DEFENSE SECRETARY CARTER VISITS HIS FORMER HIGH SCHOOL IN ABINGTON, PA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Defense Secretary Ash Carter delivers remarks to students at his high school alma mater, Abington Senior High School in Abington, Pa., March 30, 2015. Carter spoke about building "the force of the future" and what the Defense Department must do to maintain its superiority well into the 21st century. DoD screen shot.
 
Carter: New Generation is Future of National Security
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2015 – On the first day of a two-day domestic trip, Defense Secretary Ash Carter today visited the high school he attended in Abington, Pennsylvania, to speak with students whose generation, he said, represents the future of national security.

Carter -- Abington class of 1972 -- got a standing ovation as he took the podium. After he spoke and answered a round of questions from students in the packed high school auditorium, they stood, clapped and cheered as he thanked them for their attention.

On his first domestic trip as defense secretary, Carter is also scheduled to visit Fort Drum in Jefferson County, New York -- home of the 10th Mountain Division. There, he plans to meet with troops who recently served in Afghanistan.

Before traveling back to Washington, the secretary will stop at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, to discuss the department’s commitment to building what he calls the “force of the future.”

Joining the Military

In his remarks, Carter referenced the 150-plus Abington graduates who had joined the military before and after attending college since 2000.
The secretary mentioned of some of his favorite high school teachers and coaches, some of whom were in the audience. He also named Lt. Matt Capps, a Navy helicopter pilot and 2000 graduate, whose mother Carole, a school employee, was in the audience.

“Movies like ‘American Sniper,’ video games like ‘Call of Duty’ and TV commercials with troops coming home are most likely where you see our military in your everyday lives, unless you have a family member or friend who is serving,” Carter said. Those images are somewhat true, he added, but they’re only part of what the 2.3 million men and women in uniform do every day in their jobs and in their lives.

The Future of National Security

“I wanted to come here today because your generation represents the future of our country and the future of our national security,” Carter told his audience.
“We now have the finest fighting force the world has ever known,” he said to applause, “and they’re not just defending our country against terrorists in such places as Afghanistan and Syria and Iraq -- they’re helping defend cyberspace, too.”

Service members work with cutting-edge technologies such as robotics and in fields such as biomedical engineering, the secretary said.

When disaster strikes, military forces deliver aid all over the world, he added, from the 2011 nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan to super storm Sandy in the United States. And they mobilized to Africa to save thousands of lives, helping to keep the deadly Ebola virus disease from spreading around the world.
Evolving Military Missions

“Our country’s military missions continue to evolve rapidly as our world changes and technology continues to revolutionize everything we do,” Carter said, “and … the institution I lead, the Department of Defense, must keep pace with that change as well to keep our nation secure.”

The secretary told the students that some people join the service right after high school and pursue a college education over time while serving. Some in college participate in the ROTC, a college-based program for training commissioned officers.

“In all cases, college and higher learning are encouraged, because we need our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to be the best and the brightest this country has to offer,” Carter said.

Nearly 40 percent of military officers come from ROTC programs at colleges and universities, he added, noting that the services send many members to top-notch graduate programs, such as civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, medical school at Stanford University, and business school at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
The New GI Bill

Everyone who serves, Carter added, can get college benefits through the GI Bill –- now called the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 -- which over the past five and a half years has helped more than 1.3 million Americans pay for college.

“You don’t have to join the military to serve your country –- I didn’t,” Carter said. “But Matt and all those other Abington graduates are the foundation of our future force.”

The future force has other pieces too, he added, such as having the best technology and the best planes, ships and tanks. “But it all starts and ends with our people,” he added. “If we can’t continue to attract, inspire and excite talented young Americans like you, then nothing else will matter.”

To help build the future force, the department must be able to attract young people and put the current generation’s command of technology to work for the nation, the secretary said.

Building the Future Force

Carter mentioned the kind of data-driven technology that allows Netflix to suggest movies and TV shows, Twitter to suggest who to follow and Facebook to suggest who to add as a friend. He said the same technology could be applied to chart how people are doing every day in all aspects of their jobs.

“We also need to use 21st-century technologies –- similar to LinkedIn and Monster.com –- to help develop 21st-century leaders and give our people even more flexibility and choice in deciding their next job when they’re in the military,” he added.

The department has internships, fellowships and pilot programs that allow people to pause their military service for a few years while they get a degree, learn a new skill or start a family, the secretary said, but he added that such programs are still small.

“These programs are good for us and our people, because they help people bring new skills and talents from outside back into the military,” Carter said. “So we need to look not only at ways we can improve and expand those programs, but also think about completely new ideas to help our people gain new skills and experiences.”

Equal Opportunity, Better World

Carter said the department also plans to keep making sure that anyone who is able and willing to serve their country has a full and equal opportunity to do so, drawing talent from a range of gender, racial, religious, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds.

“Whether you’re a man or woman, gay, lesbian or straight -- no matter what walk of life your family comes from -– we’ll make sure you’re treated with dignity and respect,” Carter told them.

The secretary said the services will be competing hard around the country for talent like that represented by the students at Abington.

“I know that not everyone here is thinking about military service, and that’s okay,” he said. “If you’re like I was and you’re still interested in serving your country and making a better world, we need to be ready to help with ways you can serve as a civilian. Right now that’s not something our local recruiters offer, but we have to rethink that.”

The department wants people to consider military and public service because, “when it comes to working in national security, no matter what you do –- military or civilian –- you will be better off for having been a part of this incredible mission,” Carter said. “Whether it’s the people, the skills or the experiences, nothing else compares. I guarantee it.”

SECRETARY PANETTA'S REMARKS ABOARD THE USS JOHN C. STENNIS

Photo:  USS John C. Stennis.  Credit:  U.S. Navy
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

August 22, 2012
STAFF: Afternoon, sir. How are you?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Thank you very much. Good to be here. Spent some time at Fort Lewis a long time ago when I was in ROTC at Santa Clara. So ever since then I've spent a lot of time up here in Seattle.
　

From a defense point of view this is really a -- a community that is one of the -- one of the -- the very best in terms of supporting the military mission. There are a lot of different missions that are supported here, and I have tremendous thanks and respect for the people of Washington and the way they support our military mission.

　
So I'm glad to be here and happy to answer your questions.
　

Q: (Inaudible) -- shifted Navy or other assets to the Mediterranean or Syria region at this time?

　
SEC. PANETTA: Not at this time. We've -- we have deployed a force to the Middle East, and obviously the Stennis will -- will join that force. And the focus of that is to be prepared to deal with any contingency that develops in the Middle East.
　

Q: How much of this has to do with the conflict between Israel and Iran? Is this a positioning effort?
　

SEC. PANETTA: It deals with a lot of threats in the Middle East right now. Obviously Iran is one of those threats that we have to -- we have to be able to focus on and make sure that we're prepared to deal with any threats that could emerge out of Iran.
　

Secondly, it is the turmoil in Syria, and we're obviously following that closely as well.

　
There also are tanker threats that come from Iran that threaten some of the tanker -- the oil traffic that goes through the straits, and that's another concern.

　
So there are a number of issues in that region. It is -- you know, we're gone through the Arab spring there. The results of that present both challenges and opportunities. And all of that is the reason we maintain the force that we have in the Middle East.
　

Q: (inaudible) -- two-carrier requirement that was going to end in September and now is definite or is there a new end date?
　

SEC. PANETTA: You know, we're looking at what we need in order to deal with the potential challenges that we face in the Middle East. I can't give you a time frame as to how long we'll have to maintain that -- that presence. But clearly maintaining two carriers in that region was important to us in order to have the ability to confront any contingency.

　
Q: Do you have any more details about the kind of assistance the military can provide to Jordan or Turkey in the case of Syrian refugees?

　
SEC. PANETTA: You know, dealing with Syria, obviously we've tried to focus on three areas of importance. One is to do what we can to assist on the humanitarian effort, and I think the president pointed out we've done about $81 million, $82 million. But we're also working with Jordan and with Turkey to try to deal with the refugee flows and try to help them as best we can.
　

Secondly is the -- the whole threat of chemical and biological weapons. There are sites in Syria. We're concerned about the security of those sites. So we're continuing to monitor those sites and work with both Turkey, as well as Jordan and Israel to ensure that -- that none of those weapons fall into the wrong hands.

　
STAFF: Couple more here, guys.

　
SEC. PANETTA: And let me just mention, the third one is the -- is obviously working with the opposition to try to give them what assistance we can. Basically we're providing nonlethal assistance at this time, but we're working with other countries to try to give them what support they can get in order to try to confront the Syrian army.
　

Q: Is there any possibility for a no-fly zone in the region at this point?

　
SEC. PANETTA: Well, you know, we've developed contingency plans for all kinds of possibilities there. But as I -- as I said, that's not on the front burner right now.

　
Q: Sir, is the U.S. any closer to declaring whether or not the Haqqani Network is a terrorist organization?
　

SEC. PANETTA: That's -- that's a decision that the State Department has to make with regards to making a recommendation on that. And I think it's probably best one that is addressed to them.
　

Q: Mr. Secretary, you testified that you're having -- you've called for investigations into the system-wide review of PTSD diagnoses. Is that close to being completed, or when might we see results from that?

　
SEC. PANETTA: Well, obviously, it -- you know, the concern sprang out of a situation here at McChord that told us that there was some misdiagnoses that had taken place.
　

Actually as a result of that I've asked all of the services to review all of their diagnosis to see just exactly whether the same thing has occurred elsewhere, and that's -- that's ongoing right now.
　

Also, there is an ongoing investigation here as to what took place at McChord, making sure that -- that we do everything possible to find out what happened and try to make sure we're taking steps to avoid that happening in the future.
　

I sent, obviously, high level individuals from the Pentagon who have visited here to try to look at the situation. We've made some changes. I'm awaiting further recommendations as to what we can do to do everything possible to make sure that that kind of misdiagnosis doesn't take place.

　
STAFF: Last one. Anyone?

　
Q: (Inaudible) -- for this region. (Inaudible) -- Pacific Rim.

　
SEC. PANETTA: I would assume that Bremerton's going to stay busy for a long time to come as a result of having to focus and project our force into the Pacific. That's -- that's going to -- we're going to need the kind of shipyards and maintenance and backup that Bremerton provides.

　
STAFF: Thank you all very much.

　
SEC. PANETTA: Okay.

HONORING ANZIO BEACHHEAD VETERANS AND FAMILIES

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Honoring the Anzio Veterans
By Ensign Chris Collins, USS Mahan Public Affairs Office
NORFOLK (NNS) -- On board guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72), crew members welcomed the Anzio Beachhead Veterans and their families, April 26, commemorating the anniversary of the World War II storming of Anzio Beach in Italy 68 years ago.

On Jan. 22, 1944, the beaches of Anzio, Italy, were assaulted by 40,000 soldiers, over 5,000 vehicles, and more than 250 U.S. Navy vessels, leading into a battle that waged for almost five months.

"I served in the Army from 1941 to 1945 as a .50-caliber machine gunner, 32 months of those years were spent overseas," said Bryant Huffman. "My wife and I still travel to Italy every year, but we always avoid the Anzio area."

The ship hosted the 25 veterans and their families who visited Mahan, where they were given a tour of the missile decks and foc'sle, the 5-inch gun, and the main decks spaces such as Central Command Station, the Mess Decks, and Combat Information Center.

Retired Lt. Col. John Ray, who enlisted on July 5, 1942, spent his Anzio days as an enlisted soldier but received a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) commission following the war. He went on to spend 24 years in the Army, retiring before the Vietnam conflict began.

"I finally left in 1966 as a lieutenant colonel," said Ray, "but I was proud to be a grunt in the 34th Infantry, 2nd Division during the war."

Morris Snyder talked about his experiences during the war; he spent five campaigns fighting in Africa and Europe, where he was wounded on three separate occasions. His third wound resulted in his capture by the German Army. He spent 228 days in a POW camp where he served as the Barracks Chief and Medical Examiner, despite having no medical experience.

After returning home and being offered a commission, he resigned his duties in the military after just two and a half years of service. He then went on to a 40-year career in the steel industry. He was awarded three Silver Stars and most recently the French Legion of Honor, the highest award the French government can bestow.

Snyder is more proud of raising a family than the awards.

"I've got a bunch of shiny stuff they gave me," Snyder said.

The veterans spoke of their excitement being able to visit a warship and learn something new. Mahan Sailors spoke with the veterans, heard their stories, and said they were reminded of the many reasons they chose to fight for their country.

Mahan is currently home ported at Naval Station Norfolk. Last year, the ship completed a U.S. 6th Fleet deployment in support of maritime security and will deploy again in 2013.

MILITARY PERSONNEL LEADERS GIVE TESTIMONY ON BUDGET REQUEST BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Service Personnel Leaders Testify on Budget Request

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2012 - Army, Navy and Air Force leaders detailed plans for force readiness and service member support when they briefed a Senate committee this week on budget requests for next year.

"Wartime experiences over the past decade have taught us that we must have a total Army," Thomas R. Lamont, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on military and civilian personnel programs April 25. The Army National Guard and Army Reserve provide 51 percent of the Army's military end strength for around 16 percent of the base budget, he said.

Lamont said he looks forward to working with Congress to ensure the Guard and Reserve maintain a readily trained force of one million soldiers. "We are increasingly aware of the physical and emotional toll a decade of war has taken on our force," Lamont said. "And we are committed to providing quality assistance" to soldiers and family members who are struggling with issues such as substance abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress."

All affect readiness and weaken the force, Lamont said. The Army continues to take aggressive action to promote health, identify and reduce risky behaviors and prevent suicides, he said. He also said the service is working hard to establish a climate where sexual harassment, sexual assault and hazing are not tolerated.

At the same hearing, Juan M. Garcia III, assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, highlighted new ROTC units and opportunities including those for women that have opened in the force.

"We have 23 female officers assigned to submarines, with more being assigned in the very near future," Garcia said. "Last year, I spoke of new Navy ROTC units at Arizona State University and Rutgers. This year, I'm pleased to report that we're expanding our ROTC presence at Harvard, Yale and Columbia as part of our goal to make Naval service a viable option for young men and women from all regions and all segments of society."

The Navy and Marine Corps will strive to meet operational requirements as efficiently as possible, Garcia added. "For the Navy, this means continuing to move sailors from shore-support functions to sea duty to enhance operational readiness," he explained. "For the Marines, the reduction of nearly 20,000 in end strength coincides with the planned withdrawal from Afghanistan."

Garcia said the Navy's highest priority remains the care and recovery of wounded, ill and injured service members, adding, "the Navy is leading the way in innovative, therapeutic treatments of our wounded warriors."

Daniel B. Ginsberg, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs testified about "very hard choices" the Air Force made for this year's budget submission.

"We had to reconcile top-line reductions with our requirement to fulfill our global commitments, and maintain acceptable levels of readiness while still sustaining key quality-of-life and core services for our people," Ginsberg said.

"Despite a difficult budget situation, the Air Force is committed to providing cost-effective medical care, services and programs to maintain a healthy and resilient force," he said. "We must support our people to meet the demands of a high-operation tempo and persistent conflict."

Ginsberg also told the committee how the services worked together to form a cohesive budget plan through the Defense Management Action Group.

"There's lots of communications back and forth where we highlight some of the big issues that are going to be coming forward in the year ahead," he added.