PRESIDENT OBAMA TO PICK ARMY GENERAL LLOYD J. AUSTIN III TO HEAD U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III [pictured], who's currently serving as the vice chief of staff of the Army, to succeed Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as the next commander of U.S. Central Command. U.S. Army photo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Intends to Nominate Austin as Centcom Chief

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2012 - President Barack Obama intends to nominate Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, currently the vice chief of staff of the Army, to succeed Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as the next commander of U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced today.

Austin is "one of the military's most seasoned combat leaders," the secretary said, and will "bring an important combination of strategic thinking, regional knowledge and proven judgment to one of the most critical posts in the department."

Austin was the final commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, holding that position from Sept. 1, 2010, until the command was disestablished Dec. 18, 2011.

"During his final deployment to Iraq, Gen. Austin led our military efforts at a particularly important time, overseeing the drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment while simultaneously helping to ensure that hard-fought security gains were preserved and that Iraqis could secure and govern themselves," Panetta said.

Austin's previous commands include the 3rd Infantry Division, with whom he earned a Silver Star for valor for actions in the early months of the war in Iraq. He also served as commander of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, and as commander of Multinational Corps-Iraq from February 2008 through April 2009.

Mattis has commanded Centcom since Aug. 11, 2010, having previously served as commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command.

"[Mattis] will go down as one of the most celebrated battlefield leaders and strategic military thinkers of our time," Panetta said.

Austin's nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

NATO CHIEF SAYS TROOP NUMBERS WILL NOT CHANGE IN KOSOVO

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left, speaks with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, right, before a conference of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Oct. 10, 2012. Panetta is scheduled to meet with several defense ministers during the two-day event. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Troop Numbers to Remain Stable for Kosovo, Rasmussen Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2012 - NATO has no plans to reduce its Kosovo Force, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels today.

About 1,650 troops, including around 760 Americans, serve in the Kosovo Force, known as KFOR. Alliance defense ministers discussed the situation in the country during their meeting this week and will not make any changes in the make-up of the force, Rasmussen told reporters as the NATO defense ministers conference wrapped up.

"We agreed that KFOR continues to play an indispensable role in Kosovo," he said. "And ministers made clear that they remain committed to sustaining that role."

The ministers agreed that the security situation and freedom of movement have improved in Kosovo over the last six months, "but that we must remain vigilant and strong," he said.

NATO ministers welcome renewed contacts between Serbian and Kosovar officials, and NATO nations are fully committed to furthering that dialogue, the secretary general noted. "All need to live up to their responsibilities and move the whole region forward," he said.

NATO has no plans to reduce the troop presence in Kosovo, Rasmussen said. "We have the ambition to gradually reduce our troop presence in Kosovo as the security situation, hopefully, continues to improve," Rasmussen said. "But because of the volatile situation we have witnessed during the recent year, we have postponed the decision to reduce the number of troops."

The secretary general reiterated that what happens in Kosovo will be dictated by the security situation on the ground. "We will not take any step that can deteriorate the security situation in Kosovo," he said. "We will stay committed to fully implementing the United Nations Security Council's mandate to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo."

Military commanders may change where troops are deployed in the country, Rasmussen said. "You will see some rebalancing in the coming months with a stronger focus on the north of Kosovo, taking into account the situation we have witnessed there," he said.

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SPEAKS TO CONFERENCE OF DEFENSE MINISTERS OF THE AMERICAS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, left, shakes hands with Urugayan Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro before a meeting during a conference for defense ministers in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Oct 7, 2012. Panetta is visiting South America to strengthen defense partnerships with countries in the region. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas

As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Punta Del Este, Uruguay, Monday, October 08, 2012
Muchas gracias. Buenos dias. Mr. President, Mr. Minister, my fellow Ministers, military leaders who are here, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen.

It is truly a great honor to have the privilege for me to be here in Uruguay, and to be with so many distinguished leaders to talk about defense cooperation in the Americas. I'm particularly pleased to be able to participate in this conference, which has become I believe the premier forum in the Americas to discuss ways to advance peace and security across the region and around the world.

When this forum was established in the mid-1990s, I was serving in the U.S. government as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton. The Cold War had ended and we confronted a changed security environment with an array of new challenges. In this hemisphere and around the world, national economies were growing and becoming more integrated. Senior leaders in the Administration at that time, including Defense Secretary Bill Perry, knew that by virtue of shared geography – by virtue of shared challenges in the post-Cold War world that we were living in – it would be even more important to strengthen defense ties across the Americas.

This forum remains a central part of all of our efforts to enhance regional security and promote greater cooperation between Western Hemisphere military forces. Over the last two decades, our people, our economies, our cultures, and our values have become even more connected not just because we are neighbors but because we are one family in this hemisphere. And as one family, we confront many of the same threats that face our nations across borders and across oceans, from terrorism, to drug trafficking, to nuclear proliferation, to humanitarian disasters. We cannot deal with these threats alone or in isolation; we can only deal with them if we work together.

We have seen a remarkable transformation in defense collaboration in this hemisphere. All of you, representing the nations of this hemisphere, are contributing more and more capabilities to meet our collective defense responsibilities in the 21st century. We have an historic opportunity to renew and strengthen these defense partnerships. We have an historic opportunity to create "a new era" in our relationship – an era of broad and constructive hemispheric defense collaboration.

As part of our new defense strategy in the United States, we are strongly committed to strengthening our defense partnerships in the Americas and in other regions of the world. Last week, I released our Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement which describes this new era that I discussed, and will guide our approach to defense cooperation across the region. The statement recognizes that the nations in this region have a growing capability and willingness to help address the security challenges of the 21st century. Our Western Hemisphere defense policy also states that the United States will reinvigorate our defense partnerships and pursue new ones on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest consistent with President Obama's approach to the region.

The statement includes three objectives:
First, strong institutions of government. It is essential that our nations have strong national institutions of government in order to address legitimate threats to the state and to our citizens;
Second, shared action. If we face shared threats, then we need shared action by more effectively and efficiently coordinating our defense forces; and
Third, multilateral forums. If we are to have shared actions, we must have forums that can bring us together. The purpose of multilateral mechanisms and institutions like this conference, like the Inter-American Defense Board, the whole purpose of that is to achieve consensus on the direction of hemispheric defense collaboration.
Therefore, the themes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping, and defense and security are very appropriate for this 10th CDMA.

On Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, the United States supports the Chilean initiative to accelerate and coordinate our support for civilian-led relief efforts. Nations of this hemisphere, including my own, have faced devastating disasters – earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, fires – that have destroyed lives and property. As one family, we have a responsibility to work together to provide immediate, comprehensive, and organized relief for our people. For example, following the destructive earthquake in Haiti, millions of people faced a desperate shortage of food, clean water, and shelter – and urgently needed those supplies from neighboring countries.

Western Hemisphere nations worked together to provide much-needed help, but we lacked a mechanism to collaborate in real-time and focus our efforts where they were most needed. That's what the Chilean initiative is all about – rapid and fully integrated response. We should implement that initiative now so that we're ready to respond quickly and effectively when the next disaster strikes.

On peacekeeping, countries in the Western Hemisphere have assumed a very impressive leadership role by engaging, addressing, and improving United Nations peacekeeping. Uruguay has in particular been a leader in that area. Since the turn of the 21st century, 13 countries from this hemisphere have contributed to or led multi-national security operations and UN peacekeeping missions around the globe. That includes the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, which is comprised mainly of Western Hemisphere nations working side-by-side to accomplish their shared mission.

On the issues of defense and security, the United States recognizes that sometimes it is difficult to determine whether transnational threats to peace and stability are matters of defense or matters of law enforcement. In some cases, countries have turned to their defense forces to support civilian authorities. To be clear, the use of the military to perform civil law enforcement cannot be a long-term solution. But as partners, the United States will do what we can to bridge the capability gaps between armed forces and law enforcement. And we are committed to do so in a manner that respects human rights, the rule of law, and civilian authority. We can and we will provide a helping hand, but ultimately civilian authorities must be able to shoulder this burden on their own.

Let me conclude by noting once again that we are in a new era of defense cooperation in this hemisphere. This era is characterized by nations that have the capability and willingness to share the full range of security burdens and responsibilities. Unlike the past, the United States is not interested in establishing permanent bases or in assuming the dominant role of defending others. Our goal is to work with you, nations that want us to help them to develop their capabilities so that they can defend and secure themselves. Our interest is to work with you, not against you.

Let me quote from the conclusion of our Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement:

"During the past decade, a remarkable transformation has taken place in the Western Hemisphere. Across the region, countries are doing more than they ever have before to advance peace and security within and beyond their borders. Their efforts are promoting security and stability not only in the Americas, but across the globe – and provide the United States with an historic opportunity to renew and strengthen our defense partnerships across the region."

My nation welcomes this new era of Western Hemisphere defense cooperation, standing together with our neighbors and our friends to advance peace and prosperity as true security partners. At the very core of our relationship is that we are one family of nations – now and forever. "Somos una familia de naciones, hoy y siempre."

Muchas Gracias.

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA VISITS URAGUAY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEU.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta Arrives In Parguay.

　

Panetta: Western Hemisphere Nations Face Threats in Common

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay, Oct. 8, 2012 - Nations of the Western Hemisphere are a family sharing many of the same threats that confront them across borders and oceans, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

Panetta spoke at the plenary session of the 10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas. The themes of the conference include defense and security, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The secretary called these themes a central part of efforts to enhance regional security and increase cooperation between military forces in the hemisphere.

"Over the last two decades, our people, our economies, our cultures and our values have become even more connected, not just because we are neighbors but because we are one family in this hemisphere," Panetta told participants from many nations.

"We have seen a remarkable transformation in defense collaboration in this hemisphere," he added.

"All of you, representing the nations of this hemisphere, are contributing more and more capabilities to meet our collective defense responsibilities in the 21st century," the secretary said.

Last week, Panetta released the Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement, a framework for implementing the new U.S. defense strategy across Latin America.

In the Western Hemisphere, according to the new policy, the United States will reinvigorate its defense partnerships and pursue new ones, consistent with President Barack Obama's approach to the region, the secretary said.

The statement's three objectives include promoting the following:

- Strong national government institutions that allow all nations in the region to address legitimate threats to the state and their citizens.

- Shared action against shared threats through more effectively and efficiently coordinating defense forces.

- Multilateral mechanisms and institutions, like the current conference and the Inter-American Defense Board, to achieve consensus on the direction of hemispheric defense collaboration.

"On the issues of defense and security, the United States recognizes that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether transnational threats to peace and stability are matters of defense or law enforcement," Panetta said.

In some cases, he added, countries have turned to their defense forces to support civilian authorities.

"To be clear, the use of the military to perform civil law enforcement cannot be a long-term solution," the secretary said. "But as partners, the United States will do what we can to bridge the capability gaps between armed forces and law enforcement."

The United States is committed to do so in a manner respectful of human rights, the rule of law and civilian authority, he added.

"We can and we will provide a helping hand, but ultimately civilian authorities must be able to shoulder this burden on their own," he said.

On humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the United States supports the Chilean initiative to accelerate and coordinate support for civilian-led relief efforts, Panetta said.

Nations of the hemisphere have faced earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and fires that have destroyed lives and property, he added, and they must work together to provide immediate, comprehensive and organized relief to their citizens.

The Chilean initiative facilitates a rapid and fully integrated response to disasters, the secretary noted, adding that "we should implement that initiative now so that we're ready to respond quickly and effectively when the next disaster strikes."

On peacekeeping, countries in the Western Hemisphere have assumed an impressive leadership role by engaging, addressing and improving United Nations peacekeeping, Panetta said.

"Since the turn of the 21st century, 13 countries from this hemisphere have contributed to or led multinational security operations and U.N. peacekeeping missions around the globe," he added. These included part of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti, composed mainly of Western Hemisphere nations working side by side to accomplish their mission.

In a new era of defense cooperation in the hemisphere, Panetta said, "Our goal is to work with those nations that want us to help them to develop their capabilities so that they can defend and secure themselves. Our interest is to work with you, not against you."

U.S. SECRETARY PANETTA AND CANADIAN DEFENSE MINISTER MACKAY DISCUSS IRANIAN NUCLEAR AMBITIONS



U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left, and Canadian Defense Minister Peter G. MacKay chat informally before they begin a meeting at the Pentagon, Sept. 28, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta, McKay Share Concerns on Iran
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2012 - U.S. policy toward Iran's nuclear capability "is not about containment, it's about prevention," Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today, in reference to what Western nations believe is Tehran's attempt to enrich enough uranium to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Panetta and Canadian National Defense Minister Peter G. MacKay spoke to the Pentagon press corps following a meeting during which they discussed bilateral relations, Western Hemisphere concerns, Afghanistan and the Middle East with a particular emphasis on Iran.

In their session with reporters, Panetta reiterated that it is U.S. policy that Iran not develop atomic weapons. Both stressed that they want the Iranian government to respond to diplomacy and international sanctions aimed at thwarting suspected efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

Canada has deep concerns about the Iranian nuclear program and recently closed its embassy in Tehran. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen J. Harper has called Iran the most dangerous place on Earth, and spoke of the "clear and present danger" that Iran poses to the world during a speech to the United Nations.

There were questions at today's joint news conference about red lines for Iran regarding its alleged nuclear ambitions. "There have been a number of red lines placed already, and Iran has edged closer and stepped over those red lines on a number of occasions now, particularly when it comes to cooperation around the subject of inspections," MacKay said.

On Syria, Panetta said there were indications the Syrian military had moved some chemical weapons in recent weeks, but that the main bases with these armaments remain secure.

In their meeting, Panetta and MacKay also discussed the need for greater security collaboration across the Western Hemisphere, particularly for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. "We think that's a real potential for bringing countries together in a common effort," Panetta said. He hopes this will be part of the agenda at the Defense Ministerial of the Americas beginning next week in Uruguay.

Panetta thanked MacKay for Canada's steadfast support in Afghanistan where it has deployed about 500 troops who are training Afghan national security forces.

There is progress and there is hope" in Afghanistan, MacKay said.

"This is what we had always anticipated, is the eventual turnover of security responsibility will allow ... Afghanistan and hopefully the region, to spread that security and spread that hope," he said.

AFGHAN AND NATO TROOPS WORK TOGETHR AGAIN

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief the press at the Pentagon Sept. 25, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2012 - Afghan and NATO troops have resumed partnered operations which were suspended earlier this month because of a series of deadly insider attacks, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced during a news conference here today.

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, had ordered that all combined operations below the battalion level be approved by regional commanders following attacks by Afghan soldiers and police that have killed 51 members of the coalition this year.

However, Afghan and coalition troops are now back to conducting partnered operations as before, Panetta told Pentagon reporters. The military believes some of the insider attacks were perhaps triggered by Muslim anger over an American-made internet video that defamed the Prophet Muhammad.

"I can now report to you that most ISAF units have returned to their normal partnered operations at all levels," said Panetta, who was accompanied by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Dempsey, just back from a visit to Afghanistan, said partnering efforts are back to the level they were before the difficulties. Around 90 percent of all operations in the country are partnered.

Even with the insider attacks, Panetta said the coalition and Afghan efforts are paying off. He said the Taliban were in control of large swaths of Afghanistan and were poised to take more when the coalition surge into the country began in December 2009.

Last week, the secretary announced the end of the surge, with the departure of the last of the 33,000 troops who were ordered deployed. There are now 68,000 American service members in Afghanistan.

"[The surge] accomplished the primary objectives of reversing the Taliban's momentum on the battlefield and dramatically increased the size and capability of the Afghan national security forces," Panetta said.

This will continue, said Dempsey, noting coalition troops will continue to partner with Afghan soldiers and police. The Taliban has failed to recover momentum or any territory. "Our Afghan partners are working with us to shut down the threat of insider attacks," the chairman said. "As one Afghan army commander told me, insider attacks are an affront to their honor, at odds with their culture and their faith."

Taliban insurgents are actively trying to infiltrate Afghan army and police formations, Dempsey said. The insurgent group is also trying to turn Afghan soldiers and police against their coalition allies.

Dempsey said coalition forces are adapting to the Taliban's change in tactics.

"That's what professional militaries do," he said. "And we are doing it in a way that ensures we continue to be able to partner."

The Taliban wants to break the coalition, the general said, but the coalition's resolve to stand with Afghan formations is strong.

Still, it will be tough going in the country, Panetta said. "The enemy we are dealing with ... is adaptive and resilient," the secretary said. "Their focus has shifted to carrying out high-profile attacks in order to undermine the new sense of security that has been felt by ordinary Afghans."

Panetta expects there will be more high-profile attacks like the one that struck Camp Bastion last week.

"The enemy will do whatever they can to try and break our will using this kind of tactic. That will not happen," he said.

Afghan forces are the "defeat mechanism" of the insurgency, Panetta said.

"We have an enduring commitment to an Afghanistan that can secure and govern itself and that is never again a safe haven from which terrorists can attack us," he said. "Our men and women in uniform, our fighting forces, ISAF, Afghanistan fighting forces I think have sent a strong message to the Taliban that time is not on their side."

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA SPEAKS ON PASSING OF NEIL ARMSTRONG

Photo Credit:  NASA
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta Praises Neil Armstrong's Legacy
By John Valceanu
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said he was deeply saddened by death of Neil Armstrong today, calling the pioneering astronaut "one of America's greatest heroes and naval aviators."

Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission he commanded as a NASA civilian. He also had a distinguished career as a Navy combat aviator during the Korean War. He died from complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures, according to a statement released by his family. He was 82.

"On behalf of the Department of Defense, I express my condolences to the Armstrong family during this difficult time," Panetta said in his statement. The defense secretary called Armstrong "one of our own," praising his service to the nation both in and out of military uniform.

"As a decorated Korean War veteran, as an astronaut for NASA, and as the first man to walk on the moon, Neil inspired generations of Americans to believe that as a nation we are capable of achieving greatness that only comes with determination, perseverance, and hard work," Panetta said.

"As a true pioneer, his one small step showed all mankind the great feats we can accomplish when we set ourselves to the task," the secretary said.

Panetta said Armstrong may be gone, but "his legacy of American achievement and national pride will live forever."