CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS DISCUSSES DEFENSE WITH ISRAELI LEADERS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Dempsey, Israeli Leaders Discuss Defense Cooperation
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 9, 2015 – Discussing threats from Iran or the vicious actions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has a different resonance when the conversation is in Israel rather than the United States, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said here today.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed these threats and the state of the military-to-military relationship between the United States and Israel during meetings at the Kyria, the headquarters for Israel’s defense establishment.

The proximity of the threat changes the conversation, Dempsey said. “My first visit to Israel happened to be in Tel Aviv in late 2011,” the chairman told reporters traveling with him. “Then-chief of defense [Lt. Gen.] Benny Gantz took me to a hotel in central Tel Aviv, and we had dinner on the roof -- on a helipad. He took me there purposely. He said ‘Look around you. From this roof, you can see 65 percent of the population of Israel.’

“His message to me,” the chairman continued, “was that was why he needed our help to build and thicken an integrated air/missile defense system, because of the threat of rockets and missiles not only from Gaza, but even more prominently from Lebanon and potentially … from Iran.”

Huge Investments

U.S. and Israeli military officials went to work, the chairman said. Since then, both nations have made huge investments in the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and the Arrow air defense systems.

“We’ve really developed a fully integrated air defense system like nowhere else in the world,” the chairman said. “We also built a fusion center in southern Israel for command and control. We’ve exercised it, and as a result, when the issue occurred in Gaza last year they were very skilled in integrating their air and missile defense system.”

The United States has committed to sustain the system and to “thicken” it, because the threat is increasing, not decreasing, he said.

Army Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, the commander in chief of the Israel Defense Force, hosted Dempsey. The chairman also met with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe “Boogie” Yaalon.

Firm Commitment

Dempsey told the Israeli leaders that America’s commitment to Israel is firm, and that the cooperation between the two militaries is rock solid. “The purpose of the visit is transitional,” the chairman said. “We’ve really solidified our relationship of the last few years in the face of increasing disorder around Israel.”

Syria has disintegrated, and Iran and its proxies threaten Israel. An Israeli military official, speaking on background, called Iran the greatest danger to his nation.

Israelis are worried about what effect a deal with Iran to curtail its nuclear ambitions will have on the region. “Regarding Iran, if there is a nuclear deal with Iran, we have work to do,” Dempsey said. “If there is no deal with Iran, we have work to do.”

If there is a deal, he explained, this does not let Iran off the hook for its other malign activities in the region. Iran is proliferating ballistic missile technology, it is trafficking weapons in the region, and it is operating throughout the region via surrogates and proxies, the chairman said. Iranian moves with naval mines and undersea activities are another concern, Dempsey said, as is Iran’s threat in cyberspace.

Partners Want Assurances

American partners in the region want to be reassured that if there is a nuclear deal, then the United States won’t ignore these other activities, he said. “We’re clear-eyed about the risks that Iran poses to the region,” the chairman added, “and we will work with those partners to address those risks.”

Dempsey said he also spoke with Israeli officials about maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region and in pursuing a quantitative military edge.

Qualitative and Quantitative Military Edge

“As regional groups and partners increase their capabilities,” he said, “the Israelis, naturally, are going to want have discussions with us about how to maintain not only a qualitative military edge, but a quantitative military edge.”

In response to the Iranian threat, nations in the region are growing their air forces, ground forces and maritime forces.

“Israel wants to be sure we are not just helping them on the qualitative side, but also attuned to the fact that while we encourage our Gulf partners to build capability to offset Iran and these substate actors like ISIL -- that they don’t grow so much in size that they become an overmatch in the region,” Dempsey said.

Israel will be the only country in the region with the F-35 Lighting II joint strike fighter, he noted, and that will give them a qualitative advantage. Still, the chairman said, he reassured Israeli officials that the United States is attuned to their concerns and will work with them on mitigating any risk to them.

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.”

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."

U.S. FOCUSES MILITARY EFFORTS IN IRAQ SAYS DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters at the Pentagon, July 3, 2014. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton   
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2014 – U.S. military efforts in Iraq are focusing on securing the American Embassy and personnel in Baghdad, assessing the situation in the country and advising Iraqi security forces, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey briefed the Pentagon press corps, focusing on the U.S. mission and role in Iraq.
Both are important components of President Barack Obama’s strategy in Iraq, the secretary said, which involves supporting Iraqi forces and helping Iraq's leaders resolve the political crisis that enabled the advance of the armed militant extremist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

“By reinforcing security at the U.S. embassy [and] its support facilities at Baghdad International Airport, we're helping provide our diplomats time and space to work with Sunni, Kurd and Shia political leaders as they attempt to form a new inclusive national unity government,” Hagel told reporters.

By better understanding conditions on the ground and the capabilities of Iraqi security forces, he added, “we'll be better able to help advise them as they combat ISIL forces inside their own country.”

About 200 U.S. military advisers are on the ground in Iraq, said Hagel, noting that the United States, with Iraqi assistance, has established a joint operations center in Baghdad.

“We have personnel on the ground in Erbil where our second joint operations center has achieved initial operating capability … [and] assessment teams are evaluating the capabilities and cohesiveness of Iraqi forces,” the secretary said.
The six U.S. assessment teams are focusing on questions such as the strength and cohesion of the Iraqi security forces, the strength and locations of ISIL, how deeply embedded they are, how each component fits into the larger sectarian dynamic at play in the country, the process of forming a new government in the country, and other material issues, Hagel added.

“Both the chairman and I are getting some assessments back, early assessments, through [U.S. Central Command Commander Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III] who is overseeing all of this,” the secretary said. “We won't have the full complement of all those assessments for a while but that is ongoing.”

The teams in Iraq today have one mission and that is assessments, he added.
“I don't know what the assessments are going to come back and say or what they would recommend. We'll wait to see what that is and what Gen. Austin and Gen. Dempsey then recommend,” the secretary said.

“None of these troops are performing combat missions. None will perform combat missions,” Hagel said.

“The situation in Iraq … is complex and fluid. But there's no exclusively military solution to the threats posed by ISIL,” he added. “Our approach is deliberate and flexible. It is designed to bolster our diplomatic efforts and support the Iraqi people. We will remain prepared to protect our people and our interests in Iraq.”
As most Americans enjoy the Fourth of July holiday weekend, service members around the world, especially in the Middle East, will stay postured and ready for any contingency in that region, the secretary told reporters.

“As we celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, I want to particularly express my gratitude to the men and women and their families who serve our nation at home and abroad, both civilian and in uniform,” Hagel said.

“I thank you all for what you do to keep our country safe every day,” he added.

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.

U.S. COMMANDER OF JOINT CHIEFS MEETS WITH GERMAN COMMANDERS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Dempsey Praises Afghan Campaign Plan, Meets German Commanders
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, July 21, 2013 - The clarity of the International Security Assistance Force campaign in Afghanistan is impressive, the top U.S. military leader said here today, and that is a tribute to leaders at all levels.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with U.S. and allied personnel at the German-led headquarters of Regional Command-North here today.

German army Maj. Gen. Jorg Vollmer escorted Dempsey and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, commander of ISAF Joint Command, as they visited the base.

Following a lunch meeting with German and American troops, the chairman told them they are united in a common purpose and are on track to accomplish the mission. There are 2,000 U.S. troops and 8,000 service members from 17 NATO and partner nations in Regional Command-North.

Vollmer briefed Dempsey on the situation throughout the northern Afghan provinces of Badakhshan, Baghlan, Balkh, Faryab, Jowzjan, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e Pul and Takhar. "It's a chance for me to learn what's going well and what's not," the chairman said during his lunch with the troops. It was Dempsey's first visit to the regional command since 2007, he said.

NATO and partner nations are heavily involved with training and advising Afghan National Army forces, Afghan uniformed police and Afghan local police. Dempsey, Milley and Vollmer discussed operations through the end of 2014, which is when the NATO mission in Afghanistan expires, and the retrograde movement out of the country.

Officials speaking on background said one theme of the meeting involved the Afghan elections and the retrograde movement of NATO and allied personnel and equipment from the country.

The U.S. will maintain more than 60,000 troops in Afghanistan through this year's fighting season. That number will drop to 34,000 by February 2014, and will remain there through Afghanistan's national elections, scheduled for April 5.

U.S. forces will make up a bit more than half of the NATO and partner forces in Afghanistan for the election. And NATO has agreed to keep the number of troops in Afghanistan at 60,000 for 90 days after the election.

If Afghan officials move the elections to later in the year, it would become difficult for the U.S., NATO and partner nations to meet the retrograde timeline, the official said. "There is physics involved with this," the official added.

All NATO and partner nations are anticipating the U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Security Agreement, officials said. The agreement will provide the basis for the follow-on mission, which NATO has named Resolute Support. Once the United States and Afghan leaders ink a pact, which will include legal protections for American service members, NATO will follow suit.

This will mean the number of NATO personnel training and advising Afghan forces will be known and make the retrograde movement somewhat easier, officials said.

Following his meetings, Dempsey moved to gatherings with American, German and Swedish soldiers and airmen.

Mazar-i-Sharif now hosts U.S. Air Force personnel involved with flying and maintaining KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft. They are part of a group based at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan.

"Since I've become chairman I've learned so much about what things make our military the most agile military in the world," Dempsey told the airmen.

"Among those is our ability to establish air bridges for that global reach that literally no one else has." The chairman thanked the airmen for their service, commitment and sacrifices, and asked that they pass his thanks on to their families as well.

Dempsey also met with American and Swedish medevac crews and toured a German HH-90 medevac helicopter. A planned aerial tour to other bases around the area had to be scrubbed because of dust and high winds.

Dempsey will continue his meetings in country tomorrow.

TOP U.S. MILITARY LEADERS TELL SENATORS COMMANDERS SHOULD HAVE PROSECUTION AUTHORITY IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Commanders Should Retain Prosecution Authority, Leaders Say
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2013 - The nation's top military leaders told senators today that commanders should retain responsibility for prosecuting service members accused of sexual assault.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., the vice chairman, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that taking that authority away could harm good order and discipline.

Dempsey and Winnefeld are under Senate consideration for second two-year terms in their posts.

Keeping commanders in the process ensures there is an active deterrent to the crime, Winnefeld said. "Somebody who is contemplating a sexual assault knows that they're going to be caught, that they're going to be prosecuted, and if they're prosecuted, they're going to be punished," he said. "It's our strong view that the commander is responsible for that."

Dempsey told the senators that Army officials have looked at the numbers on sexual assault prosecutions over the past two years and found 35 cases in which civilian district attorneys refused to take sexual assault cases to court.

"And the chain of command in the military insisted that the case be taken inside the military chain of command," he said.

Of those cases, 25 resulted in a court-martial conviction.

"That's a 71 percent conviction rate," the chairman said. The civilian rate is between 18 and 22 percent.

Dempsey stressed that this was done because commanders insisted on taking these cases. "I worry that if we turn this over to somebody else, whether it's a civilian DA or an entity in the military, that they're going to make the same kind of decisions that those civilian prosecutors make," he said.

Commanders must be responsible for ensuring the command climate does not tolerate sexual assault in any manner, Winnefeld said.

"It's about teaching people what a heinous crime this is," he added. "It's about reporting it if you see it. It's about intervening if you see it about to happen -- a whole host of measures that commanders must take to establish the climate inside their commands."

The Marine Corps also had examples similar to the Army, the admiral said. The Marine Corps went back to 2010 and found 28 cases in which civilian prosecutors declined to take the case.

"Of those, 16 of them, the Marine Corps was able to obtain a conviction of court-martial -- 57 percent," Winnefeld said. "So those are 16 perpetrators that are no longer walking the street and 16 victims who received justice who would not have received it otherwise."

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS BEGINS MEMORIAL WEEKEND WITH TAPS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMET OF DEFENSE

Dempsey Kicks off Memorial Day Weekend with TAPS Families
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2013 - The nation's highest-ranking military officer told his audience today at the Crystal City Marriott here that as "The Star-Spangled Banner" plays across the United States this Memorial Day weekend, it will be uniquely their song.

"You're the ones that sacrificed so we can play that national anthem," he said.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deedee Dempsey, spent time today with the estimated 2,200 participants gathered here this weekend for the annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp. TAPS is an organization for families of service members who died in combat, by suicide, in training or from sudden illness.

"It must be something extraordinary for you to listen to the national anthem, because no one has had the experience of being handed a folded flag," the chairman said. "You have. And those of us who haven't experienced that don't know, really, what that -- I can't even conceive of what it must be like."

Dempsey told the adult audience he addressed today -- he also spoke separately to the children -- that he and Deedee build their Memorial Day weekend calendar around the seminar "because I find you to be an incredibly inspirational group."

Hundreds of red-T-shirted men and women gathered in the hotel's ballroom to listen to the general. The red T-shirts are for TAPS members, but some also had "peer mentor" or "volunteer" written on the back. White T-shirts, for staff members, dotted the room. Outside, the TAPS children assembled for their own time with the chairman.

Each child was accompanied by a blue-T-shirted mentor. Mentors, according to TAPS guidelines, must be current service members or recent veterans and must have lost someone close to them.

The chairman said that while the sense of community in TAPS makes the seminar an event he and Deedee look forward to, it's also a sad occasion.

"You're here because you've suffered some incredible sadness and loss in your life," the chairman said. He added that unfortunately, the organization is likely to continue growing "for a while."

"Just before I came over here I signed nine letters of condolence to nine families who are recent members of your community," he said. "And I hope that at some point, when they're ready, they'll join you."

People who have lost a loved one need to be able to talk to others who understand some of what they've been through, Dempsey said.

"And that's you," he said. "I appreciate the fact that you're willing to come here, not just to get something, but to give something. That's really what makes this such a powerful gathering of men and women -- and children, actually."

The five-day event began May 22 with training and preparation, and culminates this weekend with activities including camps for younger and older children and workshops on topics from art therapy to "turning hurt into hope," for adults. The seminar also includes a run/walk, balloon release, sunset parade, Pentagon tour, baseball game and other activities. TAPS staffers pair children one-on-one with a mentor -– 500 for this seminar -- who will stay with them throughout the events.

Amy Neiberger-Miller, who handles the organization's publicity, explained the organization often seeks to pair children with a service member or veteran who has completed the organization's mentor training and has a similar occupation to the child's lost parent.

"If a child's father was a helicopter pilot, then we can match them with a mentor who is also [one], who can tell them what it's like to fly," she said. "Many come back here year after year, from very far away, to be here and support these children."

Dempsey left the ballroom full of adults, and soon after he went next door to another ballroom, where children of all ages and their mentors sat on the carpeted floor waiting for him. Among those still entering the room before the general arrived, much piggybacking and tickling could be observed.

Army Sgt. James Cunningham, now in the individual ready reserve and about to leave service, sat next to a 7- or 8-year-old boy he introduced as "Ro-ro." The two whispered and laughed and looked at a smartphone screen together while waiting for the chairman.

When Ro-ro wasn't paying attention, Cunningham quietly confided that while in the active Army, he had lost a friend to suicide, and later another to a suicide bomber.

"It goes on and on, unfortunately," he said.

The chairman sang "The Unicorn Song" at the top of the program for the younger children, and a version of Train's "[Not a] Drive By" for the older ones. Dempsey's version of the chorus to "Drive By" included:

"Oh I swear to you
We'll be there for you
This is not a drive-by
Just between us, nothing comes between us ..."

Several of the children took part in a question-and-answer period. Many chose to tell the chairman about the parent they had lost, mostly in Afghanistan.

One boy said, "He was at war once in Afghanistan. He really liked to play games with me and my brother ... then he had to go back to Afghanistan, and he died. I don't know how he died."

Dempsey left the children laughing, ready to keep singing. Minutes earlier, before he left the adult session, he had a final message for everyone in a red T-shirt.

The chairman said, "I promise you that despite all the complexities of life in Washington these days, and all the uncertainty about the future of our budget, and all the things that make headlines and make for good 24/7 news, that we will remember what's most important about our nation. And that is the care for soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, our veterans, and those who have lost their life in the service of our country and their families."

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS DISCUSSES AFGHANISTAN TRANSITION

 

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, talk before a NATO conference in Brussels, May 14, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

  FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey Discusses Transition to Post-ISAF Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, May 15, 2013 - The NATO chiefs of defense discussed what the post-2014 alliance presence in Afghanistan will look like and how it could work, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters after he'd attended two days of meetings that concluded today in Brussels.

Dempsey said the discussion about the post-2014 NATO presence in Afghanistan was lively and constructive.

There are a number of ways to structure the NATO presence that will remain in Afghanistan after the International Security Assistance Force mandate expires at the end of 2014. The NATO chiefs of defense looked at whether the alliance should take a regional approach to the train, advise and assist mission or should it be done at the institutional level, Dempsey said. At what level -- kandak, brigade, corps -- does it make sense to instruct? The need, he said, is different in different parts of the nation.

Each scenario has a different requirement for troops, equipment, bases and money. There are pros and cons for each and the chiefs will use these discussions to make recommendations to their civilian leaders. NATO defense ministers will gather in Brussels next month for their ministerial.

The defense chiefs heard from Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the commander of NATO ISAF and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and the new Supreme Allied Commander – Operations, Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, who also leads U.S. European Command.

Dunford discussed the progress Afghan forces are making. Very shortly, Afghan forces will be in the lead and ISAF will be in support.

"That doesn't mean we won't get into a fight alongside them, but it does mean they will have the principal responsibility for security," Dempsey said. "Sometime this summer, [Afghan] President [Hamid] Karzai will announce tranche 5 of the transition and that will be the one that takes the alliance through the end of 2014."

The Military Committee did receive a briefing on where the Afghan Army and police are doing well and where they need work. How good do the Afghan forces need to be is a question the chiefs must ask. The Afghan security forces don't need to be as good as the American military, they just have to possess the necessary skills to protect their people, the chairman said.

"In many places in Afghanistan they are 'good enough' today," Dempsey said. "There are gaps, but we have 18 months to close those gaps."

Earlier this year, the Taliban announced a great summer offensive -- something the Taliban say every year, he said.

"It is still harvest season in Afghanistan and I suspect we've not seen the height of this year's offensive," Dempsey said. "But this year, unlike years past, the offensive will be aimed at the ANSF not us, because, again, the Afghans will be in the lead."

This fact changes and undermines the Taliban's narrative, the general said.

"Their narrative has been they are fighting the western invader," he said. "This year, they will be fighting their own people."

The NATO chiefs were supposed to hear from Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He did not attend because of the elections in his country. Dempsey complimented Pakistan on the elections, which returned Nawaz Sharif as prime minister.

"I give a lot of credit to General Kayani and the Pakistan military for their behavior during the election, Dempsey said.

The chiefs also discussed ways to ensure NATO has the capabilities needed for the future.

"Just as our military is trying to think through how do we rekindle its capabilities across a broad spectrum of activities beyond COIN [counterinsurgency], the alliance is doing the same thing," he said.

Dempsey also attended the May 13 Allied Command – Operations change of command where Breedlove took command from Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, who is to retire..

Dempsey praised Stavridis for making the alliance more cohesive while still directing operations in Afghanistan, Libya and Kosovo.

The chairman welcomed Breedlove, noting that the Air Force pilot has had a number of tours in Europe and had many, many NATO wingmen.

"That is part of the benefit of our system where we immerse people in this important alliance," Dempsey said.

GENERAL DEMPSEY SAYS SEQUESTRATION NOT YET A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey: Sequestration Not Yet a National Security Threat
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 6, 2013 - Sequestration will have no effect on the drawdown in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.

"[Sequestration] is an avalanche, not a light switch," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in a roundtable discussion with members of the press traveling with him on his trip to Afghanistan.

The avalanche started March 1, he said, and is building momentum. "We're consuming readiness without building it, because we are taking the money that we would normally have used to build readiness of units that might deploy a year from now and we've had to apply it into our wartime operations," Dempsey said. Additionally, the chairman said, the department is supporting commitments on the Korean Peninsula and the Persian Gulf.

"When you fence that off and fully fund it -- and you have to fence it off, we've got young men and women out there in harm's way and they will always be fully funded -- when you do that, though, the risk you take begins to accrue," Dempsey said.

By 2014 the department will face medium-term problems in maintaining readiness, he said. "The problems we've got are multiplying and will multiply over time," Dempsey added.

"We will always do what we have to do to protect the nation and its interests," the chairman said. For example, he continued, the theater air defense system recently placed in Guam was costly, "but it never crossed our mind not to do it because we wanted to save the money."

"Money is not a factor when our national interests are threatened," he said, "but readiness is something that has to be sustained over time." The cost of requalifying certain service members, like pilots, due to interruptions to training can actually cost more than the training itself would have, the chairman noted.

"The one thing that I would never do -- and I know [Defense] Secretary [Chuck] Hagel feels the same way -- is we're never going to deploy a service man or woman who's not ready to deploy," he said.

"Sequestration is not a risk to our national security at present," the chairman said. " ... But the uncertainty does make us less efficient [and] it sends a very negative message to our men and women who serve."

The department will get through the readiness challenge, he said, but the next challenge could be retention. Service members won't stay in the military if they can't do their jobs, the chairman said.

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.

CHAIRMAN OFJOINT CHIEFS TRAVELS TO AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan.  Credit:  DOD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey Arrives in Afghanistan to Assess Progress
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 6, 2013 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey arrived here today for several meetings with coalition and Afghan leaders.

The trip to Afghanistan follows on the heels of the U.S. Africa Command change of command the chairman attended yesterday, and Dempsey noted yesterday to reporters traveling with him that transitions are at the heart of both visits.

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford assumed command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force about 60 days ago, the chairman said. He added that he plans to "review the campaign" with Dunford.

"He had a good, full 30-day transition period with [Gen.] John Allen," Dempsey said, but commanders want to get out and talk to their junior leaders to assess whether command intent is reaching them.

"One of the things I'm going to ask [Dunford], is ... what have you learned. If he tells me 'Nothing,' I'm going to say, 'Maybe we got the wrong guy,'" Dempsey said.

Dempsey will meet with senior military and civilian leaders, including Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command; James B. Cunningham, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, commander of Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435.

The chairman will also meet with his counterpart, Afghan Army Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi.

As the transition to an Afghan-secured Afghanistan progresses, several provinces have developed spontaneous anti-Taliban movements, a development the chairman said he finds encouraging.

"If this becomes our program, it won't work," he said. The power of such movements lies in the fact that they are generated and led by Afghans, the chairman added.

Taliban efforts at reconciliation with the Afghan government are a sign of progress, he said. A post-ISAF Afghanistan can't be the Afghanistan of 1990, Dempsey added.

There is more than one type of Taliban, Dempsey said, and while s small group may be unreconcilable, those that aren't could become part of the political system.

"Any conflict in history, when it is resolved, is resolved through some form of reconciliation," the chairman said. "I support the effort to try ... through the Afghans to encourage them to take reconciliation as an important line of effort."

FAREWILL TO LEON PANETTA AFTER FIVE DECADES OF PUBLIC SERVICE

President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, joined by Sylvia Panetta, review troops during the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Secretary Panetta, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson in Arlington, Va., Feb. 8, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta Reflects on His Public Service During Farewell Tribute
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2013 - Retiring Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta expressed his gratitude today for all those he served with through five decades of public service to the nation during his farewell ceremony here.

The Armed Forces Farewell tribute, hosted by President Barack Obama, and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, drew a distinguished audience of current and former military and government leaders as Panetta reflected on his career.

"It's been 50 years of public service, and I ... will always cherish the deep and lasting friendships that I've made here in Washington," Panetta said. "I'm extremely grateful that so many of those friends could be here this afternoon."

"I have spent a long time in this town," he said. "As the son of immigrants ... I have truly lived the American dream. Being an Italian-American in Congress, at senior levels in the executive branch, has been for me a very unique experience."

Panetta said he is still impressed by the sight of the Capitol and the White House at night, calling it a "very special experience." He thanked the president for giving him a chance to lead the Defense Department.

"Mr. President, I want to express my deepest thanks to you for the opportunity to serve this country again as a member of your administration," he said.

"It has been a tremendous honor and a tremendous privilege these past four years, and especially now as the 23rd secretary of defense," Panetta said.

"I hope that in some small way I have helped to fulfill the dream of my parents, the dream that they wanted and the dream that all of us want, of giving our children a better life," he said.

Panetta recalled some of the proudest moments of his career and some of the experiences and memories he will cherish.

"I will never forget the pride and exhilaration when I walked out of the White House after the president announced the success of the bin Laden operation," he said.

"I could hear the chants of those people who were gathered around the White House and in Lafayette Park yelling, 'USA, USA,'" Panetta said. "Thank you, Mr. President, for your strong support in what was a very tough decision. The memory of that operation and the team that helped put it together, both the intelligence team and the military team, will be with me forever."

The defense secretary said he'll remember visiting deployed troops on bases around the world, and "looking into the eyes of brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day for this country."

Panetta cited moments where he honored veterans of past wars, and was inspired by wounded warriors returning home from war.

"I'll always remember the moments of grief, when this nation has rendered final honors to our fallen heroes and when we've had to comfort their families," he said.

"Writing notes of condolence to those families who have lost loved ones has been for me one of my toughest jobs," Panetta said. These moments of selflessness, courage and sacrifice, and heroism provide optimism and a renewed sense of pride in our country.

Panetta said he would have "no greater honor" in his life than leading the men and women of the U.S. military as secretary of defense, serving alongside Dempsey and the Joint Chiefs.

"As we used to say when I was in the Army, there isn't anyone I'd rather be in the foxhole with than Marty Dempsey," he said. "I cannot tell you what a privilege it has been to work with you and to work with all of the service chiefs."

"We've dealt with some very tough issues, and there is no way that I could have done this job without your support, without your loyalty, and without your dedication," Panetta said.

Panetta noted he and the chairman have testified before Congress 11 times and held 10 press conferences together since assuming leadership of the Pentagon.

"It has been the honor of my life to have served in the position of secretary of defense," he said. "And wherever I go and whatever I do, I will thank God every day for the men and women in this country who are willing to put their lives on the line for all of us."

"My prayer as I leave," Panetta said, "is that we all have the same courage and dedication to protecting our nation, the United States of America, the home of the free and the brave."

GEN. DEMPSEY SAYS MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN DETERMINES TROOP NUMBERS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan Mission Will Determine Troop Numbers, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Feb. 9, 2013 - The mission in Afghanistan will determine the number of American troops who will still be deployed there after 2014, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

Military leaders are confident that the number will match the mission. "I will not at any point ask 10,000 troops to do 20,000 troops work," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters.

Dempsey is flying to Afghanistan for the change of command ceremony from Marine Corps Gen. John Allen to Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford.

Dunford will be the last commander in Afghanistan of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the last commander of Operation Enduring Freedom when the mission ends in December 2014. He will preside as the Afghan forces take the lead for security and will command as U.S. forces draw down in the country. There are currently 66,000 American service members in Afghanistan.

As Dunford takescommand, he has to keep three things in careful equilibrium, the chairman said. These are keeping the pressure on al-Qaida and other transnational terror groups seeking to operate in Afghanistan, training Afghan security forces, and redeploying U.S. and NATO forces out of the country.

NATO and partner forces – including U.S. service members – will be leaving the country through the end of 2014 in a steady and gradual manner. This spring Afghan forces will be in the lead for security throughout the country. "As that occurs, there will be some force structure changes that grow from that decision," Dempsey said.

But it is more complicated than simply loading personnel on planes and flying them back to the United States. "There's never a flip of a switch," the chairman said.

Not all Afghan forces have the same capability. In some areas kandaks – Afghan battalions – may need help. Elsewhere, kandaks may be trained, but the higher headquarters may need assistance. "You may be training a kandak in one part of the country and brigades and corps in another, just because the developmental model is different," he said.

The enemy has a say in Afghan plans. The Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, has decreed that he wants the Taliban to make 2013 an intense year, the chairman said. "But here's what's different, the situation this summer – the first summer where Afghan security forces are in the lead – that intensity will be directed principally at them," the chairman said.

The Taliban taking on Afghan forces rather than Western personnel changes the political, internal discourse in Afghanistan. "We'll have to see how it changes it," he said.

This shift to Afghan control is already happening. Afghan security forces are in the lead in protecting more than 75 percent of the population. And there are results from that, Dempsey said. "One vignette: Every Sunday, John Allen has a memorial service outside his headquarters to remember the soldiers who were lost in the past week," the chairman said. "This past Sunday was the first service he held since he was commander where there wasn't a single ISAF ... soldier killed in action. First week in 19 months. However, there were 25 Afghan soldiers killed."

This summer the Taliban will test the Afghan soldiers and police. U.S. service members will help the Afghan forces in the summer fighting season. They will not only provide their Afghan brethren physical support, but psychological support as well, and this will build the Afghan's self-esteem. "What really hangs in the balance now is the confidence level of the Afghan security forces and its people," he said. "We have to continue building their confidence, because they are capable fighters."

Defense leaders have matched the number of troops to the mission. Dempsey called this a collaborative and thorough effort. "We didn't start talking numbers until we had a clear understanding of missions," he said. The missions for the post-2014 period are: some continued counter terror effort against transnational global threats; to train, advise and assist Afghan troops; and to provide support to other U.S. government agencies working in the country.

"Once we settled in on the missions, then we were able to provide options on how to accomplish them," he said. For example, it requires a different number of personnel to train an Afghan kandak than an Afghan brigade. Figuring out what units need what help "illuminates what the numbers should be," the chairman said. "So we're not going from number to mission, we're going from mission to number."

Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan remains crucial to any solution in the region, and Dempsey said he has "seen a degree of interest and cooperation on the part of our Pakistani military counterparts that is actually quite encouraging," he said. "They finally believe we are not going to shut out the lights and leave at the end of '14. They see a viable partnership among them, us and the Afghans."

Cooperation, which was always good at the tactical level, has climbed a notch to the operational level. It also helps that Pakistani leaders now assess the terrorist threat to the nation closer to the American view.

Dempsey is optimistic that the Bilateral Security Agreement between Afghanistan and the United States will be in place this year. Protections for U.S. troops under the agreement do not seem to be the same showstopper that they were in Iraq, he said.

Reporters asked about the "zero option" for U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014. "I have said publically no one has ever mentioned zero to me, and I would never recommend zero," Dempsey said.

Ultimately political reconciliation between the Taliban and the Afghan government will be what ends the war in Afghanistan. While there are no active negotiations now, the Taliban are talking among themselves about this, the chairman said. "As they talk among themselves, their behavior appears to be migrating toward being a political factor in Afghanistan's future and less a internal security threat," he said.

This does not mean peace will suddenly break out in the nation. "There will be irreconcilable parts of the Taliban that are just so ideologically skewed that the idea of any concessions is just anathema to them," he said. "On the other hand, I think there will be portions that will be willing to be part of the political landscape and not part of the security landscape."

U.S. CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS DISCUSSES FISCAL TIGHTENING, AND PROGRESS IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Dempsey Discusses Fiscal Tightening, Progress in Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2012 - U.S. Africa Command's ability to adapt to having fewer resources than its commander would like is an example of the thinking the entire military will need in an era of fiscal restraint, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told service members yesterday during a town hall meeting in Stuttgart, Germany.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey acknowledged that Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of the Stuttgart-based command, would prefer to have more maritime support, as well as more aviation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

"But you are getting it done," Dempsey said. "Africom is forced to network differently -- conventional, special operations forces, other agencies of government -- because of the limited resources." This, he said, means the service members and civilians assigned to the combatant command have to be creative.

The chairman emphasized that all segments of the military are going to have to perform their missions with less resources. The U.S. fiscal condition is changing, he said, and DOD must adapt.

"We don't have to be the solution, but we have to be part of the solution," he said. "We're going to have to think about how we take this wonderful instrument of military power and its most decisive instrument, which is human capital ... to use that capital to influence security around the world."

Just back from a trip to Afghanistan as well as other stops in the Middle East and Europe, the chairman told troops in Stuttgart that progress in Afghanistan has not always been easy to recognize.

"Afghanistan just happens to be one of the most-complex places on the face of the Earth," Dempsey said, noting Afghanistan likely will experience security challenges in the years ahead.

However, he added, Afghanistan also demonstrates signs of progress.

For example, in 2002 "approximately 800,000 boys were going to school in Afghanistan and zero women," the chairman said.

"Today the number is 8 million [Afghan students] and 35 percent of them are women," Dempsey said. "That's got to make a difference over time."

Also in 2002, 15 percent of Afghans had access to medical care, and today that number is 60 percent, he said.

"Child mortality rates are [now] on par with most nations of the world, which is incredible compared with what they were," Dempsey said.

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. GENERAL DEMPSEY SEES CHANGING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

South Korean and U.S. soldiers stand guard at the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea facing North Korea, Nov. 11, 2012. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Chairman Looks at Changes to U.S. Global Footprint
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
PERTH, Australia, Nov. 12, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is ready to move on to the next step of determining the footprint of U.S. troops based overseas.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an interview today that service members can expect changes in the numbers of troops based overseas, with increases in some cases and decreases in others.

The determination is an outgrowth of the new defense strategy adopted earlier this year, the chairman said, and officials have been working to learn what is necessary to implement the strategy.

"That's part of the strategic seminars I've been holding with the combatant commanders and service chiefs," he said. "I also said when we implemented the strategy that we wouldn't get just one at-bat to deliver this strategy. We'll have several to deliver these over the plate."

The rebalancing of the force to the Asia-Pacific region has received most of the attention since the strategy was announced.

"That was a horizontal rebalancing globally," the chairman said. "This year, I want to look at a vertical rebalancing, and what I mean by that ... is how we array the forces we have ... and how many should be forward stationed and how best to reap the benefits of forward stationing which are close, binding, traditional enduring relationships."

This includes cultural awareness that leads to deep relationships and deep contacts, he said.

The chairman said he also will look at where and how to rotate troops in and out of areas, "and where we base troops in the homeland, where we build readiness and connect with America."

As the military compares the horizontal and vertical rebalancing, he said, "I believe I'll have a pretty good understanding of how to best apply the resources we have as we go through the continuing budget discussions."

But budget uncertainty makes all this more difficult, Dempsey said. There still is no fiscal 2013 budget, and the cloud of sequestration hangs over discussion of fiscal 2014's budget. If Congress fails to find an alternative by January, a sequestration mechanism in budget law will trigger about $500 billion in defense spending cuts over the next decade in addition to $487 billion in cuts already scheduled over that period.

Development of a strategy that takes those spending reductions into account proves the Defense Department is adaptable, Dempsey said.

"I've often said that the military is seen as being resistant to change," the general said. "We're really not. If you look at the force we were 10 years ago and the force we are today, I would compare the way we've changed with any other sector of the United States.

"We're not averse to change, but uncertainty is the thing that is troubling, because you don't want to put the force in the position where it has to make major change every year," he continued. "Tell us what you want us to change once and let us get after it, and I think you'll find we'll deliver."

The chairman is here to participate in annual consultations between the United States and Australia.

GENERAL DEMPSEY HONORS U.S. VETERANS IN SOUTH KOREA

The "Bridge of No Return" in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea was used for prisoner exchanges at the close of the Korean War. Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey Honors U.S. Veterans at Seoul Memorial

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

YONGSAN GARRISION, South Korea, Nov. 10, 2012 - Veterans of the Korean War would have recognized the weather if nothing else about the South Korean capital of Seoul today, as Pouring rain obscured the skyscrapers that are now a symbol of Seoul on Nov. 11 here, but the Veterans of Foreign War carried through with a ceremony to remember their comrades -- especially the more than 38,000 Americans killed in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey joined Army Gen. James D. Thurman -- commander of Combined Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Korea -- and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Sung Y. Kim for the ceremony at the 8th Army Memorial here. The ceremony also honored some American and Korean veterans of the war who attended.

Dempsey said it is right and fitting to honor veterans, because while he represents the men and women who make up the finest military the world has ever seen, "we know we stand on very broad shoulders."

"On Veterans Day we honor every man or woman who has worn the uniform of our nation, who have selflessly secured America's promise throughout our history," the general said. "That history teaches us that security doesn't just happen. It demands effort, sacrifice, courage and commitment. It requires generations of men and women willing to go to distant lands and, as the Korean War Memorial in Washington says, 'to defend a country that they never knew and a people that they never met.'"

Dempsey asked the audience to remember not only the veterans of previous wars, but those thousands of service members in harm's way today.

"This isn't just about what we say here today; this is about how we honor our veterans every day of the year," the chairman said. "It's remaining committed to supporting them and their families in every way that we possibly can. It's about serving them as well as they serve and continue to serve our nation."

That, the chairman added, is the sacred trust between America and those who defend it. "It's a trust extolled by the 8th Army – honored by this memorial – that drove the enemy north of the 38th parallel," he said.

Kim thanked the Korean War veterans for giving Americans and Koreans "the freedom to chose their own paths."

The ambassador noted that what began as a purely military alliance in 1950 has morphed to a full and close alliance on every level. Behind the bulwark of U.S. military, the South Korean military has grown to a world-class organization. South Korea has grown from a destitute land destroyed by war in 1953 to the 12th-largest economy in the world. Thanks to the security provided by the U.S.-South Korean alliance, he added, this country has risen from a Third World nation to the First World in a generation.

Kim said the South Korean military has stood with its American allies in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and he thanked them for the Korean people for their sacrifices.

Thurman said the ceremony was a chance for both Americans and Koreans to reflect on "our values and our freedoms that we share."

He noted that many U.S. veterans live in South Korea, and said it is fitting to recognize them.

"Today we honor the young men and women who throughout the history of our nation answered the call in times of need," Thurman said. "Our veterans served both at home and overseas to defend our country and its values."

CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF BELIEVES MILITARY SHOULD BE APOLITICAL

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Public Trust Requires Apolitical Military, Dempsey SaysBy Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Sept. 17, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wants service members and veterans to consider what using the uniform for partisan politics does to the trust Americans have in their military.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey has maintained throughout his 38-year career that the American military, as a whole, must remain apolitical – meaning being neutral in political matters.

"I have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution and one of the principles of the Constitution is freedom of speech," he said during an interview on his way to Ankara, Turkey. "Anyone who claims that I am in any way trying to deny someone freedom of speech, I just can't accept that."

Dempsey has been outspoken that service members have truly earned their right to vote, and that all Americans are entitled to private and personal opinions. But he also is worried that using the uniform for partisan purposes could damage the trust Americans have in their military.

Survey after survey reveals the American military is one of the most trusted and most respected institutions in the land, and maintaining that trust is key to the success of the United States, Dempsey said. In his studies of civil-military relations, he added, the cornerstone of the profession of arms is that "we remain apolitical – that we are not a special-interest group."

And he applies that across the board. "I don't care what side of the aisle someone happens to sit on or happens to support," he said.

The chairman said he wants service members and those who have served and who may still use the title "just to think about what impact their actions will have on our standing as a profession with the American people if they engage in partisan political activity."

"I just want them to think about it," he said.

Retired general and flag officers must be extra careful when engaging in partisan political activities, the chairman said. They are held to a higher standard and probably should be, he explained, because many Americans do not make the distinction between an active duty and retired status. "And most [retired general and flag officers] understand that standard and meet it," he added.