s efforts, including the steps Obama has taken to apply diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, and the continued collaboration with European partners.

“Earlier this week, I directed the Department of Defense to suspend all military-to-military engagements and exercises with Russia. And yesterday, I announced a series of steps [the department] will take to reinforce allies in Central and Eastern Europe during this crisis,” Hagel told the panel.

The steps include increasing joint training through the DOD aviation detachment in Poland, made up of airmen from the 31st Fighter Wing who train and work with their Polish partners at Lask Air Base in central Poland.

“I was advised this morning that [the partnership at Lask] continues to move forward,” the secretary said, adding that the department also will augment its participation in NATO's Baltic air policing mission. He told the House members that six F-15s have arrived in Lithuania within the past 24 hours.
In his remarks, Dempsey said he is deeply engaged in DOD support of the diplomatic approach to resolving Ukraine's crisis.

“I'm engaged with our NATO allies. I've spoken both yesterday and today with my Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, and will continue to maintain that line of communication,” Dempsey told the panel.

Also this morning, on a White House background teleconference with reporters, senior administration officials discussed details of the new visa restrictions and the executive order released today in support of Ukraine.

“Since the Russian intervention in Ukraine, you have seen us work on several lines of effort to mobilize international unity, to condemn the Russian intervention, to impose cost on Russia for debt interventions so they are isolated politically and economically [and] to provide additional support for the government in Kiev,” a senior administration official said.

The best way to make sure the rights of Ukrainians and ethnic Russians are being protected is to use international monitoring, he said.

“A monitoring team from the [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] has arrived in Ukraine [and] moved out to different parts of the country. The team has an important set of experiences and capabilities to ensure that basic rights are being protected. We believe that that monitoring mission should expand into Crimea and can be the basis for a way of deescalating the crisis,” the official added.

Representing broad international unity, the North Atlantic Council, European allies and G-7 countries all have condemned Russia’s aggression, he added, and the United States has suspended preparatory meetings for the G-8 in Sochi, Russia.
The United States also has cancelled discussions associated with deepening trade and commercial ties with Russia, the official noted, “and with today's actions we take an additional step to impose costs on Russia and those who are responsible for violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The executive order gives the United States flexibility to target individuals and entities responsible for violating international law and Ukrainian sovereignty, the official said.

“We are also imposing certain visa restrictions that further impose a cost on individuals responsible for the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the official said.

The senior administration official added, “There are individuals who have had their visas pulled or will be banned from visas, and those individuals -- who I won't give names or numbers -- do include Russians and Ukrainians.”
Such actions should send a strong message that the United States and its allies intend to impose costs on Russia for the Ukrainian intervention, the official added, and they give the United States flexibility to respond based on Russia's actions, whether positive or negative.

DOD SAYS CONTINGENCY PLANS BEING MADE FOR FULL AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Contingency Plans Begin for Possible Full Afghanistan Withdrawal
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2014 – President Barack Obama today informed Afghan President Hamid Karzai that because the Afghan leader has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the bilateral security agreement on a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan beyond this year, he has asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the United States not keep any troops in Afghanistan after 2014.
In a summary of the Obama-Karzai phone call released to reporters, White House officials said Obama is leaving open the possibility of concluding a bilateral security agreement with Afghanistan later this year.

“However, the longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any U.S. mission,” they added. “Furthermore, the longer we go without a BSA, the more likely it will be that any post-2014 U.S. mission will be smaller in scale and ambition.”

Soon after, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel released a statement expressing his “strong support” for the president’s decision.

"This is a prudent step, given that President Karzai has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the bilateral security agreement, which would provide DOD personnel with critical protections and authorities after 2014,” the secretary said. He also commended the efforts of Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of U.S. forces and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and other military leaders to provide flexibility to the president as the United States works to determine the future of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

"As the United States military continues to move people and equipment out of the Afghan theater, our force posture over the next several months will provide various options for political leaders in the United States and NATO,” Hagel said in his statement. “And during this time, DOD will still continue planning for U.S. participation in a NATO-led mission focused on training, advising, and assisting Afghan security forces, as well as a narrowly focused counterterrorism mission.”
The United States will consult closely with NATO allies and ISAF partners in the months ahead, he added, noting that he looks forward to discussing U.S. planning with NATO and ISAF defense ministers in Brussels this week.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL DISCUSSED AFFECTS OF BUDGET

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Outlines Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed cuts in military spending that include further reductions in troop strength and force structure in every military service in the coming year as part of an effort to prioritize U.S. strategic interests in the face of reduced resources after more than a decade of war.

At a Pentagon news conference today detailing President Barack Obama’s proposed Pentagon budget for fiscal year 2015, Hagel called the reductions -- including shrinking the Army to its smallest size since before World War II and eliminating an entire fleet of Air Force fighter planes -- “difficult choices” that will change defense institutions for years to come, but designed to leave the military capable of fulfilling U.S. defense strategy and defending the homeland against strategic threats.

Under a Pentagon budget that will shrink by more than $75 billion over the next two years -- with deeper cuts expected if sequestration returns in fiscal year 2016 -- Hagel and other senior defense and military officials acknowledged that some of the budget choices will create additional risks in certain areas.

Some of that risk, Hagel said, is associated with a sharp drawdown in the size of the Army, which the proposed budget calls for reducing to as low as 440,000 active duty soldiers from the current size of 520,000, while ensuring the force remains well trained and equipped.

The cuts assume the United States no longer becomes involved in large, prolonged stability operations overseas on the scale of Iraq and Afghanistan. “An Army of this size is larger than required to meet the demands of our defense strategy,” Hagel said. “It is also larger than we can afford to modernize and keep ready.” But he said the smaller force still would be capable of decisively defeating aggression in one major war “while also defending the homeland and supporting air and naval forces engaged in another theater against an adversary.”

The budget request calls for special operations forces to grow by nearly 4,000 personnel, bringing the total to 69,700, a reflection of the asymmetrical threats the nation is likely to face in the future, Hagel said.

The restructuring and downsizing are in line with a two-year budget agreement that the president and Congress worked out in December, which limits defense spending to $496 billion. But Hagel warned today that if the budget for fiscal year 2016 returns to the steep, automatic spending cuts imposed by sequestration, “we would be gambling that our military will not be required to respond to multiple major contingencies at the same time.”

Asked to define that increased risk, a senior Defense Department official expressed it simply. “If the force is smaller, there’s less margin for error,” the official said. “Let’s face it -- things are pretty uncertain out there.”

The proposed budget also envisions a 5-percent reduction in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. “While it is true that reserve units are less expensive when they are not mobilized, our analysis shows that a reserve unit is roughly the same cost as an active duty unit when mobilized and deployed,” Hagel said.
In addition, the Army Guard’s Apache attack helicopters would be transferred to the active force, while Black Hawk helicopters would be transferred to the National Guard, part of a broader realignment of Army aviation designed to modernize the fleet and increase capability.

Within the Air Force, the defense budget calls for saving $3.5 billion by retiring the A-10 fleet and replacing it with the F-35 by the early 2020s.

“The A-10 is a 40-year old, single-purpose airplane originally designed to kill enemy tanks on a Cold War battlefield,” Hagel said. “It cannot survive or operate effectively where there are more advanced aircraft or air defenses.” In addition, the service also will retire the 50 year-old U-2 surveillance plane in favor of the unmanned Global Hawk.

Hagel warned that much deeper cuts in Air Force structure and modernization will be necessary if sequestration is not avoided in 2016.
Among other proposals in the budget request:

-- The Army will cancel the Ground Combat Vehicle program;

-- The Navy would be able to maintain 11 carrier strike groups, but any steep future cuts could require mothballing the aircraft carrier USS George Washington;

-- Half of the Navy’s cruiser fleet, 11 ships, will be placed in reduced operating status while they are modernized and given a longer lifespan;

-- The Navy will continue buying two destroyers and attack submarines per year;
-- The Marine Corps will draw down from about 190,000 to 182,000, but would have to shrink further if sequestration returns;

-- An additional 900 Marines will be devoted to securing U.S. embassies;
and
-- The Defense Department is asking Congress for another round of base closings and realignments in 2017.

Hagel said most of the recommendations in the budget were accepted by senior military officers. Addressing reporters alongside him, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the spending plan reflects a balancing of the military while ensuring it remains the world’s finest.

“It reflects in real terms how we’re reducing our cost and making sure the force is in the right balance,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey and Hagel will testify on the budget before Congress next week. Lawmakers will have the final say on spending decisions.

“This is the first time in 13 years we will be presenting a budget to Congress that is not a war footing budget,” Hagel noted.

READOUT: DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL'S MEETING WITH CANADIAN MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE ROB NICHOLSON

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting With Canadian Minister of National Defense Rob Nicholson

This afternoon in Brussels, Secretary Hagel met with Canadian Minister of National Defense Rob Nicholson.  This was their first in-person meeting since Minister Nicholson assumed his new role.

Secretary Hagel emphasized the importance he places on U.S.-Canadian defense cooperation, and thanked Canada for being a strong ally, friend and neighbor.  They discussed the important work of NORAD, our close security cooperation in the Western Hemisphere and beyond, as well as the importance of investing in NATO and continuing with NATO reform efforts.

Secretary Hagel thanked the minister for Canada's support for the international effort in Afghanistan, and they discussed the progress being made in the mission there, as well as the challenges that remain.

Secretary Hagel said he looks forward to making his first visit to Canada in his capacity as secretary of defense next month, when he will participate in the Halifax Security Forum.

READOUT: DEFENSE SECTARY HAGEL'S MEETING WITH AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE DAVID JOHNSTON

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting With Australian Minister of Defense David Johnston

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:

Secretary Hagel met with Australian Minister of Defense David Johnston this morning at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.  This was their first face-to-face meeting since Minister Johnston recently assumed his new position in the Australian Government.

Secretary Hagel reaffirmed the strong U.S.-Australia alliance, the importance of deepening U.S.-Australian defense cooperation across a range of security challenges, and the value of the rotational U.S. military presence in Australia.

The secretary expressed deep appreciation for Australia's contributions to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, and is looking forward to next month's Australia-United States Ministerial Consultation (AUSMIN) in Washington.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL APPOINTS PAUL M. LEWIS FOR CLOSURE OF GUANTANAMO FACILITY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Appoints Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today announced the appointment of Paul M. Lewis as special envoy for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The announcement reflects the Defense Department's commitment to implementing President Barack Obama's directive to close the facility, Pentagon officials said.

Lewis brings experience from his previous position as the minority general counsel of the House Armed Services Committee, where he oversaw Guantanamo-related issues, officials said. In addition to facilitating transfer determinations for Guantanamo detainees, he will oversee efforts to transfer third-country nationals currently being held by the United States in Afghanistan, they added.

He also has served as the general counsel for the House Armed Services Committee, and previously served in the Office of Legislative Counsel in the Defense Department general counsel's office, where he became the director. Before his Defense Department appointment, he was the counsel to the chairman of the House Ethics Committee and a senior counsel for the House Armed Services Committee.

Lewis will begin his work at the Pentagon on Nov. 1.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL SAYS MOST DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CIVILIANS RECALLED FROM FURLOUGHS

Hagel Announces Recall of Most Defense Department Civilians
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today he is recalling most of the Defense Department civilians who were placed on furlough as a result of the government shutdown which began Oct. 1.



"Today, I am announcing that most DOD civilians placed on emergency furlough during the government shutdown will be asked to return to work beginning next week," he said.



"Immediately after President [Barack] Obama signed the Pay Our Military Act into law, I directed DOD's acting general counsel to determine whether we could reduce the number of civilian personnel furloughed due to the shutdown," Hagel said.



The Defense Department, he said, consulted closely with the Department of Justice, which expressed its view that the law does not permit a blanket recall of all civilians.



"However, DOD and DOJ attorneys concluded that the law does allow the Department of Defense to eliminate furloughs for employees whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of service members," Hagel said.



"Consequently, I am now directing the military departments and other DOD components to move expeditiously to identify all employees whose activities fall under these categories," he said.



Hagel noted he expects the military departments to be able to "significantly reduce – but not eliminate – civilian furloughs under this process."



"Employees can expect to hear more information from their managers starting this weekend," he added.



The defense secretary said the department has tried to "exempt as many DOD civilian personnel as possible" from furloughs, and will continue to try to bring all civilian employees back to work as soon as possible.



"Ultimately, the surest way to end these damaging and irresponsible furloughs, and to enable us to fulfill our mission as a department, is for Congress to pass a budget and restore funds for the entire federal government," Hagel said.



"This has been a very disruptive year for our people – including active duty, National Guard and reserve personnel, and DOD civilians and contractors," he said. "Many important activities remain curtailed while the shutdown goes on."

Civilians under furlough, Hagel said, face the uncertainty of not knowing when they will receive their next paycheck.



"I strongly support efforts in Congress to enact legislation to retroactively compensate all furloughed employees," he said.



"And I will continue to urge Congress to fulfill its basic responsibilities to pass a budget and restore full funding for the Department of Defense and the rest of the government," Hagel said.

U.S. MILITARY SAYS IT IS READY TO BACK UP DIPLOMACY WITH SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Military Assets Ready to Back Up Diplomatic Push With Syria
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 - U.S. military assets remain ready to launch attacks if the diplomatic efforts to secure and dismantle the Syrian regime's chemical arms should fail, senior defense officials said here today.

In a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military role today is limited.

"The current role of the military is to provide some planning assistance to the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons ... who has the lead, and as well as to maintain the credible threat of force, should the diplomatic track fail," Dempsey said.

The chairman said he believes forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar Assad have maintained control of the regime's chemical weapons. The environment inside Syria is "very challenging," he added.

Still, Dempsey said, he believes it is possible for the international community to work in the country.

"So long as [Syrian leaders] agree to the framework, which causes them to be responsible for the security, the movement, the protection of the investigators or the inspectors, then I think that ... it is feasible," Dempsey said. "But we've got to make sure we keep our eye on all of those things."

The chairman acknowledged that disposing of chemical weapons is a complicated task.

"The framework calls for it to be controlled, destroyed or moved," he said. "In some combination, it is feasible, but those details will have to be worked by the OPCW."

Overall, the conflict in Syria ebbs and flows, the chairman said, and rebel groups in the country are concerned that the focus on chemical weapons will detract from the willingness of partners to support them.

"But ... in terms of direct threats to U.S. interests, I think ... that the elimination of the Assad regime's chemical capability is right at the top of our national interests," Dempsey added. "If this process bears fruit and achieves its stated purpose, we will be in a better position."

PRESIDENT OBAMA REVIEWS INTERAGENCY COUNTERTERRORISM PLANS WITH OFFICIALS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Obama Reviews Interagency Counterterrorism Plans
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2013 - President Barack Obama met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other officials tuesday to review interagency counterterrorism planning on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Before that meeting, Little added, senior military planners briefed Hagel on the Defense Department's worldwide security posture.

In close coordination with the State Department, the Defense Department has undertaken a number of efforts over the past year to increase security planning at U.S. embassies and installations around the world, including augmenting the role U.S. Marine security guards play in certain situations, the press secretary said in a statement.

"The Department of Defense has also developed, trained, and sustained, innovative force options, both at sea and at U.S. bases in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East," he said. "These forces are operating at a high state of readiness and are complemented by air assets and other platforms that can help respond to a variety of contingencies."

Hagel thanked Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the Joint Staff and combatant commands, for working closely with one another to support efforts across areas of responsibility, the press secretary said. The secretary also offered his appreciation to "the men and women standing watch on this day and every day around the world," he added.

A White House statement issued after the meeting said the national security team is taking measures to prevent 9/11-related attacks and to ensure the protection of Americans and U.S. facilities abroad.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL CALLS EGYPT'S DEFENSE MINISTER REGARDING SYRIAN SITUATION

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Discusses Security With Egypt's Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi yesterday to discuss the U.S.-Egyptian security relationship, the current security situation in Egypt and progress on the political roadmap, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

In a statement summarizing the call, Little said the Egyptian defense leader updated Hagel on security developments, including the Sinai Peninsula, and stressed the importance of the U.S.-Egyptian partnership against violent extremists.

Hagel acknowledged Egyptian accomplishments in providing security in the Sinai and declared that the United States stands with Egypt and all nations against terrorism worldwide, the press secretary said.

The two defense leaders also discussed the situation in Syria and its implications for security and stability in the region, Little said, and Hagel expressed appreciation for the defense minister's insights.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL MAKES ANOTHER VISIT TO ASIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Growing Engagement, Cooperation Mark Hagel's Second Asia Visit
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

HONOLULU, Aug. 23, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived here yesterday on the first leg of a trip to the Asia-Pacific region to meet with counterparts and leaders from several countries and to attend a defense ministers meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
This is the secretary's second trip to the region since June.

Before visiting Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines in the days ahead, Hagel stopped at Marine Corps Base Hawaii-Kaneohe Bay here to thank 200 Marines and sailors for their service to the nation and to honor their part in President Barack Obama's strategic U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

"This rebalance is not only about our security interests in this area, it's about a partnership of prosperity for this region of the world -- over 6 billion global citizens today," the secretary said.

Threats that confront the world today are not unique to a region, a country, a religion or an ethnic group, he added. The threats are universal and they make alliances even more important than they have been in the past.

"You are all part of it," Hagel told the Marines and sailors. "You are at the front end, ... the cutting edge, ... and what you do and how you do it is particularly important as to how the world sees America and how they view our ... intentions."

On Aug. 25 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a senior defense official said, Hagel will meet with his recently appointed counterpart, Defense Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. Hagel first met with Hishammuddin in June at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. During the meeting, both leaders emphasized the importance of working bilaterally and multilaterally toward greater stability in Southeast Asia. They also discussed cyber issues and transnational threats.

"Malaysia-U.S. defense ties have dramatically improved over the last several years," the defense official said. "We're doing a lot more cooperative activity, [and] we're doing a lot more together. This is an opportunity for them to really touch base on the bilateral defense relationship and see where we're headed in the years ahead."

Hagel also will meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to discuss overall defense relations and regional issues, including Hagel's recent consultations with Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Chang Wanquan, "which I think will be of great interest throughout the region," the defense official said.

Later in the week, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Hagel will meet with his Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, whom the secretary also met with during the Shangri-La Dialogue. There, they reaffirmed the importance of deepening ties in support of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, an initiative of Presidents Barack Obama and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono calling for closer ties between the two governments and societies.

In Singapore, the defense leaders also reviewed progress made in recent years to increase exercises, training and regular defense policy dialogues.

"With Indonesia, we also have a significant increase in defense cooperation over the last several years," the senior defense official said.

From Sept. 5 to Sept. 13, the United States and Indonesia will co-chair a counterterrorism ground exercise agreed upon by the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting plus eight countries, or ADMM Plus, the defense official said.

ASEAN was formed in 1967. Its 10 member states are Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Defense ministers from these nations are attendees of the annual ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, or ADMM. The ADMM-Plus is made up of the 10 ASEAN members and its eight dialogue partners: the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand and Russia.

In Jakarta, Hagel will meet with Yudhoyono, a respected leader with great influence in the region, the defense official said. "He's entering his last year in office," the official added, "so it's a nice opportunity to thank Indonesia for a lot of tremendous cooperation over the last several years."

The ADMM Plus meeting begins Aug. 28 in Brunei. This is only the second time the full 18-member ADMM Plus ministerial meeting will be held, and another senior defense official said it's important for the United States to be there for two reasons.

The first, he said, the forum is proving to be extremely action focused.

"The ADMM countries have three multilateral exercises this year, [and] one of our focuses in the rebalance to Asia is shifting from a history of almost [all] bilateral engagements to do more multilateral engagements, to do more with groups of countries to meet common challenges," he said. "ADMM is giving us a very good way to do that."

Brunei recently hosted a major humanitarian assistance-disaster response-military medicine exercise that included all 18 of the countries that will be at the ADMM Plus meeting, the official said, and will involve more than 3,000 personnel.

"We see those as part of the wave of the future -- how common challenges are going to be handled in this region," he explained. "So being at ADMM is an opportunity to continue focusing with this group of countries on doing those kinds of action-oriented [activities] on the defense side."

The second reason, the official said, is that ADMM offers a good opportunity to engage with partners all in one place.

"The secretary will be able to have bilateral engagements ... [and] he'll also see a few other of his ministerial counterparts for short side meetings," the official said.

After the ADMM Plus meeting, the secretary's final stop will be Manila in the Philippines.

There, Hagel will talk with President Benigno S. Aquino III, Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin and Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario about ongoing negotiations for a framework agreement that would allow U.S. forces to operate on Philippine military bases and in Philippine territory and waters to help build Philippine armed forces capacity in maritime security and maritime domain awareness.

"The negotiations just got underway a week ago and will be ongoing for some time," the defense official said.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL AND GEORGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ALASANIA MEET AT PENTAGON

FROM;  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel, Georgian Defense Minister Meet at Pentagon
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met at the Pentagon yesterday with Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
"Secretary Hagel praised Georgia's efforts to enhance civilian oversight of the armed forces, as these actions are a strong example of democratic progress through defense reform," he said.

Hagel expressed U.S. support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, Little said, and highlighted its holding fair elections and continuing to consolidate democratic gains as effective measures to advance those efforts.

The two leaders agreed to continue to broaden U.S.-Georgian defense cooperation, he added.

READOUT OF SECRETARY HAGEL'S MEETING WITH GEORGIA'S MINISTER OF DEFENSE ALASANIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting With Georgia's Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania

           Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:

           "Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania met today at the Pentagon.

           "Secretary Hagel acknowledged Georgia's continuing contribution to International Security Assistance Force, and thanked Minister Alasania for the sacrifices Georgia's soldiers and their families are making.

           "Secretary Hagel praised Georgia's efforts to enhance civilian oversight of the armed forces, as these actions are a strong example of democratic progress through defense reform.

           "Secretary Hagel expressed United States support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, and highlighted its holding fair elections and continuing to consolidate democratic gains as effective measures to advance those efforts.

"The two leaders agreed to continue to broaden United States-Georgian defense cooperation."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL ISSUES MESSAGE REGARDING INDEPENDENCE DAY

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Hagel Issues Independence Day Message
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2013 - In his Independence Day message issued today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked U.S. troops and their families for their service to the nation.

Here is the text of the secretary's message:

On this Independence Day, I want to express my appreciation to the men and women and their families who serve our country across the nation and around the world. Thank you for everything you do to help keep our nation safe.

It's been 237 years since a small band of patriots signed the Declaration of Independence, in which they pledged their lives and their sacred honor to defend our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since then, generations of Americans have made that same pledge, boldly standing up in the face of tyranny, oppression, and persecution.

That legacy lives on today. This week marked the 40th anniversary of the all-volunteer force, a symbol of how our brave men and women in uniform continue to protect the freedoms declared by our founding fathers more than two centuries ago. Their devotion to duty is just as strong, as is their willingness to risk their lives for each other and our country. And their dedication is a reminder that the preservation of America's liberties does not come without cost.

Those who serve in our armed forces, and their families, have given much in the name of defending the ideals and free institutions we often take for granted. Today, as we celebrate our nation's birth, let us honor their dutiful service and strive to be worthy of their tremendous sacrifices.

God bless you, our great nation, and all who serve to protect it. Happy Fourth of July!

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL MEETS WITH CROWN PRINCE KHALIFA OF BAHRAIN



Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomes Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa to the Pentagon, June 7, 2013. The two leaders met to discuss matters of mutual concern. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel, Bahraini Crown Prince Meet at Pentagon
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 7, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with Bahraini Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa at the Pentagon today, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Little said Hagel underscored the importance of the defense relationship, which is the foundation of the nearly seven-decade U.S.-Bahrain bilateral partnership.

Hagel also thanked Crown Prince Salman for Bahrain's hosting of U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters and support to thousands of Department of Defense personnel and their families deployed to Bahrain, Little said.

Hagel congratulated the crown prince on his appointment as first deputy prime minister and indicated he looked forward to working with the crown prince in his new capacity to expand cooperation between the two nations, Little said.

Hagel and the crown prince discussed numerous regional security issues including the crisis in Syria, he added.

The secretary made clear U.S. support for Bahrain's security and stability and noted that meaningful and sustained political reform and respect for all citizens' rights is the only way to achieve a durable and stable Bahrain, Little said.

To that end, the secretary commended King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa's calling of the national dialogue and urged all sides to continue constructive dialogue to realize a political solution, Little said.

Hagel concluded the meeting by affirming support for the crown prince and his work in advancing reform and dialogue in Bahrain, Little said.