HAGEL DISCUSSES U.S. IRAQ MISSION

DOD VIDEO: HAGEL: AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISIL SUCCESSFUL

THE F-35 LIGHTNING II: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTS NEWEST FIGHTER PROGRAM

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks with reporters after touring the 33rd Fighter Wing and the F-35 Lightning II integrated training center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 10, 2014. During his visit, Hagel met with Eglin service members for 45 minutes to praise their work in the Defense Department’s newest fighter program. U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.  

Kendall: F-35 Rollout Marks U.S.-Australia Partnership Milestone
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2014 – The official rollout of the first two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force is a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics said yesterday.

Frank Kendall spoke during a ceremony held on the flightline at the Lockheed Martin aviation facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We join Australia, as one of our original partners, to celebrate this delivery and the numerous Australian contributions to the joint strike fighter program," Kendall said.

"For both our nations," he added, "this program represents an exponential leap in capability on the cutting edge of technology, and an integral component of our ongoing joint commitment to stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific."
The two F-35A aircraft, known as AU-1 and AU-2, are scheduled for delivery to the Australian air force later this year. They will be based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and used for Australian and partner-country pilot training beginning next year. The first F-35s to operate in Australia are expected by 2017.
The F-35 Lightning II program consists of a series of single-seat, single-engine, multirole fighters designed with stealth capability to perform ground attack, reconnaissance and air defense missions. The three variants of the F-35 include the F-35A, a conventional takeoff and landing variant; the F-35B, a short take-off and vertical-landing variant; and the F-35C, a carrier-based variant.
Joining Kendall as members of the official party were Australian Finance Minister and Senator Matthias Cormann, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, and Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson.
Kendall told an audience of about 300 that it takes a community to accomplish something as significant as the F-35.

"In this case it takes a community of nations, it takes a community of companies, it takes a community of militaries and departments within the U.S. and around the world, and all of our partners. It takes a community of industry to come together," the undersecretary added. "This aircraft is a testimony to our ability to do that."
Kendall described a time two decades ago when he served at the Pentagon as director of tactical warfare programs under then-Deputy Defense Secretary John M. Deutch.

"John got a number of us together one day,” he recalled, “and said that he'd decided [to] start a new technology program called the joint strike technology program that would lead to a common set of aircraft, of which there would be three variants: one for the Marine Corps, one for the Air Force and one for the Navy."
Kendall said he didn't think it would work, because the communities would never agree on what to do, or stay together on the agreement long enough to develop three such aircraft.
"Now if John had said, 'Also, we're going to make it a little more interesting by bringing on eight international partners at the same time,' I would have just thrown my hands up in the air and said, 'Forget about it.'" he added.

Admitting he was wrong, Kendall said the “fundamental reason [for the program’s success] is the capability that we've been able to develop and the cutting-edge capability we're offering to all the partners, all the services, all the nations involved in the F-35."

The program's eight partner nations and two Foreign Military Sales countries already have announced plans to procure nearly 700 F-35s. The program of record outlines the acquisition of more than 3,000 aircraft, defense officials say.
Many partners have ordered their first aircraft, and pilots and maintainers from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have taken delivery of their first F-35 aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where they're training with U.S. counterparts.

The communities supporting the F-35 have stayed together because of common values and shared interests, Kendall said, and because they are committed to having next-generation capability and a multirole fighter that all partners need and will be able to depend on for decades.

In his remarks, Kendall explored the nature of the F-35, which has overcome many issues since its first flight in 2006, by discussing the 1981 nonfiction book he's reading, author

Tracy Kidder's “The Soul of a New Machine.”

The Pulitzer Prize- and American Book Award-winning story is an account of the efforts of a team of researchers at now-defunct Data General, one of the first late-1960s microcomputer firms, to create a new 32-bit superminicomputer.
"At the time, Data General was in trouble,” Kendall said. “A company called Digital Equipment Corp. had introduced something called the VAX. They were cutting-edge in their day, and Data General had to respond to this threat, so they launched a crash program to develop a new design."
Telling the story, Kendall explained the point in the book he considers relevant today.

"The program manager, the chief designer for Data General, realized the computer he was building was too complex to be understood by a single individual," the undersecretary said. But the designer realized that no single person could possibly grasp all the complexity involved in the design they were creating, he added, and the designer had to trust many others to design their parts successfully and bring the machine together.

"It's that complexity that led to a very successful product, and they were successful at the time," Kendall said. "It's that complexity that characterizes the product behind me," referring to a gleaming new F-35.

During one of Kendall's first office calls several years ago with then-Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, the undersecretary recalled, "[Panetta] said, 'Frank, why can't we make more things like the [mine resistant, ambush-protected vehicle]? Why is the F-35 taking so long and costing so much?'

"My answer was one word," Kendall said. "Complexity."

The undersecretary listed several of the factors that make the F-35 so complex: "Millions of lines of code, an incredibly integrated design that brings together stealth, a number of characteristics, very advanced sensors, advanced radars, advanced [infrared] sensors, incredibly capable electronic warfare capability, integration of weapons and integration across the force of multiple aircraft and multiple sensors to work together as a team."

All of that integrated technology is unprecedented, he said. "You're talking about something that no one has ever done before, which will put us all a decade or more ahead of anybody else out there. And [it will] keep us ahead for some time to come as we continue to upgrade the F-35," he added.

Such complexity has led to the cost and the time it has taken to design and build the F-35, Kendall said, but also to the capability it represents. “That's why we're all still together,” he added. “That's why all the communities I talked about have stayed with this aircraft."

As he ended his remarks, Kendall asked for a round of applause for the engineers and production workers who made the F-35 possible.

JAPAN LOOKS TO REINTERPRET COUNTRY'S MILITARY ROLE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel, Onodera Discuss Reinterpretation of Japan’s Constitution

DOD

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has held his first meeting with his Japanese counterpart since the government in Tokyo announced it would reinterpret the country’s pacifist constitution to allow Japan to take on greater military responsibilities beyond self-defense.

Hagel met at the Pentagon today with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and in a joint press conference afterward said the United States strongly supports the move, calling the decision by Japan’s government bold and historic. If approved by parliament, Hagel said the change would enable the U.S. ally “to significantly increase its contribution to regional and global security and expand its role on the world stage.”

The United States and Japan will work together now to revise U.S.-Japan defense guidelines. “Today, we confirm that these new guidelines should be in place by the end of this year,” Hagel said. The revisions will allow Japan to participate more fully in such areas as ballistic missile defense, counterproliferation, counterpiracy, peacekeeping, and a wide range of military exercises.

The two countries also will be able to work more closely together on maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and other areas, Hagel said. “We can raise our alliance to a new level, and we intend to do that,” he said.
The two said they discussed what the United States and Japan will do to modernize the alliance to ensure it is prepared to address emerging threats and challenges. Onodera said he and Hagel also discussed security in the broader Asia Pacific region.

Hagel reiterated the longstanding U.S. position on a territorial dispute that the Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China, are under Japan’s administrative control and fall under the U.S.-Japan mutual security treaty.

“The United States opposes any attempts by any country to change the status quo through destabilizing unilateral actions, and we oppose any effort to restrict overflight or freedom of navigation,” Hagel said. China declared an air defense zone over the islands last year.

Both defense leaders stressed the importance of good relations with China.

SECRETARY HAGEL GIVES PRAISE TO LATVIA FOR DEFENSE SPENDING

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Praises Latvia’s Efforts to Boost Defense Spending

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met at the Pentagon today with Latvia’s Minister of Defense Raimonds Vējonis and congratulated him for the Baltic nation’s progress toward increasing defense spending.

Both leaders also discussed steps that have been taken to demonstrate U.S. and allied commitment to the Baltic region as well as ongoing efforts to provide a persistent presence in the area, ranging from augmented NATO air policing to the deployment of company-size rotational forces to the Baltic states and Poland, according to a statement issued after the meeting by Pentagon Assistant Press Secretary Carl Woog.

Latvia joined NATO on March 29, 2004.

Woog’s statement reads as follows:

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with Latvia’s Minister of Defense Raimonds Vējonis here today. Secretary Hagel congratulated Minister Vējonis on recent progress Latvia has made towards increasing their defense spending.
Among the topics discussed were efforts taken to date to demonstrate U.S. and allied commitment to the Baltic region as well as ongoing efforts to provide persistent presence in the area, ranging from augmented NATO air policing to the deployment of company-size rotational forces to the Baltic states and Poland. Secretary Hagel said we would continue to work with NATO to broaden support -- a focal point of efforts at the NATO Summit.

Finally, Secretary Hagel and Minister Vējonis discussed further opportunities for regional cooperation as discussed in last August’s Baltic Summit at the White House. The secretary stressed that the U.S. will continue to work with the Baltic States to support regional cooperation, interoperability with allies and long-term defense modernization.

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

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL URGING NATO MEMBERS TO INCREASE DEFENSE BUDGETS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Urges European NATO Members to Boost Defense Budgets

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2014 – NATO European allies must dedicate more money to defense spending, and all are ready to do their part in the follow-on operation in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at NATO headquarters in Brussels today.

The secretary spoke at a news conference after meetings with alliance defense ministers.

Russia’s actions in and around Ukraine were a major concern for the ministers, Hagel said, adding that Russia’s actions “constitute the most significant and direct challenge to European security since the end of the Cold War.”

The NATO allies agreed they must continue to uphold the credibility of the alliance, and the credibility of the international order that European security has anchored for seven decades.

“To date, NATO has acted with strength and resolve,” Hagel said. “All 28 NATO allies have contributed to NATO’s reassurance measures in Central and Eastern Europe, ranging from new joint exercises to an enhanced air, ground, and sea presence. And we are exploring ways to do more.”

The United States will continue to do its part, Hagel said, and he referenced the $1 billion European Reassurance Initiative that President Barack Obama announced yesterday. “This initiative will enable the United States to help maintain the readiness of allied forces, and expand our reassurance measures throughout Central and Eastern Europe,” the secretary said.

Hagel told the ministers that the United States will review its force presence in Europe. “In light of the new regional security environment,” he added, “it would be irresponsible for us not to.”

Money remains a problem, Hagel said, noting that the allies discussed Europe’s declining defense budgets. This decline means the United States has shouldered a more and more disproportionate share of the alliance’s burden, he said.
“Over the long term, current spending trends threaten NATO’s integrity and capabilities,” the secretary said.

The American commitment should be matched by renewed European resolve to invest in its own defense, Hagel said, calling on the allies to issue a definitive declaration to reverse current trends and rebalance the alliance’s burden-sharing. The NATO summit scheduled in Wales in September would be the best place to make this declaration, he added.

Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania have committed to spend more. Poland and the Czech Republic announced new commitments to increase their defense spending. NATO’s goal is for member states to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

The ministers also discussed Afghanistan, Hagel said, adding that he was able to provide the details of Obama’s decision last week to maintain a limited military presence there after the current International Security Assistance Force mission concludes at the end of the year. The United States will provide 9,800 service members for Operation Resolute Support, provided the new Afghan president signs the bilateral security agreement.

“My discussions today with ISAF defense ministers underscored that our allies and partners remain committed to Afghanistan’s long-term security, and to the pledges made at the Chicago Summit two years ago,” Hagel said.

The defense ministers also agreed that the alliance must be prepared for the full spectrum of missions, including those against sophisticated adversaries with advanced technologies, and against new, asymmetric threats. “We need capabilities that balance NATO’s three core tasks: collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security,” he said.

Hagel also participated in the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia Commissions. “We welcomed Russia’s recognition of Ukraine’s recent election results as a step in the right direction,” he said, “but we will continue to stand united against Russia’s aggression in Crimea, and its destabilizing actions in Eastern Ukraine.
“I outlined American assistance for political and economic reform, and our nonlethal assistance to Ukraine’s armed forces and border guard,” he continued.
“The United States has already offered $18 million in nonlethal security assistance to Ukraine, and today, President Obama announced another $5 million for the purchase of body armor and other equipment, bringing our total security assistance to $23 million.”

SECRETARY HAGEL ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ARMY SGT. BOWE BERGDAHL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Announces Release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl by Afghan Captors

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today announced that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s Afghan captors have released him to the U.S. military after taking him prisoner nearly five years ago while he was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Bergdahl, at the time a private first class, went missing from his post in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. He was the only U.S. service member known to be held captive there.

The now 28-year-old soldier was thought captured by the Haqqani network. He appeared in a proof-of-life video that surfaced last January and military officials said at the time they believed the video to be recently made.

“A few hours ago, the family of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was informed by President [Barack] Obama that their long wait for his return will soon be over,” Hagel said in today’s statement.

“We will give him all the support he needs to help him recover from this ordeal,” the secretary added, “and we are grateful that he will soon be reunited with his family.”

Also today, Hagel said he informed Congress of the decision to transfer five detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Qatar.

“The United States has coordinated closely with Qatar to ensure that security measures are in place and the national security of the United States will not be compromised,” Hagel said.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Emir of Qatar to put these measures in place and I want to thank him for his instrumental role in facilitating the return of Sgt. Bergdahl,” the secretary acknowledged.

One of Hagel’s first acts upon taking office in February 2013 was to call the Bergdahl family about their son’s situation, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a January press conference.

In June 2011 the Army announced that it had promoted Bergdahl to the rank of sergeant. Bergdahl, now 27, is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson, now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Alaska.

That was Bergdahl’s second promotion since he was listed as Missing-Captured on June 30, 2009. He was promoted to the rank of specialist in June 2010.
“Sgt. Bergdahl's return is a powerful reminder of the enduring, sacred commitment our nation makes to all those who serve in uniform,” Hagel said in his statement today.

The U.S. government never forgot Sgt. Bergdahl, he added, and the Defense Department and other federal agencies never stopped working to bring him back.
“I am grateful to all the military and civilian professionals -­ from DOD and our interagency partners -­ who helped make this moment possible, and to all those Americans who stood vigil with the Bergdahl family,” the secretary said.
Hagel issued the announcement while on a 12-day international trip to countries in Asia and Europe.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey also commented on Bergdahl's return today. The chairman said in a written statement, "It is our ethos that we never leave a fallen comrade. Today we have back in our ranks the only remaining captured soldier from our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Welcome home, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL TRAVELS TO SINGAPORE FOR MEETINGS WITH LEADERS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Parliament House in Singapore, May 30, 2014. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler.

Hagel Meets With Singapore’s Prime Minister, Defense Minister

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met today with top Singaporean leaders to discuss recent events in the Asia-Pacific region and the defense relationship between the United States and Singapore.
Hagel is in Singapore to attend the annual Asia security conference known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The secretary thanked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for Singapore's continued leadership in the region, particularly with respect to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement. “He also thanked the prime minister for Singapore's role in hosting the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, underscoring the growing importance of such meetings as the region continues to face shared challenges,” he added.

The two leaders discussed recent events in the South and East China seas and reiterated the need for any disputes to be resolved in a peaceful manner consistent with international law that respects the principle of freedom of navigation, Kirby said, and Hagel discussed the continued and deep U.S. commitment to the region’s security and prosperity.

Hagel also met privately with Singaporean Defense Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
“Secretary Hagel thanked Minister Ng for his strong support of the relationship our two militaries continue to enjoy,” Kirby said. “They also discussed a range of regional security issues, to include tensions in the South and East China seas, recent events in Thailand, defense reforms in Japan, and the need for a continued focus on dialogue, cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes in the region.”

Hagel reiterated the U.S. commitment to its security obligations in the Asia-Pacific region, the press secretary added, and stressed the importance of multilateral venues like the Shangri-La Dialogue to helping all Pacific nations work more closely together in improving mutual understanding, transparency and cooperation.

MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM REVIEW ORDERED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Orders Comprehensive Military Health System Review

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a comprehensive review of the Military Health System.

Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, will lead the review, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement.

The review, Kirby said, will focus on access to care and an assessment of the safety and quality of health care, both in military treatment facilities and in health care that the Defense Department purchases from civilian providers.
Expected to last for 90 days, the review will examine whether current access to care meets the department's standards, Kirby said. It will also examine the safety and quality of the care provided to all DOD beneficiaries, he added.

“Following the review, the secretary will receive recommendations on areas for improvement,” the admiral said, “with a specific focus on those areas where we are not meeting a nationally defined standard or a DOD policy-directed standard.”
Hagel will meet this morning with Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work and the service secretaries to discuss the review’s parameters and his expectations for it, Kirby said.

The Military Health System provides health care for more than 9.6 million beneficiaries, including active duty service members, retirees and eligible family members.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL ADDRESSES NAVAL ACADEMY CLASS OF 2014

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel advises U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2014 graduates to connect with those they will lead, to understand different perspectives, and to stay humble during commencement activities in Annapolis, Md., May 23, 2014. U.S. Naval Academy photo  

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Addresses U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2014
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel this morning congratulated the future Navy and Marine Corps officers of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 2014, advising the graduates to connect with those they will lead, to understand different perspectives, and to stay humble.

From a sunlit stage on the grounds of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, Hagel joined Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller in addressing the midshipmen, then shook the hand of each graduate.

“As you conclude four years of education and training on the Yard, our nation is concluding 13 years of war, the longest in our history … [and] you will soon be presented with great 21st century challenges and opportunities,” Hagel told the graduates.

The Yard is long-used name for the USNA campus, which began as the 9.9-acre Fort Severn Army post in 1845 to a 340-acre campus today.
“Meeting those challenges, seizing the opportunities, and managing through this period of uncertainty and transition will require exceptional leadership,” the secretary added, noting that helping lead America’s sailors and Marines through such a defining time is a heavy responsibility.

Toward their success, Hagel offered three suggestions.

“These are not just my ideas,” he cautioned. “They’re what enlisted sailors and Marines tell me all the time. It’s what I believed as an enlisted infantryman in 1968.”

First, Hagel told them to personally connect with people they will lead.
“When you do, you’re forging a bond that you can rely on years down the road and under different circumstances. Having built close relationships on the Yard, you will soon do so across the fleet,” the secretary said.

“With new technologies and social media making our relationships sometimes seem less relevant,” he added, “it’s more important than ever to be personally invested in your people and build relationships face-to-face. Take the time to ask them about themselves. Get to know them. Listen to them. That earns their respect.”

Second, Hagel told them, try to understand different perspectives.
“From the diverse group of people you’ll serve with to the allied and partner forces you’ll interact with, being able to see the world through their eyes, through the eyes of others, will be critically important,” he said.

“Seek out allies and partners,” Hagel added, “and opportunities to build relationships and engage in the world. Understanding the intentions and experiences of other militaries is a skill that’s vital to our national security and America’s future.”

The secretary’s third suggestion was that the future leaders be humble and stay humble.

“Humility is about respect for others. Give credit to others and remember … someone else will always have something to teach you,” said Hagel, who then shared a personal story about his own experience of leadership from his service in Vietnam.

A few months ago, after a long search, Hagel and his brother Tom who served in the Army together in Vietnam found their then-commanding officer, former Army Lt. Jerome Johnson, living in Chicago with his family and spoke with him for the first time since 1968.

Speaking to the graduates, Hagel described 1968 as the worst year for the nation during which 16,000 fallen Americans were sent home from Vietnam, and racial unrest was evident within the military’s ranks and in the populace at home.
“Our country was in trouble,” the secretary said.

That year in Hagel’s unit in Vietnam, he said, “this young African-American lieutenant out of Chicago stepped into the middle of this and brought everyone together. He said we were going to take care of each other … and the force of this one young African-American lieutenant in this white unit brought that company together like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Hagel added, “That’s stepping up. That’s leadership.”

The secretary also used Johnson’s character to illustrate humility, describing how the lieutenant earned a Silver Star in Vietnam but never told his wife of 40 years or his children or grandchildren.

“That’s an individual who lived something pretty special,” Hagel said.
The secretary also asked the graduates to remember that the first principle of leadership is accountability.

“Once you take up your duty stations and the responsibility of leadership … at times you’ll be pressured to succeed at any cost,” he said, adding, “ … Small actions can reverberate in large ways, whether it’s sharing answers on a test, looking the other way when someone denigrates another human being, or taking advantage of the trappings of your office.”

As future officers, Hagel said, the graduates will be counted on to lead in helping eliminate sexual harassment and sexual assault of their sisters and brothers in uniform.

“You’ve seen what these crimes do to the survivors, their families, institutions and communities,” he added, “and you know how they tear people and units apart, how they destroy the bonds of confidence and trust that lie at the very core, the center, the heart of our military.”

The secretary added, “Take this knowledge and do whatever you can to make sure everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We’re all accountable, from new recruits to four-star admirals and generals, from second lieutenants to the Secretary of Defense.”

As Hagel praised the midshipmen’s accomplishments he also remembered three classmates who lost their lives earlier this year -- Will McKamey, class of 2017, Hans Loewen, class of 2016, and Max Allen, class of 2014;, and Nick Tarr, class of 2014, who passed away two years ago.

“I knew Hans Loewen and I know his wonderful family. His sister Zatha is here among you today [and she] will be commissioned today as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps,” Hagel said to cheers from the midshipmen.

“This community will always remember their enthusiasm and compassion …,” the secretary said, adding, “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of all these midshipmen and their friends here at the Academy.”

The men and women who graduated today from the U.S. Naval Academy, Hagel said, will lead from the bottom up and will help bring about a renewed sense of the collective responsibility to take care of each other and watch out for each other.

“If you stand together and face your challenges head on, you and your fellow sailors and Marines will be a force for good throughout the world,” the secretary told them.

“So go forth, class of 2014,” he said. “Connect with people. Understand different perspectives. Stay humble. Be there for your people and their families. And may you always be officers worthy not only of the people you lead but the nation you serve.”

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL STANDS BEHIND 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

FROM:  THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Stands Behind Tough Budget Proposal, Spokesman Says

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

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stands firmly behind tough budget choices made in the 2015 Fiscal Year Defense Budget request as lawmakers return to Washington to take up defense spending.
Speaking to reporters today, Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby affirmed the defense secretary’s appreciation for Congress moving forward with its consideration of the budget proposal.

“As you know, the full House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee are considering their defense authorization measures for fiscal year ’15 this week,” he said.

“Secretary Hagel appreciates the efforts of leaders in both chambers to move forward with this critical legislation,” Kirby said. “He believes that it’s important for the ideas and proposals put forward by the Defense Department in the president’s budget are subject to a full and vigorous debate.”

The admiral said Hagel knows this debate is just the beginning.
“He stands firmly behind the tough decisions that were made in that budget proposal -- decisions that he believes are necessary to preserve our military edge in a very difficult fiscal environment,” Kirby said.

Given the importance of the budget proposal, Kirby said he believes “you’ll be hearing more from the secretary and other senior leaders in the department on this in the weeks and months to come.”

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL SAYS U.S. COMMITTED TO ISRAEL'S SECURITY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make a joint statement in Jerusalem, May 16, 2014. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  

Hagel Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to Israel’s Security
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security during a joint statement to reporters with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a meeting between the two leaders in Jerusalem.

“As you said in the United States earlier this year,” Hagel said to Netanyahu, “America's support for Israel is at an all-time high, and it is. And that applies especially to our defense relationship. Our defense relationship is strong, as we both know, and I think the people of Israel and the United States know it's strong because it's about a lot more than defense.

“The United States support for Israel is anchored in our nation's commitment to democracy and freedom and rights for our people,” Hagel continued. “America's commitment to Israel's security is resolute.”

The secretary noted to Netanyahu that the Juniper Cobra 14 military exercise he visited yesterday with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon demonstrates that commitment completely.

“It also demonstrates the cutting-edge work our nations are doing together on rocket and missile defense,” he added, “and I appreciate your comments on that point -- work that had strengthened Israel's security and saved lives.”
In his remarks, Netanyahu said that foremost among the topics he and Hagel would discuss is the danger posed to their countries and to world peace by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Hagel said the United States will do what it must to live up to its commitment to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

The meeting also would touch on how to advance genuine peace and how to advance solid security in a region that is fraught with instability and insecurity, the prime minister said. “And I think that one of the things that creates an anchor of security is the close relationship between Israel and the United States, a relationship that is based both on value and a common determination to uphold our joint security,” he added.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL ENTERS JORDAN ON NEXT LEG OF TRIP

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Continues Middle East Trip in Jordan
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

AMMAN, Jordan, May 14, 2014 – Following what he called a “successful” ministerial conference with the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel left Saudi Arabia today to continue his multiday trip to the Middle East here.

Hagel will meet here with Jordanian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mashal Mohammad Al-Zaben and his senior advisor, Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, to discuss Eager Lion, an annual combined military exercise that involves 6,000 U.S. personnel, as well as a variety of security challenges facing the region, a senior defense official said.

“Also, it’s an opportunity to hear from the general directly about the threats they’re facing from Syria, the humanitarian situation in Jordan … and the security implications of the Syria crisis on Jordan,” the official said.
More than 1,000 U.S. personnel are stationed in Jordan as part of a Patriot detachment, an F-16 deployment and a U.S. Central Command forward planning element.

Before leaving Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Hagel met with defense ministers from all six member nations of the GCC -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The strong bilateral relationships the United States maintains with its Gulf partners reflect the nation’s commitment to the region’s security, the defense secretary said.

“But the security challenges facing this region threaten the region as a whole, and no one nation can address them alone,” he added.

The United States offered several proposals at the ministerial, all intended to further develop regional cooperation, the defense secretary said.

“Following today’s productive discussions, the ministers have agreed to meet in the region on a regular basis,” he said. In addition, the vice ministers will meet in Washington before the end of the year, a meeting that is expected to become a twice-yearly event, a defense official said.

Council attendees reaffirmed their commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Hagel said. “While we noted that Iran’s diplomatic engagement has been a positive development,” he added, “we continue to share deep concerns about Iran’s destabilizing activities throughout the region.”

The defense leaders also pledged to deepen their cooperation in support of the Syrian opposition, the defense secretary said.

“We agreed that our assistance must be complimentary -- and that it must be carefully directed to the moderate opposition,” Hagel noted.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL, SAUDI CROWN PRINCE SALMAN DISCUSS STRATEGIC AND DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel, Saudi Crown Prince Discuss Threat, Challenges
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who also serves as first deputy prime minister and defense minister, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2014. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo.

Hagel Thanks Saudi Crown Prince for Hosting Conference
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with Saudi Crown Prince Salman this evening in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

In a statement, Kirby said this is the third meeting Hagel has had with the crown prince and noted that it follows President Barack Obama's visit in March.
Hagel expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia hosting the first U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council defense ministerial conference since 2008, Kirby said, and noted the significance of such a gathering of these leaders at this time.
“Secretary Hagel congratulated the crown prince on Saudi Arabia's successful completion of the Sword of Abdullah military exercise,” the press secretary added. “The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Saudi strategic and defense partnership and shared challenges, including Iran and Syria. They pledged to continue to work together to deepen U.S.-Saudi defense cooperation.”

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL CALLS NATO "AN ANCHOR OF SECURITY FOR THE WORLD"

 

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel receives the Atlantic Council's 2014 Distinguished International Leadership Award from Brent Scowcroft, chairman of the Atlantic Council International Advisory Board, during an awards ceremony and dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, April 30, 2014. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett. 

Hagel Emphasizes NATO’s Importance to World Security
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2014 – On a night in which the Atlantic Council honored Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, the secretary called NATO an anchor of security for the world.

After receiving the council’s Distinguished International Leadership Award here last night, Hagel said he's been privileged and fortunate to have lived at such a spectacular time in world history. While this time is not without its problems and new threats emerge daily, he said, the transatlantic alliance embodied by NATO has served as a bulwark for peace and security.

"I know of no anchor of security more important to keeping peace in the world since World War II than NATO," Hagel said.

NATO has been instrumental to averting problems like those that occurred in the first 50 years of the 20th century, the defense secretary said. "Problems? Yes. Still humanitarian disasters? Yes. Conflicts? Yes. But overall, it's been a pretty successful last 60 years because of this alliance."

And though all of the world's problems haven't yet been solved, he said, the nations of the world have built platforms, abilities and alliances to work together in common purpose to address these challenges together.

"And that, fundamentally, was the point of NATO: knitting together a strong transatlantic alliance after World War II," Hagel said.

Today's accelerated rate of change and shift is unprecedented in the history of man, the defense secretary noted. But, he said, the rapid pace of change demonstrates that the groundwork laid more than 60 years ago is paying dividends.

"Wasn't that the point behind all of this effort that our great leaders came to and agreed upon after World War II -- to, in fact, give people of the world opportunities, freedom? That is directly connected to security and continuity and stability," Hagel said.

And while that hard work is paying off, he said, it also brings new complications.
"Therein,” he said, “lies the essence of alliances -- alliances of common purpose. … We probably won't always agree on issues, but on the end result and the purpose of an alliance, the purpose of [governance], the purpose of organized society remains the same."

After World War II, the great leaders of the era came together to form a lasting alliance because the world had had enough war, Hagel noted. But after extended periods of conflict, nations tend to look inward, he cautioned, and now the world runs the risk of again becoming captive to that kind of inward thinking, the defense secretary said.

"I don't think we're there," he said, "but it's going to require continued focused strong, steady, wise [and] engaged leadership with the world, with each other. … This is not a time to retreat. This is not a time to pull back."
NATO and organizations like it allow nations to engage peacefully with each other, even when the world remains dangerous, Hagel said.

"If there was ever a time in history where we have the tools, where we have the capacity, where we have the institutions to engage and fix the problems, it is now," the defense secretary said.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL REASSURED THAT RUSSIAN FORCES WILL NOT INVADE UKRAINE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Reassured by Russian Counterpart on Ukraine

By Nick Simeone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke by phone today with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu and received assurances that Moscow has no plans to invade Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesman said.
In a statement issued after the call, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said Hagel emphasized to his Russian counterpart how dangerous the situation in Ukraine remains and that Shoygu "reiterated his assurance that Russian forces would not invade."

Kirby said Hagel reiterated that the Ukrainian government has a right to preserve law and order within its own borders and also asked for Russia's help in freeing seven members of a military observer mission from the Ogranization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are being held by pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine.

In addition, Kirby said Hagel called on Russia to observe an agreement negotiated earlier this month aimed at defusing the crisis and "repeated his call for an end to Russia's destabilizing influence inside Ukraine and warned that continued aggression would further isolate Russia and result in more diplomatic and economic pressure."

The warning came on the same day that the Obama administration imposed additional sanctions on Russian officials, businessmen and companies for Moscow's intervention in Ukraine.

Kirby said both leaders agreed to "have continued conversations seeking a way forward" on the Ukraine situation.

JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN GEN. DEMPSEY MAKES CASE FOR SUPPORTING VETS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Chairman Makes Case for Support to Veterans

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2014 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the members of the Dallas-based America’s Future organization for their efforts on behalf of veterans, but said such efforts must continue.

Groups like America’s Future will help define how the nation looks at its veterans, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said yesterday during a speech to the group in Dallas.

“What image will this generation’s veterans have?” the chairman asked. “The veterans themselves have less to say about who they are and how they will be remembered than you do, frankly.”

Dempsey spoke about the images he has had of veterans from World War II and Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. “Now we have the veterans of 12 years of conflict in an all-volunteer force, and how they will be remembered by history will be largely shaped by if America’s people and businesses and communities either embrace them or convince them that their service was valued or was not,” he said.

Dempsey brought up a lesson from history. Yesterday was the 77th anniversary of the German-Italian bombing of the Spanish village of Guernica. “The idea was they were working on advancing this new technology related to aerial warfare,” he said. “And the big idea on the part of the Axis was they would make resistance so outrageous, so costly to the Spanish that they would just capitulate.”
It didn’t work that way, the chairman said, and Pablo Picasso captured it in the famous painting, “Guernica”.

“Seventy-seven years later, technology keeps charging on and we learn to adapt with it,” Dempsey said. “But we can’t ever forget that what really matters in warfare are our young men and women who choose to serve and put themselves in harm’s way.”

The chairman used a photo to make this point. He showed a shot from Afghanistan where a young squad leader is on the radio. On the left is a rifleman protecting him. He’s obviously calling for something – aerial support, indirect fire, medical evacuation, guidance.

“Whatever it is he’s asking for, he is going to get,” Dempsey said. “That’s what sets us apart from any other military in the world. That’s a bond of trust we have with these kids, that when we put them in that position, that whatever they need, they’ll get.”

The chairman noted the soldier is also wearing a wedding ring. This bond of trust goes all the way from the front edge of the battlefield to communities and cities across the United States. “That is a bond of trust, without which this all-volunteer force would not hold together,” he said.

The bond of trust has to continue when service members and their families come home as well, the chairman said. “When they come home, there is a sense of trust – not a sense of entitlement,” the chairman said. “It’s not about them feeling entitled. They don’t want a handout, they want a handshake. They just want a chance.”
What communities like Dallas do to give these men and women that chance really is important, Dempsey said.

The chairman discussed the U.S. military in transition. The military is going through a transition after 12 years of war, Dempsey noted. “This doesn’t mean all conflict will magically cease, but we will have to rebalance to meet some enduring challenges and new challenges,” he said. “We have to rekindle some skills that we’ve lost over the past 12 years.”

And it must be done at a time of fiscal austerity. “We will manage our way through this, but the sooner we have some certainty, the sooner we gain some flexibility in the way we apply our budget, and the more time we are given to manage these changes then the better off we will be,” he said. “As we go through this, we will continue to earn and re-earn your confidence and the confidence of the American people.”

The bottom line for all Americans is to make the sacrifices these young men and women have made worth their blood, sweat and tears, the chairman said.
Dempsey told the audience that he has a box in his Pentagon office with the words, “Make It Matter” engraved on top. It contains the names and biographies of all those killed while under his command.

“We have an obligation to make the sacrifices of these young men and women who have fallen, but also those who have served, those who are suffering from wounds both physical and emotional – we have a genuine obligation to make their sacrifices matter,” he said. “And one of the ways we make their sacrifices matter is by taking this task on board: The task of helping their teammates.”

Dempsey spoke of visiting Brook Medical Center in San Antonio on Friday. There have been 1,645 amputees since the wars began in 2001. In previous wars, they would most likely have died. With medical advances 500 of them have returned to active duty, and 60 have gone back into combat.

“But there are more service members who have limbs so badly damaged that they contemplated having an amputation,” the chairman said. Enter a public-private partnership. The joint venture developed a brace that allows these men and women to carry the weight and eliminates much of the pain.

“What it says to me, is we’ve got to keep learning,” he said.

SECRETARY HAGEL WAITS TO HEAR FROM RUSSIAN COUNTERPARTS ON DE-ESCALATING TENSIONS

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Waits to Hear From Russian Counterparts

By Claudette Roulo

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2014 – Defense Department officials are still waiting to hear back from their Russian counterparts after reaching out to them via phone yesterday to discuss tensions in Ukraine, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said today.

The department has made it clear to the Russians that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is available for a phone call at any time, Warren said.

"He wants to continue calling on the Russians to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine," the colonel said. "Their continued destabilizing activities along the Ukrainian border are unhelpful, and they need to withdraw their troops from the Ukrainian border and place them back into their garrisons and go about working to a peaceful resolution to this crisis."

Tens of thousands of Russian troops were mobilized to the region in late February and early March. While some of those troops seized control of the Crimean Peninsula, others established cantonment areas along Russia’s border with Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin told the international community that the troops in the border region were staging exercises. Until recently, defense officials have said there was no evidence the Russian military was conducting the type of exercises they had described.

Warren said reports from multiple sources indicate that the movements by thousands of troops in the region are now consistent with the exercises recently announced by Russia.

“Troops are moving out of their cantonment areas into exercise areas,” he said.
Russia has a broad array of forces aligned along the Ukrainian border, Warren said, including mechanized infantry, light infantry, armor and airborne troops and fixed- and rotary-wing aerial assets.

“We're seeing all flavors of the Russian combined arms force,” he said.
The U.S. message to Russia has been very clear since the start of tensions with Ukraine, Warren said.

“Our message remains, 'Deescalate. Live up to commitments both in Geneva and international norms. Help bring this crisis to an end,'" he said.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL WANTS TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH CANADA AND MEXICO

FROM:  THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, greets Canadian Defense Minister Robert Nicholson before meeting in Mexico City, April 23, 2014. Hagel will attend a defense ministerial conference with Mexico, Canada and the United States before traveling to Guatemala. 

Hagel Looks to Strengthen Ties With Canada, Mexico.
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

MEXICO CITY, April 24, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met here last night with Canadian Defense Minister Rob Nicholson, ahead of today’s North American Defense Ministerial conference, which brings together the defense leaders from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The conference is the second since 2012, when Canada hosted the first North American defense ministers meeting, and on the flight here, Hagel told reporters traveling with him that it’s important to keep the momentum going.
“Every time we meet,” he said, “we add muscle and sinew --substance -- to what we’re doing and what we could be doing.”

Hagel said the defense ministerial arose from President Barack Obama’s attendance in February in Toluca, Mexico, with Mexican President Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the North American Leaders Summit. There, the leaders discussed their vision for a prosperous and secure future for North American citizens and a shared commitment to work together to realize that vision. The leaders announced initiatives by the three countries to enhance competitiveness in the global economy, expand opportunities for North American citizens, and promote peace, security and development through multilateral action.
The secretary said his visit here would focus on the importance of the region and specific relationships within the region -- in particular, the trilateral relationship among the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“I don't think over the years we've done enough to reach out to our Latin American partners, partly because we suffer from a pretty good relationship,” Hagel said. “The places that get most of the attention around the world are the trouble spots.”
A senior defense official traveling with the secretary said the focus on the North American trilateral relationship “is the defense component of what we're trying to do in the [Western] Hemisphere -- drawing the United States, Mexico and Canada closer together as three partners.”

“We've always had very strong bilateral relationships with both countries, and it's not meant to supplant those … relationships, but we're trying to leverage the capabilities of all three countries,” the official added.

And because the three nations share threat perceptions and interests in so many places in the region and increasingly around the world, the defense official said, the focus on the trilateral partnership is an effort to build on those shared interests.
The official said the defense ministers would meet in several different kinds of meetings, large and small. Though the trilateral conference involves three countries, four ministers will attend the meetings, because in Mexico, two government ministries are directly responsible for national defense: the Mexican National Defense Secretariat, shortened as SEDENA in its Spanish acronym, and the Navy Secretariat, SEMAR.

Hagel’s counterparts in Mexico are Secretary of National Defense Gen. Salvador Zepeda Cienfuegos and Naval Secretary Adm. Vidal Francisco Soberon Sanz, and the secretary will meet with them for the first time today.

These military officers hold Cabinet rank and have regular and direct access to the Mexican president, who also is supreme commander of the armed forces.
Hagel has met with his Canadian counterpart several times, the defense official said, most recently in February during a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

When the two leaders met here today, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said, they discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, including the situation in Ukraine, recent developments in the Asia-Pacific region, and common security challenges in the Western Hemisphere.

During the 30-minute meeting, Kirby added, both Hagel and Nicholson “expressed eagerness to discuss in more detail ways in which all three nations can work more closely together to deal with the threats posed by criminal networks, cyberattacks and natural disasters.”

Hagel also thanked Nicholson for his leadership and for Canada's strong contributions to the NATO alliance, the press secretary said, including the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan.

The senior defense official characterized Hagel’s visit here as a great opportunity to establish relationships with partners in the Western Hemisphere and to continue to work with Mexico on the bilateral relationship with the United States.
“The Mexicans are our regional partners, regional leaders, and increasingly, in the world they're becoming more of a global player,” the defense official said.
“The relatively new president of Mexico made quite a splash on the world scene, and he's got big challenges at home with the economy,” he added, “but he's an impressive leader, and President Obama had a good meeting with him a couple of months ago.”

As indicated by the potential sale of 18 Black Hawk helicopters by the United States to Mexico, as announced this week by the State Department, the Mexicans are interested in acquiring a range of U.S. capabilities, the official said.
The potential Black Hawk sale is a high-visibility request by Mexico, he added, “but we are talking to them about a range of capabilities that they are interested in, … like our assistance in their own security.”

“There are partnership things we can do and things we can do together,” he added, “but they also want to acquire their own capabilities, and we're interested in helping.”

When Hagel leaves Mexico, he’ll travel to Guatemala to meet with defense and government leaders.