RECENT DOD TRAINING PHOTOS FROM HAWAII, CALIFORNIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT  

A Marine provides security for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters taking off after inserting Marines for an enemy village assault exercise during Operation Lava Viper on Pohakuloa training area, Hawaii, June 10, 2015. The Marines are assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ricky S. Gomez.

Marine Cpl. Colton Derick lays down for cover during a simulated enemy explosion during an integrated training exercise on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., June 13, 2015. Derick is a rifleman assigned to the 4th Marine Division's Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, Marine Forces Reserve. U.S. Marine photo by Cpl. Ian Ferro.

THE SPECIATION OF TREES

FROM:  THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Tracing the evolution of forest trees

Evergreen tree in Hawaii offers clues into survival of tropical ecosystems
There are at least 60,000 identified tree species in the world, "but we know next to nothing about how they got here," Elizabeth Stacy says. "Trees form the backbone of our forests, and are ecologically and economically important, yet we don't know much about how speciation happens in trees."

Speciation, the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise, fascinates Stacy, an associate professor of biology at the University of Hawaii Hilo, and forms the core of her research. The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist is focusing on the origins of the many forms of Metrosideros, a diverse genus of forest trees, and on one of its species in particular--Hawaii's M. polymorpha--as a model for studying diversification.

The Hawaiian Islands were formed and continue to be formed from volcanic activity, which makes them an ideal place to study speciation. Because the islands are so isolated, their plant and animal species almost certainly colonized for the first time millions of years ago when wind, ocean currents, birds and insects carried early specimens there.

"Hawaii is a fantastic place to study evolution and the origins of species," Stacy says. "It's like its own planet, its own evolutionary experiment."

Metrosideros comprises trees and shrubs found predominantly in the Pacific Rim region. The name means "iron heartwood," and derives from the ancient Greek metra, or "heartwood," and sideron, or "iron." Stacy is trying to discern the relationships among the many forms of this genus in Hawaii and learn how reproductive barriers arise between diverging populations.

"Over time, Metrosideros has diversified into five species," she says. "M. polymorpha is by far the most abundant. It's unusual for its huge ecological breadth. You can find it in almost every habitat in Hawaii. It's everywhere."

Insights into the evolution of such long-lived trees as these could have important implications for future conservation practices in Hawaii, and possibly elsewhere.

"Because it is so abundant and dominant, Metrosideros is a keystone species for many of Hawaii's terrestrial environments," Stacy says. "It is an important resource for native birds and insects. Insights into how the many forms of Metrosideros originated and how different they are from each other today can reveal insights into the same for the many animals that use Metrosideros. Understanding the ecological needs of species is an essential first step in their conservation.

"Conservation biology has gained an appreciation for evolution," she adds. "Over the last decade, people have grown to appreciate that we need to pay attention to the processes that give rise to species. Speciation is literally the origin of the biodiversity that we are concerned about saving. To really think about long-term conservation, we need to be aware of these evolutionary processes."

Stacy is conducting her research under an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which she received in 2010. The award supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organization. NSF is funding her work with about $750,000 over five years.

Her project uses molecular genetic methods to "try to unravel the very shrouded evolutionary history of Metrosideros in Hawaii," she says. "We're experimenting with novel molecular markers--previously inaccessible genes and gene regions--to get a clearer picture of how the forms of Metrosideros are related, both within and across islands."

Uncovering the evolutionary relationships among closely related trees is especially difficult because of their tendency to hybridize, and thus share the same genetic material, she adds.

Also, she and her team are conducting experiments in the field and in the greenhouse with seedlings of various forms, exposing them to different stresses to compare their differences.

"These experiments are revealing insights into how long-term exposure of tree populations to Hawaii's famous environmental gradients can lead to diversification, and they reveal which specific environmental factors, for example, water, light and wind are most important for causing the differences among the forms of the tree," she says.

"Lastly, we are looking at their reproductive barriers: can you two make 'babies' with each other, and how fit are your 'babies?"' she adds. "How well do your offspring survive, and reproduce compared to everyone else in your population? We do a lot of hand-crossing, or hand pollination, where you take pollen from one tree and pollinate another."

These crosses allow examination of the both prezygotic (before fertilization) and postzygotic (after fertilization) barriers that accumulate between diverging populations on the way to speciation.

"I posit that adaptation of this widespread tree to Hawaii's highly varied environments has led to the evolution of partial reproductive isolating barriers between forms that are adapted to different habitats," she says.

As part of the grant's educational component, she is encouraging her students to participate in research through field and lab projects. The team also has established Ho'oulu Lehua, a community-based organization that provides hands-on environmental education for youth with projects that address real conservation issues in the native forests of East Hawaii Island.

The goal of Ho'oulu Lehua, under the leadership of CAREER technician Jennifer Johansen, is to strengthen connections between Hawaii's young people and native forests through restoration activities based on scientific understanding and cultural traditions.

"This island has 11 of 13 climate zones," she says. "We have desert, and wet forests and bogs. Because we are in this amazing evolutionary laboratory, I think we excel in engaging our students with authentic research experiences outside. You can't do this stuff in a lab."

-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Elizabeth Stacy
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Hawaii at Hilo

DOD VIDEO: NATIONAL GUARD RESPONDS TO LAVA FLOW

DOD VIDEO: HAWAII BRACES FOR HURRICANE ISELLE AND JULIO

CHINESE HOSPITAL SHIP PEACE ARK HOSTS RIMPAC MEDICAL CONFERENCE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Chinese Hospital Ship Hosts RIMPAC Medical Exchange Conference

By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Pyoung K. Yi

USNS Mercy

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, July 7, 2014 – The Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark hosted a medical exchange conference as part of the 2014 Rim of the Pacific exercise here July 3.

Chinese and U.S. naval medical officers gave presentations during the multinational conference, which opened with a video presentation about Peace Ark.

“We wanted the attendees to learn about our experiences on humanitarian assistance relief missions,” said Lt. Cmdr. Xin Du, a medical officer who serves aboard Peace Ark. “But more importantly, I wanted to learn from others’ experience helping out on humanitarian relief efforts. I like the idea of exchanging ideas with other countries. It promotes friendship and subsequent joint missions.”
Military medical personnel from Canada, Indonesia, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and the United States attended the conference, which encouraged the exchange of medical knowledge and discussion of ways to help humanity using military resources.

“I was impressed with the sheer capacity of Peace Ark's resources in treating people in a disaster,” said Master Cpl. Katarina Vasic, a dental technician with the Canadian army.

A telemedicine presentation by Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Gilbert Seda, a pulmonary medicine specialist aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy, caught the attention of many Peace Ark personnel. Telemedicine is the electronic exchange of medical information between sites.

“Most of us are very interested in telemedicine,” said Du. “Our cardiologist, nephrologist, and other officers were very interested in his presentation.”
This year’s RIMPAC marks the first time in the exercise’s history that hospital ships have participated. Peace Ark and Mercy will continue to hold medical exchanges while in Pearl Harbor and during simulated disaster-relief operations at sea.

Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the RIMPAC exercise, which began June 26 and runs to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.

PRESIDENT OBAMA, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER KEY MEET OVER GAME OF GOLF

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
January 02, 2014
Readout of the President’s Meeting with Prime Minister Key of New Zealand

Today, President Obama invited Prime Minister John Key to play a round of golf in Hawaii. The two leaders have long discussed their shared interest in the sport, and they enjoyed the opportunity to spend several hours together on the golf course. President Obama and Prime Minister Key have developed a close partnership, which reflects the friendship and broad cooperation between the United States and New Zealand. While the two leaders are both enjoying some time off with their families and friends, they also reaffirmed our continued work together to deepen our trade relationship, enhance regional security, and support the democratic values that the United States and New Zealand share.

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL TEST

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), U.S. Pacific Command, and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) successfully conducted a flight test today of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, resulting in the intercept of a complex separating short-range ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System and a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB guided missile.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (8:30 p.m. EDT), a complex separating short-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. The target flew northwest towards a broad ocean area of the Pacific Ocean. Following target launch, the USS Lake Erie detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar. The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis BMD weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched two SM-3 Block IB guided missiles to engage the target. The first SM-3 that was launched successfully intercepted the target warhead. This was the first salvo mission of two SM-3 Block IB guided missiles launched against a single separating target.

Program officials will assess and evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.

This test exercised the latest version of the second-generation Aegis BMD Weapon System, capable of engaging longer range and more sophisticated ballistic missiles. This was an operationally realistic test, in which the target's launch time and bearing are not known in advance, and the target complex was the most difficult target engaged to date.

Today's event, designated Flight Test-Standard Missile-21 (FTM-21), was the fourth consecutive successful intercept test of the SM-3 Block IB guided missile with the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System.

FTM-21 is the 27th successful intercept in 33 flight test attempts for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002. Across all Ballistic Missile Defense System programs, this is the 63rd successful hit-to-kill intercept in 79 flight test attempts since 2001.

Aegis BMD is the naval component of the MDA's Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis BMD engagement capability defeats short- to intermediate-range, unitary and separating, midcourse-phase ballistic missile threats with the SM-3, as well as short-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase with the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IV missile. The MDA and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD program.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL'S REMARKS AT MARINE CORPS BASE KANEOHE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Lieutenant General Terry Robling August 22, 2013
Remarks by Secretary Hagel at a Troop Event at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

           Lt. Gen. Terry Robling:  Good afternoon, Marines.  I'm Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, the commander of Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and I'd like to welcome you here today.

           Before we start, I'd like to recognize a few special guests.  We got Senator Mazie Hirono and members of her staff here, Senator Brian Schatz and members of his staff here, Representative Colleen Hanabusa and members of her staff here, and representing Representative Tulsi Gabbard is Mike Miyagi  and a member of his staff.  So, thank you all for being here.

            This is a very historic day for us.  It's the first time we've been able to really meet and speak with our secretary of defense on Marine Corps Base Kaneohe.  But before I introduce him to you, I'd like to introduce you to him.  So when I call out your unit, I'd like you to shout out with an oorah.  Where are my Marine Corps Base Hawaii Marines?

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  How about headquarters battalion?

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  combat logistics battalion?

           MARINES:  Oorah.

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  That's it?  combat logistics battalion?

           MARINES:  Oorah.

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  First Battalion, 12th Marines?

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  There you go.  Marine Corps Group 24?

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  First Battalion, Third Marines?

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  And, finally, where are my wounded warriors?

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           LT. GEN. ROBLING:  Okay, outstanding.  Well, I'm very proud of all of you on this historic occasion, and this time I'd like you to join me in welcoming our 24th United States Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Chuck Hagel.

           SECRETARY CHUCK HAGEL:  Thank you, General.  Oorah, Marines!

           MARINES:  Oorah!

           SEC. HAGEL:  Thank you for allowing me to first thank you and your families for what you're doing.  And I want you to know how much we appreciate your service and your sacrifice to our country.  I also want to acknowledge your congressional delegation, who is here today, who has already been announced.  I want to thank them for their support.  You have no stronger congressional delegation in Washington who supports you more than your delegation from Hawaii, and they are very helpful to all of us.

           So, senators, congressmen, thank you very much.  Appreciate it.  Thank you.

           I know something about you all.  I know the kind of work you do.  I know what you mean to our country, but I also know what you mean to our presence in this part of the world.  You are at the front end.  You are at the cutting-edge of security, of stability, of prosperity.  That's a big task.  That's a big responsibility.  And we're very proud of what you're doing.

           I want to particularly acknowledge the wounded warriors for your sacrifices and what you continue to do for our country.

           I'm also much aware of the Lava Dogs, as they have made our country proud with -- with their outstanding performance in the exercises in Thailand and Korea.  Thank you.  The Marine Aircraft Group 24, your exceptional work -- all of you, every day, do so much for all of us.  And I want to acknowledge that.

           I'm on my way to the ASEAN Defense Ministers Plus, which will be held in Brunei later this week.  I'm going to stop first in Malaysia and Indonesia and then Brunei for the ministers meeting and then to the Philippines and then go back -- back to Washington.

           I'm going to try and reinforce much of what your leaders here in this part of the world, and particularly headquarters here, the general, all your commanders, Admiral Locklear, all of our institutions headquartered here in Hawaii are doing to promote our interests in stability and friendship and partnership in this part of the world.

           You're all much aware of our rebalance that President Obama initiated a couple of years ago.  And I wanted to talk directly to some of our friends in this area of the world about that.  I had my first opportunity to directly assess and discuss our rebalancing when I was at the -- in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue, with many of the ASEAN leaders, and other nations, like Russia, European allies, China, who -- some will be in Brunei.

           But this rebalancing is not only about security.  It is not only about our security interests in this area.  It's about a partnership of prosperity for this region of the world.  Over six billion global citizens today.  We are all now a part of one market.  And the threats that confront the world are not unique to a region, to a country, to a religion, to an ethnic group.  These are universal threats, and alliances become even more important than they've been in the past.

           That means coalitions of common interests, partnerships, recognizing that prosperity and a future for all people and freedom depends on many pillars of construction.  Certainly, security is one.  But it's not the only one.

           So this is a partnership that we are working through and enhancing and strengthening in this part of the world.  You are all part of that.  As I said, you are at the front end of that.  You are at the cutting edge of that.  And what you do and how you do it is particularly important as to how the world sees America and how they view our interests.

           But probably more important is how they view our intentions.  And that's always important in dealing with people around the world.  So, thank you again for what you do.

           That's a little bit about what I'm doing out here, other than the congressional delegation, and Governor Abercrombie gave me a visa to come in for a day and 24 hours so I can swim tonight before dinner, and then go on further west.  But it's always a pleasure being here.

           And before I take your questions, I want to also thank the people of Hawaii.  The people of Hawaii, who have hosted our installations and all of you, the magnificent and gracious hospitality and support they've given us all should be acknowledged, and I want to let the people of Hawaii know how much we all appreciate them for what they have done and what they continue to do for all of us.

           Okay.  General, I'd be glad to respond to questions or any advice that you have for me.  I know Marines are very tentative and bashful, hardly ever say what they think.

           Q:  Yes, sir.  Sergeant Jensen, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, Charlie Company.  My question pertains to the transferring of the Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to your dependents and whether or not that program will stick around due to all the financial constraints going on.  And additionally, when that service member goes to apply to transfer those benefits to their dependents on the VA website, they're not allowed to do that without committing to another four years' obligation, even though they've already met the regulated terms.  I'm just wondering if that's something that can be fixed on the website or not, sir.

           SEC. HAGEL:  Okay.  Well, that's -- first of all, it's a VA website, did you say?

           Q:  Yes, sir.

           SEC. HAGEL:  I'll ask Secretary Shinseki about that, since I don't have anything to do with his website.  But I was just with him twice this week.  And as you know, Secretary Shinseki is a former chief staff of the United States Army and a great, great American and great leader and made many sacrifices in Vietnam.  As a matter of fact, he and I served in the same division in Vietnam in the same year.  I didn't know Shinseki then, but we've gotten to be good friends.  I'll find out about the website.

           Back to your bigger question.  I was one of the four co-sponsors of that bill when I was in the United States Senate.  And we passed that bill in 2008.  It's a piece of legislation I'm very proud of.  I had been involved in that effort for many years before we got it passed.

           There was a very significant Marine and United States senator at the time who led the charge by the name of Jim Webb, who you all know wrote the first really defining book on Vietnam, won a Pulitzer Prize for it, who has been a good friend of mine for 30 years.  He and I were the two Vietnam veterans that teamed up on that with two World War II veterans, John Warner, another tremendous leader for our country and former secretary of the Navy, and Frank Lautenberg from New Jersey, who just passed away a couple months ago.

           So I know something about that bill, since I helped write it.  That bill was intended to do exactly what you just asked in your first sentence, among other things.  It needed to be brought up to date from the time the Montgomery Bill was passed, because when the Montgomery Bill was passed -- and that was appropriate, I thought, at the time -- I wasn't in the Congress -- but it was a different time.  It was an all-volunteer service, and so on.

           And, by the way, I used the G.I. Bill when I came back from Vietnam, used it, as did my brother.

           So it was time to do that.  And there were some clear intentions that we had that we wanted that we wrote it, and one was the transferability of benefits.  Now, as to one of the specific parts of your question about our budget issues and sequester, in particular, which has forced us all to re-evaluate programs.  And as you know, we've had to make some tough decisions and choices.

           That bill, that law is one that we want to protect in every way we can, because we think it is -- is the right thing to do for our people.  We've committed to do that for our people.  And we think it enhances our people, it enhances our country.  It's a smart investment in our country.  It's a smart investment in you, in your families.  Education can't be disconnected from security -- from the future of our country.

           So we'll continue to do everything we can to protect every element and fund every part of that bill.  And I'll check on the website.  Thank you.

           Q:  Good afternoon, sir.  Lance Corporal Stacey from CAS.  My question is, due to the downsizing of the Marine Corps or military-wide, what is the challenges that you face as far as keeping the appearance to the public of our military polished?

           SEC. HAGEL:  I'm sorry.  The last part -- of our military what?

           Q:  Just keeping -- as far as the public eye, keeping our military looking strong without any, I guess, lack of confidence?

           SEC. HAGEL:  Yes, I get it.  Good question.  Important question.  In fact, that question is one that I deal with, as well as our leaders deal with every day, for the -- for the very reasons you asked, but the implications that were present in your questions on projecting -- are we projecting weakness and lack of confidence when we -- when we talk about the downsizing and the limitations of financial resources?

           There is a balance to that, and you're exactly right as to how we tell the story.  First, I think it's important that, as always, every leader -- no matter what area that you lead in -- you first have to be honest, and you have to be direct, and you must be clear with the situation.  You couldn't be effective Marines without those things.  First of all, you wouldn't follow a leader who was not clear, direct, honest, if for no other reason you wouldn't trust him.  You would have no confidence in him.

           So I start there in answering your question.  We've got to be honest with the American people.  We have to be honest with the Congress.  The Congress has to know our best assessment as leaders of our national security institution, what and how our capacity, our capabilities would be affected with large cuts in our budget.

           Second, can we do things better?  Can we do things more effectively, more efficiently?  It is a different world.  We've just come out of one war in Iraq; we're winding down the second war in Afghanistan.  Doesn't that mean that resources will be freed up?  Yes.  We've been through this kind of downsizing in the history of our country before, as we have unwound from Desert Storm and Vietnam and Korea and World War II and so on.

           But we've made it very clear, as direct and honest and clear as we can be, whether it's the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey, or your leaders here, or leaders all over the world in this institution, that even with these cuts -- and they are severe -- and they may be even more severe -- that there is no question, America has the most significant military capability in the world.  There is no military close to this military.

           And we have made it very clear to the American people, to our friends and allies, and to our adversaries that that is the case.   And we are not without resources.  We are not without capability.  And you can measure that by any metric.  You start with the strength of any institution, first, is your people.  You are the best-trained, the smartest, the best-led, most professional military force this country's ever had, and that is not to minimize the service of every generation of military men and women who've served the United States of America.  That's not to marginalize their service at all.

           What I've just said is a fact.  Our NCO Corps -- is a corps enlisted like no other armed force in the world has.  No one is even close to having an enlisted NCO corps like we have in our institution.  The technological superiority, every element of that, no one's even close to it.  Even with our downsized budget, and projected to even more downsize, there's not a country in the world even close to our military budget.  We have alliances which don't diminish our strength and our interests, but they enhance our strength in our alliances.

           So when you look at the balance sheet here, we are going to be the best, most capable, strongest military force in the -- in the world for a long time to come.  At the same time, as I said, we've got to be clear and direct with the reality of the consequences of continued significant budget cuts and how fast those budget cuts are coming, because they give us very little flexibility in the tough decisions that are going to have to be made.

           Institutions as big as our Defense Department -- I don't know of one bigger in the world -- but any institution is constantly re-evaluating -- has to -- its effectiveness, its efficiency.  How can you do it better?  And there are different threats in the world.

           I mean, 10 years ago, how many of us would have thought too much about cyber warfare as a threat?  Cyber warfare represents one of the greatest threats to the security of America of any threat out there.  Certainly, nuclear war is a clear and large and overwhelming threat, the damage a nuclear exchange could do.

           But cyber is this quiet, insidious attack on our systems, our country.  Without any nation firing a shot, invading us, sailing a ship against us, putting a bomber in the air against us, sending a missile against us, my point is, the threats are changing, the challenges are changing.

           Ten years ago, yes, terrorism was a threat, but what's going on today in the Middle East, for example, what's going on in North Africa, elements of terrorism and the coordination of the coalition of terrorist groups is -- is now something we've never seen before.  That's going to require different kinds of strategies and thinking.

           And that doesn't mean we're going to not need our Army or our Marines or ground forces, for example.  We'll always need those forces.  But it's new strategic thinking, new strategic reviews.  And we'll get there.  We'll come out of this stronger and better than we went in.  Thank you.

           Q:  Good afternoon, sir.  Lance Corporal Wasser, HMLA-367.  Last month, you gave a speech at the Pentagon on the topic of sequestration.  And in your speech, you brought up ideas that you had on making major military cuts to all the branches.  So to go off of basically all of what you just said, how soon are -- do you expect us to be reaching the goal of the cuts that you've been talking about, sir?

           SEC. HAGEL:  Well, I think reductions, realignments, all that go into what we just went through in a 90-day exercise, which I noted in that speech, the Strategic Choices and Management Review, which gave us some sense of what the realities are, based on three budget options, how that would then direct our choices, how that would direct our cuts, how that would direct reductions and consolidations, as we prepare for our budget year, as we move into the fall, as we present to the Congress a new budget early next year, as well as the quadrennial review, which is mandated by Congress every four years to essentially red team and put in a group of experienced, respected experts to come in and take a look at what we're doing, how we're doing it, and come up with suggestions and ideas as we move forward.

           And I just met with the group this week, as a matter of fact, and present that to the Congress and to me and to our leaders.  It all flows right into the same intersection.  To answer your question, we're making consolidations and reductions now.  Part of that is as a result of what the Congress mandated over the last couple of years on reduction of forces.  We are bringing our force structure down with Marines, with Army.  That's not new.

           What is new is the abruptness and the steepness that we'll be forced to make those reductions if we're not allowed to bring this down year after year and give us some time to strategically plan for it.  So we're making the reductions now.  We're making some decisions now.  They'll continue to be made as we -- as we flow out.

           One of the other biggest problems we have is the uncertainty of what our resource base is going to be.  I don't have to ask the members of Congress for clarification on this.  They are as frustrated, I suspect, as I am in our leaders.  We don't know what kind of budget we're going to get next year.  Is sequestration going to play out, which is now the law of the land?  That means another $52 billion to $54 billion cut in the next fiscal year for us, if that continues.  So we have to plan for that.  That is the law of the land, unless something changes.

           Will there be an adjustment made by a budget -- a new budget agreement by the Congress and the president before that occurs?  I don't know.  Will we have a continuing resolution based on the numbers for this fiscal year?  Next fiscal year begins in about six weeks, October 1st.  I don't know.

           You can't turn an enterprise like the Defense Department, as big as this is, around in a -- in a year or two or three months or four months.  So that uncertainty is -- is as big a problem for us as anything else.

           We're not whining about it.  It's -- it's what it is.  And what the Strategic Choice Management Review was all about when I directed that a few months ago, let's get on with it.  These are the realities.  Life's tough.  I wish I controlled more things than I do.  So do you.  But I don't.

           And so I'm living in a world of reality.  I'm not living in a world like you all, either.  You're not living in any -- any world but what is the real world, not the world that you wish it would be, not the world that you hope it would be, or not the world that maybe you think will be.  It's the world of what it is.

           So we have to plan for that.  And I -- and I think this is going to make you stronger.  I have tremendous faith in our people, in our culture, in the commitment of all of you, and people all over the world to our values and who we are as a people and as a nation.  So we'll come out of this stronger than we went in.

           Q:  Thank you, sir.

           STAFF:  One more.

           SEC. HAGEL:  One more question?  Okay.

           Q:  Good afternoon, sir.  Sergeant Okimsy, Headquarters Battalion.  My question was actually going to pertain to sequestration and cutbacks, but now I ask about, what does the future look like in retirement in the military since there are talks of changes to that?

           SEC. HAGEL:  Well, thank you.  You see, that's the advantage of being a former senator -- and no offense, Senators -- is that when you get one question, you take the opportunity and you just answer six or seven, whether you're asked or not.  So I'm glad I was able to answer part of that question that you had.

           But the future for retirement, there's no question that -- not unlike our entitlement programs in the United States, Social Security and Medicare -- they are unsustainable with the path they're on, for the reasons I suspect most of you know.  Now, that doesn't mean that we're going to cut off retirement benefits, but if we address those adjustments that are going to be required out into the future, just like in Social Security or Medicare, if we make some adjustments now and we're smart, then we can adjust what we need to adjust and assure that the benefits that you've earned that we've promised are going to be there.

           For all of you, when you retire, your benefits should not be impacted by whatever tough choices that we're going to have to make, but there are things we can do now with TRICARE.  Health care benefits for retirees, for example, are -- are the biggest part of the increases that are growing year by year by year, not unlike in the civilian world.  So how do we adjust to that and assure those benefits?  The people have earned them, and we've committed to them.  We're do it.  They're going to be there.

           But we're going to have to adjust and make some changes on how we come at it in the out-years on the formulas used.  They won't hurt anybody.  You can make these kinds of things whether it's in Social Security -- I had introduced over the years in Social Security bills on just a cost-of-living allowance.  If you just take that for Social Security, for example, and you make some adjustments there, it's astounding how many billions of dollars you save over the course of just a few years, if you make just a tiny adjustment there, take one index or another.

           Now, I'm not going to play games with you on saying that your benefits are going to increase.  They're probably not going to increase.  But you're not going to be hurt.  You're not going to be hurt.

           Okay.  Thank you very much.

           STAFF:  Thank you very much.

           STAFF:  Thank you.

           SEC. HAGEL:  Thank you.

           All right, now -- first of all, I want you to know I want to get a picture taken with each of you, but you don't have to have your picture taken with me.  It might -- it might hurt your reputation.  So if you want a picture taken with me, it would be my honor.  And we'll line up over here.  Thank you.  Semper Fi, Marines.  Thank you.

           MARINES:  Oorah!

SECRETARY HAGEL ON SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE VALUE

 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel answers questions ranging from TRICARE to cyberwarfare during a visit with troops on Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, May 30, 2013. Hagel also plans to travel to Singapore and Brussels for meetings with defense leaders and NATO officials. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Shangri-La Dialogue's Value Continues to Grow, Hagel Says
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press ServiceSINGAPORE, May 31, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived here today for the first Shangri-La Dialogue he will attend as head of the Pentagon, but he helped to build the first such event as a U.S. senator more than a decade ago, he told reporters traveling with him to the annual conference.

"It has developed into a premier and very relevant ... institution," he said about the annual Asia-Pacific security conference. "It becomes more and more important every year, and there is no other event, no other venue, like it."

Hagel left Hawaii, the first leg of his current trip, yesterday and -- 18 time zones later -- is continuing his schedule here, the home of the Shangri-La Dialogue, named for the hotel in which it's held.

Back around 2000, Hagel explained, the current director-general for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, John Chipman, approached him to seek his support for a new regional conference focused on Asia-Pacific security issues. Hagel said the gathering was envisioned as comparable to the annual "Wehrkunde" security conference established in 1958, which allowed Western defense ministers to gather in Munich once a year, outside NATO, and address big security issues.

Hagel, then a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, helped Chipman get the congressional support he needed. In 2002, Hagel noted, he attended and spoke at the first Shangri-La Dialogue as head of the U.S. congressional delegation, along with U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and he also attended and spoke at the next two annual events, though he hasn't been back since.

"Asia is emerging into this incredible power, with the growth [and] emergence of China, India, Vietnam and other countries, and I was very enthusiastic about the concept," Hagel said. He added that since the first dialogue, attendance has broadened and deepened to include more nations' representatives, and more kinds of representatives per nation.

For example, he said, there was little to no Chinese or Russian involvement the first few years of the dialogue, though both nations have since participated regularly, and participants of the early events largely were limited to defense ministers.

"Now, you've got Europeans, you've got most of the world powers represented," Hagel noted, and prime ministers, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and other security experts also attend in greater numbers each year.

The secretary will speak at the start of this year's conference, he said, and will emphasize that while the United States is rebalancing its security strategy, resetting from the longest war in its history and grappling with challenging economic issues, all of those factors converge on this region at this time.

"I expect next year, [that convergence] will be even more pronounced," he added. "This is an important time."

Hagel said he put in a great deal of personal effort and sought input from across and beyond government in crafting the speech he'll deliver at Shangri-La. The secretary added that he also will take part in a number of bilateral and trilateral meetings while in Singapore.

Such meetings don't allow broad in-depth engagement, Hagel acknowledged, but they allow leaders to share face-to-face focus on certain big issues. "Then, you can usually set something in motion as a follow-up," he added.

"I have always believed ... that these kinds of dialogues, these kinds of venues, are critically important," the secretary said. He noted that as technology becomes more complex and the planet's population keeps adding billions, "the world's not going to get any less complicated."

According to the online agenda for the conference, cybersecurity, counterpiracy, counterterrorism, freedom of navigation and disaster relief issues are among those scheduled for discussion at Shangri-La.

"We'd better take these moments to start sorting some of this out now," Hagel said. "[It's important to] avoid crises, so you won't find countries in situations that evolve and develop because technology and the astounding rapidity and pace of world affairs result in very limited, if any, margin of error in mistakes."

After his stop in Singapore, Hagel will travel to Brussels, Belgium, for a gathering of defense ministers from NATO and International Security Assistance Force troop-contributing nations.

SECRETARY OF DEFEBSE HAGEL'S REMARKS AT JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel May 30, 2013
Remarks by Secretary Hagel at a Troop Event at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii

MODERATOR: Good morning, and aloha. To the PACOM ohana, it's my pleasure to introduce the 24th secretary of defense. Now, for all of you out there, he's actually been one of you, a sergeant in Vietnam, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, more importantly than that, two Purple Hearts and a Combat Infantry Badge. So he knows what he's talking about when he talks about his vision for this -- the Department of Defense.

So without further ado, Secretary Hagel. (Applause.)

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL: Thank you. Thank you. Good morning. Just another morning in Hawaii, isn't it? Terrible weather you're having. I'm sorry about that, that you've got such a difficult spot.

First, thank you for allowing me to greet you this morning and allowing me to acknowledge the work you do. And thank you, on behalf of our president and our country, who all recognizes that work and the importance of your efforts.

I know sometimes you feel stuck out here in the Pacific, that maybe no one knows who you are or what you're doing, but let me assure you: We do. And we're grateful. And you play a very important role not only in our national security, but the region's. And you're really a central part of the larger plan.

So please, also, thank your families. I think that families are often just taken for granted, and it's probably as difficult -- maybe more difficult for them than it is for you, and you all know that, and you know how difficult it is. But I want you to be sure and tell your families that I ask about them and that I wanted to extend my thanks and best wishes.

I know this is a pretty unique operation here when you've got a blend of your National Guard here, with active and with civilians. And we've now outfitted this squadron with, I think, the complete set of the F-22s. That's a big deal, as you all recognize. And we're very proud of that, and I know how proud you are to be the first squadron to have that situation. And I know how proud you are to have that integrated dynamic of the National Guard and active and civilians all working together.

That's as much value added as I think we can get in our system. And that -- that's as it should be. It is value added. And I think at a time when we are having to prioritize our resources, whether you catalogue that by referencing sequestration, the fact is, we are going to be doing with less. That's not unusual, as we unwind from a second war, and we reset, and we redeploy assets. That specifically is within the framework of the rebalancing that President Obama directed a couple of years ago. That was a correct decision for the reasons you all understand.

I'm on my way to Singapore after I leave here, and I will speak there. General Locklear -- or Admiral Locklear -- is there now, I think, unless he stopped off for breakfast somewhere before he got there. And we'll have a number of our leadership from the Pacific and Asia there.

But one of the points I'll make in my comments to our Asian partners and allies is that, with this rebalance, which is the right thing to do for them, too, by the way, not just for us, but for the rest of the world, that doesn't mean that we are abandoning our resources anywhere else or we're retreating from any other part of the world. We're not. Our interests are global.

But as you rebalance the challenges and opportunities -- and sometimes we forget there are opportunities -- and I think the opportunities that abound today in the world probably centered as much in the Asia Pacific as any one area -- are as unique with as much potential as maybe ever in the history of man. And I really believe that.

It's going to really depend on how wisely we govern, how wisely we respond to each other, how wisely we can form coalitions of common interests. We all have common interests. Our governments are different. Our histories are different. Our cultures are different. Some of us look different. Our languages are different. But still, the basic common interests of the human being don't change.

And I've been all over the world, like you have, been to a lot of countries in the world. I've never found a country yet or religion or a culture or a tribe that doesn't have the same feelings about their families. They love their families. You love your family. You start there. We all need the basics in life to survive. You start there.

So if that is the given -- and it is -- then why can't we get along? Well, I know that's pretty simple. I get that. But I like to ask simple questions, because we tend to kind of glide over simple things, and we tend to more than occasionally make things more complicated than they need to be.

This is a defining time in the world. This is a defining time right now. This region of the world is going to have an awful lot to say about how this next world order is built out. And we've not seen a time like this in the world since really right after World War II, that 10-year period after World War II, when, in fact, the world was built out.

The difference is, the United States held most of the cards after World War II. We don't hold all the cards this time. And, by the way, that's good. It allows other countries to share responsibilities. It allows other countries to prosper. And only then do we -- when we accept that premise -- and we all accept that -- will the world prosper. And I think we're right on the edge of that. So your role in this is pretty important.

So with that, again, I wanted to thank you for what you're doing. That's the main message I wanted to give to you this morning. And I'd be very happy -- if the general lets me -- if it's okay, I'll be glad to respond to a question, advice, suggestions, tell me to go home, whatever.

I've got a reporter, the Washington -- the Washington bureau chief for the Omaha World Herald who's with me. That's my home state newspaper of Nebraska. And I just noticed he's in a big red N cap. You can't miss him. And so if -- in particular, if you've got any advice for Joe Morton on Nebraska football this year, he will get it right to Coach Pelini and the people who are in charge. And especially if you've got a trick play, let him know.

So anything you want to talk about, I'll take a couple minutes. Yes?

Q: Good morning sir. Petty Officer First Class Alvin Balthasar. I work for the commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. In the military, we're dealing with a lot of financial cutbacks, and I was wondering if military retirement and other benefits are going to be affected, as well, sir, in the near future?

SEC. HAGEL: Well, I think everyone heard that question. It's a very important question, because as I noted, we are going to be seeing budgets that are less and less. And we're living with that now. So we are reviewing every component of our budget. And we have to look at personnel costs, because they represent the biggest part.

Now, that always has to be subject to this reality and to this priority: You take care of your people. It doesn't make any difference how sophisticated your equipment or anything else. If you don't have good people, and if you can't keep good people, and you can't continue to educate them and train them and develop them, it won't make any difference how good your planes are or anything else. So that's a high priority, as high as any priority. Obviously, that has to connect to national security. That's our job. That's my main job as the secretary of defense, the security of this country, like it's your jobs, but you do it with people.

So everything that we're looking at -- and we are looking at everything across the board, entitlement programs and every way -- the Congress and the president are having to do the same thing with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. And so we are looking at it.

To your more immediate question, is that going to affect your retirements and benefits? We suggested in our budget presentations to Congress this year that we ask the Congress to consider things like adjusting prescription co-pays, to increase those co-pays, not -- not very much, by the way, also, TRICARE fees. Not very much. TRICARE and all the -- all the benefits that come with the commitments we make to you are still the best benefits that I'm aware of anywhere in the world. And -- and that's okay. That's as it should be, because you give up an awful lot for a career in the military. So that was the whole balance.

But we've got to do things like that or we won't be able to sustain the programs. And we can do it. We can do it smartly. We can do it wisely without hurting anybody, and that's the way we'll come at it and that's the way we'll do it.

Oh, thank you.

Somebody else? Yes.

Q: Morning, sir. Petty Officer Third-Class Michael Byrd, and I'm from commander, Naval Region Hawaii out of Pearl Harbor. My question is, how does our government plan to increase cyber security in a world where the threat of global terrorism threats through cyber warfare is growing by the day, sir?

SEC. HAGEL: Well, you just defined the issue, the challenge. One of the very few items that the president proposed in his budget that I presented to the Congress this year to be increased was our cyber warfare capabilities. We are increasing that part of the budget significantly for the reasons you mentioned.

And we are -- we're doing more than just increasing the budget. That means more people, more sophisticated approaches, and more interconnects within our inter-government agencies, obviously, the NSA, Cyber Command, Homeland Security, working with our law enforcement.

And then another very important component to this is our allies and our partners, because we live in a world -- and you all know this -- where one country's just not big enough, strong enough, good enough, wealthy enough to handle it all. We can't do it, especially cyber. And cyber is one of those quiet, deadly, insidious unknowns you can't see, it's in the ether. It's not one big navy sailing into a port or one big army crossing a border or squadrons of fighter planes crossing a border. This is a very difficult, but real and dangerous threat. And there's no higher priority for our country than -- than this issue.

I had the privilege of co-chairing President Obama's Intelligence Advisory Board for four years before I was asked to do this job. And that -- that issue took more of our time than -- than any one issue. I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee for eight years. And even 10 years ago, on that committee, we were focusing on this.

But to just give you one sense of the framing out on this and perspective, very few people 10 years ago -- very few people eight years ago, six years ago would have rated cyber challenges, dangers as maybe the biggest threat to all of us. I mean, it happens that fast. And you know all the reasons. You know, these attacks can paralyze an electric grid, a banking system, knock out computers on ships or weapons systems, and you never fire a shot. And it's hard to detect exactly where it comes from, so you've got that added problem, you respond, if you respond, where do you respond, how do you respond, are you sure you're responding to the right person, the right country, the right entity in that country? Tough issue. But we're working on it. And we're working very hard on it.

Are you -- are you in that business?

Q: (OFF-MIC)

SEC. HAGEL: Well, you're young, smart, good-looking, and you got a great future. You're a Nebraskan. No, that's a joke. I thought it was -- young, good-looking, smart, you had to be.

Who else wants -- yes?

Q: Morning, sir. I'm Corporal Harris with Headquarters Battalion on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. I'm actually about to get out of the military in a couple weeks here, and I've been noticing on the news a lot of stories about how backlogged the V.A. is. I was wondering what was being done to help streamline the system and when we could expect to see changes.

SEC. HAGEL: Well, unfortunately, that is the case. The Department of Defense obviously has a responsibility and a role in all of this, to help the VA. We've been working very closely with the VA on this over the years. We're not near where we need to be, where we should be, and where we will be.

When I came into this job about three months ago, I started looking at everything, and that was one of the first things that I looked at. I had been the deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration under President Reagan for the first year-and-a-half he was in office. And I played a role in helping get the VA on a then-computerized system. We had never, ever had anything like that.

So it doesn't mean I know a lot. I don't. But I know probably more than most people do about this, because I had responsibility of helping put it together at the VA. So I know how difficult this job is.

The first 10 days I was in this job, I went over to see General Shinseki, who's an old friend, who, as you know, is secretary of veterans affairs. We sat down for two hours, just the two of us, and said, all right, take me through it, Ric. What are we doing right? Where are failing? What are the problems?

I went back and got involved in it at DOD. I put a hold on everything going forward on RFPs, everything, until I could get a better understanding of what we were doing. We have now completely restructured it. We've taken it out of where it was, put new leadership in charge, new acquisitions people in charge, continuing to work obviously where we can, and we have made progress, by the way, in helping the VA, but a lot more.

Second, when you look at that backlog problem, over 800,000 cases, most of that is a result of claims that have come in from members who were in the military who served before Iraq and Afghanistan. Even some go back to World War II. Now, to retrieve those records, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and going back that far, is where part of the big problem is. And our role, our piece of that backlog is very small, in the backlog issue itself. And I think, unfortunately, the issue gets confused, because there are a lot of pieces to the DOD-VA partnership in how we exchange and how we have mutual roadmaps and how we are able to move things electronically back and forth.

And, by the way, there's a lot of good news on that. We've made good -- a lot of good progress. The backlog is a problem. It's a big problem. But that is separate from a lot of other things, and people get confused and don't understand that.

So bottom line is, we're doing everything we can, we'll continue to do. We're recommitted to do that. I just sent Secretary Shinseki a letter before I left a couple days ago, two-page letter, from him -- from me to him, laying out all the new initiatives that I propose we, DOD, do for VA Our chiefs of staff have talked. Our top people have talked. I have laid all these new assets out and said, do you want them? Do you need them?

People -- now, we have a lot of people at the VA now. I mean, we have had -- we have DOD people over there, and we have DOD people at VA regional centers, processing centers, especially up in Seattle, Washington. So we're doing an awful lot now. It needs to get fixed. We'll do more. And you have my word for that. Thank you.

All right. One more question, and then I'll let you guys go back to work. Yes?

Q: Yes, sir. Good morning, sir.

SEC. HAGEL: Morning.

Q: Petty Officer Littlebiggs, representative Pacific Command, J4. Yes, sir, my question this morning is that, with the activity that we're seeing here in the Pacific and in Asia, do you suspect in the near future or intermediate future that we're going to start ramping up forces as they did at CENTCOM [U.S. Central Command], sir, during that program?

SEC. HAGEL: Well, we actually are increasing our assets and -- and deployment of assets here. If you look at our naval assets, those are increasing. I think the F-22 squadron here is another indication. We're doing far more bilateral exercises out here than we ever have. We're continuing to stay on track and actually enhance and increase some of the trilateral, some of the ASEAN activities. We're doing far more than we've ever done, and -- and that comports with the overall rebalancing, which includes moving more assets into the area.

Marines, you know, we're -- we're having some exchanges and we are making some -- have made some decisions to put Marines in Darwin, Australia, and we'll increase those numbers as we go forward, as we're redeploying Marines off of Okinawa -- excuse me -- onto Guam. So redeployment, more -- some of our best assets, certainly naval forward presence, but air and naval presence, you'll see more and more of that kind of -- and as you are right now -- of that kind of increase.

Well, again, thank you very, very much. Enjoy your time here. And who is here not from -- originally from Hawaii? I know we've got National Guard here and civilians. Raise your hands, those who've -- who are not from Hawaii. Oh, you got -- probably the majority are not from Hawaii. And it's just too bad you've been assigned here, but I know you'll struggle through it with all your commitment to our country.

Well, good luck to you. Much success to you. And thank you for what you're doing. Thank you. (Applause.)

THE SWIFT TEST TO DETOUR ORGANIZED CRIME AND USS JOHN C. STENNIS PASSES MEMORIAL

 

FROM: U.S. NAVY, MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND

A tethered TIF-25K aerostat is positioned on the Military Sealift Command high-speed vessel Swift (HSV 2) to be tested and evaluated at sea for use in future Operation Martillo counter transnational organized crime operations while assigned to U.S. 4th Fleet. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker (Released) 130423-N-IC228-001

The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) passes by the Missing Man Memorial as it departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a scheduled port visit in Hawaii. The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is returning from an eight-month deployment conducting operations in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Diana Quinlan (Released) 130424-N-WF272-069

　

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SPEAKS ON PACIFIC COMMAND AND CHANGES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks to troops and civilian employees of U.S. Pacific Command headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, May 31, 2012. Panetta is on a 10-day trip to the Asia Pacific to meet with defense counterparts. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  

Pacific Command Stands at Forefront of Defense Change, Panetta Says
By Jim Garamone
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii, May 31, 2012 - The personnel at U.S. Pacific Command are at the forefront of changes to American defense strategy, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here today.

The secretary spoke to about 300 members of the command in front of the Nimitz-MacArthur headquarters building. The command has a huge role, "in promoting peace and prosperity and security throughout the Asia-Pacific region," Panetta said.

The new defense strategy will play out particularly in the Pacific, the secretary said. "It is going to be in your hands," he told them.

The secretary said new strategic guidance protects a strong military for the future while still cutting $487 billion over 10 years. Cuts to the military must be done carefully and must maintain the military capabilities needed to counter the possible threats. Officials used the strategic guidance to form the budget, and it was done carefully.

"The last damn thing I want to do is hollow out the force," Panetta said. "I want to ensure that we maintain the strongest military in the world, and I want to make sure that we don't break trust with those who have put their lives on the line -- you. What we promised you we will stick to."

The key elements of the strategy are at play in the Asia-Pacific region, he said. The American military must be more agile, more flexible and more deployable, and it must maintain capabilities on the cutting edge of technology.

"We've got to focus on where the main threats are," Panetta said. "That means we continue to focus on the Pacific region and the Middle East, because that's where the potential problems are for the future."

But the U.S. military has worldwide commitments and forces must show the flag in other parts of the world. "The way to do that is develop these kind of creative rotational movements that allow us to go into countries and be able to work with countries to develop their capabilities," he said.

The U.S. must be able to confront and defeat multiple threats at the same time. "If we have to fight a war in Korea at the same time we have to fight in the Middle East, we can do that, and we have to be able to do that," he said.

Finally, the strategy isn't just about cutting, but investing. The U.S. must invest in cyber capabilities, invest in space and invest in the technologies that make the military more agile and deployable.

Panetta stressed that service members are the key to the strategy. "It's because of you we really are at a turning point," he said. "We brought the war in Iraq to an end, we've given Iraq the opportunity to govern and secure itself."

There is also a plan to responsibly withdraw from Afghanistan, the secretary said.
"There is tough fighting ahead, but we are headed in the right direction," Panetta said. "We have successfully gone after al-Qaida, we[have]successfully gone after bin Laden and their leadership, and we've made very clear that nobody attacks the United States and gets away with it – nobody."

There is still a threat from al-Qaida but it has shifted to Yemen, Somalia and North Africa. And U.S. pressure has meant the organization cannot plan with impunity, he said.

"Look at the last 10 years, and we have something to point to because of those who were willing to serve, to put their lives on the line," he said. "Because of those who did everything we asked them to do, we are making the world safer."

SAILORS PREVIEW MOVIE "BATTLESHIP"

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Photo:  USS Missouri from U.S. Navy
JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam Sailors Preview 'Battleship'
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Mark Logico, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- More than 450 Sailors, and their friends and families, attended the advance screening of Universal Studio's "Battleship" at Sharkey Theater on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, April 28.
Filming for the movie in Hawaii began in 2010 when hundreds of Hawaii-based Sailors, veterans and Navy ships played parts in the movie. The movie featured the capabilities of U.S. Navy destroyers and WWII veterans. In January 2010, even the Battleship Missouri Memorial sailed out to sea for some initial filming.

"We don't put enough attention with our elders, in particular our veterans," said Peter Berg, the director of the movie. "By far my favorite moment on Battleship is getting to meet these veterans. Some of those guys are in their 90s, and they would come on board with the energy of a 20 year old. They had all these stories. They were having the best time. They get to be on their ship. That was, by far, my career highlight."

The cast of Battleship, including Peter Berg, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard, and Rihanna, were all at Sharkey Theater to greet the audience.

"There was a time when Hollywood didn't see eye-to-eye with the military, and I really think that time is no more," said Berg. "I think that Soldiers feel it. Soldiers are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan to a different reception then they did when they came back from Vietnam, and I think that's great. I'm just glad to be able to do my part to pay respect."

The movie also featured Col. Gregory Gadson, the Director of the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program, who is a Wounded Warrior himself. Gadson, who lost both his legs because of an improvised explosive device in 2007, practically played himself as Lt. Col. Mick Canales fighting aliens in the movie.

"I like to say that fighting aliens is no different than fighting a human," said Gadson. "If you're fighting for your life, you're going to do whatever it takes to win."

Gadson said he hopes the movie would also help all warriors, wounded or otherwise, and let them know that life can go on.

"You've got to put behind you what's happened in the past," said Gadson. "When you have an opportunity to learn and to go through hard experiences, you can come out the other side and live a productive life."

To prepare for her role in the movie, Rhianna enlisted the help of Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Jacquelyn Carrizosa, assigned aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during the filming in 2010.

"She really helped me out," said Rihanna. "I paid attention to her, everything about the way she dressed, the way she walked, her mannerisms, how she spoke, how collected she was. That was very crucial to me playing this part. She was a pretty girl but very, very tough. Her demeanor was so quiet and sweet, and then you see her put on this uniform and she walks on the set, she's a whole different beast. She helps me as a friend but when she gets in her element she's very intimidating."

During the filming, Rihanna and the rest of the cast interacted with many of the Sailors in Hawaii so the actors could better understand their roles in the movie.

"I was exposed to a lot of things that I didn't know about the Navy, just seeing their demeanor, where you lived, where you stayed," said Rihanna. "I heard about how long you guys stayed at sea without your family. It really was an awakening for me. It made me appreciate what you guys do so much more."

The film opens officially in U.S. theaters on May 18. The movie is based on a board game of the same name. It is about how a fleet of ships is forced to fight an armada of alien ships.

"The film is going to expose a lot of what the Navy does, and no one knows how these ships are fought and how the day-to-day stuff is," said Kitsch. "I love how we exposed a lot of that. You read about the sacrifice and what it means to wear the uniform, and I think that's what hit me the most. Not just meeting the Sailors and everyone, that's a part of it, but the families, the sacrifices that they make as well. That was probably the biggest one that I took away: how much sacrifice that is."

EXERCISE FOAL EAGLE IN S. KOREA SHOWS U.S. AND KOREAN FORCES READINESS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Korea Exercise Lets Battalion Stretch Its Wings
By Jim Garamone
WASHINGTON, April 19, 2012 - Exercise Foal Eagle – an annual training exercise in South Korea – has given a Hawaii-based battalion an opportunity to spread its wings.
The exercise, which ends April 30, allows U.S. and South Korean service members to work together in defense of the Korean peninsula.

The exercise has added impetus this year, as North Korea launched a missile in defiance of United Nations agreements, said Army Lt. Col. Tim Hayden, commander of the 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry. His unit traveled to South Korea from its base in Hawaii to be part of the exercise.

"[The launch] did serve a strong point to remind us of our responsibility to maintain our readiness and our partnership with our Korean allies," he added.
The battalion focused on both the training mission and the combined mission with South Korean partners. The unit worked closely with South Korean army units as the exercise unfolded. It is a type of mission the unit, which has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, has not practiced for years, Hayden said.

The battalion started preparing for movement last year and deployed in March. The unit has been able to train on everything from individual skills up through platoon and company level, the colonel said, and conducted combined training with the South Koreans.

"One of the events I'd like to highlight was a combined defensive live-fire shot here on Rodriguez Range," Hayden said from South Korea. "It was a great event, because we partnered with a Korean tank platoon."

The South Korean tankers partnered with the battalion's mobile gun systems – a 105 mm main gun on a Stryker vehicle variant. This allowed the troops of both nations to fight a defensive live-fire battle together.

"What we found was through our troops leading procedures and our rehearsals was both the Korean army and our Army have a lot in common – we have high-caliber leaders, we have well-trained soldiers, we have very good equipment," he said. "We can communicate and fight on the battlefield today as allies and partners."

Many of the American soldiers are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, Hayden noted.
"What this has been able to do for us is focus on a higher-intensity fight, more of a decisive action, and fight in the terrain that we would have to fight here on the peninsula should a contingency arise," he said. "The change of terrain has forced my leaders to think beyond the standard mission set they are used to in Iraq or Afghanistan."

The colonel said his unit is ready for the type of combat that could happen in Korea. "We are ready," he said. "We've mastered the basics, and we're focused on our core competencies and our fundamental warfighting skills, and we remain disciplined in what we do."

KOA KAI 12-2 EXERCISE

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
PACIFIC OCEAN (April 4, 2012) Boatswain's Mate Seaman Gerald Dekle guides a Sikorsky S-61N twin-engine helicopter as it lands aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) during maritime exercise Koa Kai 12-2. Koa Kai is a semi-annual exercise in the waters around Hawaii designed to prepare independently deploying ships in multiple warfare areas and provide training in a multi-ship environment. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker/Released)