HHS TOUTS "SECURE HEALTH DATA" AS AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARE

FROM: U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Secure health data helping patients, doctors improve care and health

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of new data and new opportunities for researchers and developers at the beginning of Health Datapalooza IV. This is the fourth annual national conference on health data transparency, which brings together government, non-profit, and private sector organizations to look at the potential for open data from HHS and other sources to help improve health and health care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today released new data – including county-level data on Medicare spending and utilization for the first time, as well as selected data on hospital outpatient charges. In addition, the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released additional information on the adoption of specific electronic health record (EHR) systems, as well as the winners of new opportunities for building innovative tools that build off health data.

"A more data driven and transparent health care marketplace can help consumers and their families make important decisions about their care," said Secretary Sebelius. "The administration is committed to making the health system more transparent and harnessing data to empower consumers."

Today HHS released data and tools that will help researchers and consumers take advantage of health information:
Building on the release last month of the average charges for the 100 most common inpatient procedures, CMS today released selected hospital outpatient data that includes estimates for average charges for 30 types of hospital outpatient procedures from hospitals across the country, such as clinic visits, echocardiograms, and endoscopies.
CMS today released new data sets for the first time at the county level: one on Medicare spending and utilization, and another on Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. Both data sets will enable researchers, data innovators and the public to better understand Medicare spending and service use, spurring innovation and increasing transparency, while protecting the privacy of beneficiaries. The data will also be available through an interactive state level dashboard based on the spending information, allowing users of any skill level to quickly access and use the data.
ONC released data today from the Regional Extension Centers about the different brands of EHR products used by 146,000 doctors by state, specialty, and each doctor’s stage in meaningful use attestation.
HHS is also co-sponsoring a national competition – known as a "code-a-palooza" – to design an innovative app or tool using Medicare data that primary care providers can use to help manage patient care. The national competition, sponsored by ONC, the Health Data Consortium
, and the cloud software company Socrata, will give $25,000 in prizes to the teams of coders and medical experts that build the best tools or apps by the end of Datapalooza.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is demonstrating the latest applications of its two powerful health databases, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). HCUP is the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the U.S., representing 97 percent of all inpatient hospital discharges. MEPS is the most complete source of U.S. data on the cost and use of health care services and insurance coverage, obtained through large-scale, annual surveys of families, individuals, medical providers and employers.
ONC in coordination with the Health Resources and Services Administration selected the winners of the Apps4TotsHealth Challenge, which was launched to help parents and caregivers of young children better manage their nutrition and physical activity. The winning developers, researchers, and other innovators make use of Healthdata.gov data to strengthen these tools and make them more user-friendly. More on the winners here.
ONC also announced today the launch of the Blue Button Co-Design Challenge, designed to spur the creation of new applications that will allow patients to better use their own health data to improve their own care. The challenge will ask the public to vote on ideas from which developers will build tools to address health priorities determined by public voting.

Pacific Fleet Commander Connects History with Today in Remembering Midway

Pacific Fleet Commander Connects History with Today in Remembering Midway

REMARKS BY U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NALBANDIAN

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian Before Their Meeting

Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
June 4, 2013

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. It’s my pleasure today to welcome Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian from Armenia. And for me, it is a particular pleasure to welcome him because I think everybody knows Massachusetts is home to one of the largest populations of Armenians outside of Armenia, so we’re very happy. I have many, many friends in the Armenian community, and for years, have worked with my friends in Armenia on a number of different issues.

Armenia today is an important partner with United States in a number of initiatives. Importantly, they’re helping us in Afghanistan with ISAF, they’ve played a key role in Kosovo helping to keep peace there. And one of the most issues, obviously, that we all really want to try to see resolved one day is the frozen conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is critical that all the parties – when I say all the parties, I mean, obviously, the Azerbaijanis, but also Turkey, Russia, Iran, others – try to find a way to help break the impasse that has kept this struggle alive and always potentially dangerous. So my hope is that we will talk about that a little bit today.

We also have other issues of great importance to us: the economic partnership, the development of the economy and strengthening of democracy, and the security of our friends, the Armenian people. So Mr. Foreign Minister, we’re very, very happy to welcome you here today. Thank you. Good to have you.

FOREIGN MINISTER NALBANDIAN: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be in Washington. Thank you very much for a warm welcome. I’m very glad to be back to Washington to meet you, Secretary, and to have a conversation on perspectives of enhancement of the friendly partnership between Armenia and the United States.

Both countries have a good interaction in the international arena covering international regional security, proliferation, fight against terrorism, as you mentioned, peacekeeping operations from Kosovo to Afghanistan, other challenges, who are sharing vision – same vision – that it is important to continue efforts to find exclusively peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the principles and norms of international law, particularly non-use of force, excessive force, self-determination, territorial integrity who are sharing the vision that the relations between Armenia and Turkey should be normalized without preconditions, who are sharing the same values of democracy, fundamental freedoms, liberty, human rights, market economy, who are very thankful that during the last two decades since our independence, United States extended very important support for Armenia, and we are thankful for that.

I would like to use also opportunity to express our gratitude to the President Obama Administration for remarkable contribution to the strengthening of Armenian-American relations, which are today in their highest point. And I’m sure and confident that with our joint efforts, we could elevate that to new heights. And the trust and understanding between our two countries is – are the best pillars to extend further our relations.

Thank you again very much. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Edward. Thank you, sir. Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Segue em direto o lançamento do ATV-4 Albert Einstein, quarta-feira, 5 de Junho 23:52 CEST

Segue em direto o lançamento do ATV-4 Albert Einstein, quarta-feira, 5 de Junho 23:52 CEST

TWO BUSINESSMEN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBTION REIMBURSEMENTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, May 31, 2013
Two Virginia Businessmen Sentenced for Illegally Reimbursing Campaign Contributions

William P. Danielczyk Jr. was sentenced today to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine for illegally reimbursing $186,600 in contributions to the Senate and Presidential campaign committees of a candidate for federal office and then obstructing the subsequent law enforcement investigation.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris in the Eastern District of Virginia.

On Feb. 26, 2013, Danielczyk, 51, and Eugene R. Biagi, 78, both of Oakton, Va., pleaded guilty to making illegal conduit campaign contributions. Biagi was sentenced to two months’ supervised probation for his role in Danielczyk’s scheme.

According to court records, Danielczyk was the chairman of Galen Capital Corporation and Biagi served as the corporation’s secretary. In September 2006, Danielczyk co-hosted a fundraiser for a candidate’s campaign for the U.S. Senate and in March 2007 he co-hosted a fundraiser for the same candidate’s 2008 campaign for the President of the United States.

Danielczyk admitted that he recruited individuals, including Biagi and other corporate employees, to serve as "straw donors" to the campaigns, assuring the donors that they would be reimbursed for their contributions. Danielczyk’s assistant collected the contributions, and Danielczyk and Biagi then reimbursed the straw donors for their contributions using Galen Capital Corporation’s corporate funds.

Biagi admitted that he disguised the nature of the reimbursement payments by falsely identifying the purpose of the reimbursement checks on the memorandum line of the check itself and by issuing the checks for amounts slightly larger than the campaign contributions. As part of the obstruction scheme, Danielczyk directed the creation of back-dated letters addressed to individual contributors, which falsely characterized the reimbursement payments to them as "consulting fees." One set of the letters contained a check for $1,500 in order to further the charade that the reimbursement checks were consulting fees. Biagi furthered the scheme by, among other means, signing the back-dated letters and the checks, thereby supporting Danielczyk’s aims at covering up the true conduct and obstructing the investigations focused on the reimbursement scheme.

Danielczyk and Biagi admitted they used corporate funds to reimburse a total of $186,600 to the two campaigns. The campaigns unwittingly reported them as lawful contributions from the individual "straw donors."

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark D. Lytle and Timothy D. Belevetz from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Eric L. Gibson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

Background Briefing en Route to Guatemala

Background Briefing en Route to Guatemala

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
130522-N-OV434-142 CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (May 22, 2013) Seabees assigned to the Convoy Security Element of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 15 construct a bunker project in support of the Afghan National Army. NMCB-15 is deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and is an expeditionary element of U.S. Naval Forces that supports various units worldwide through national force readiness, civil engineering, humanitarian assistance, and building and maintaining infrastructure. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Garas/Released)

DOD Daily Press Briefing - June 4, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - June 4, 2013

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JUNE 4, 2013

 

U.S. Special Forces team members pull security on the roof of a compound during a meeting with an Afghan local police checkpoint commander in the Zharay district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, May 21, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kaily Brown

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Kills Enemy Fighters in Kunduz Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 4, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed five enemy fighters who opened fire on them during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Archi district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province today, military officials reported.

The Taliban leader builds improvised explosive devices and suicide vests and has directed and coordinated attacks that have killed numerous Afghan national security force personnel, officials said.

The security force also seized a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, four RPG rounds and an assault rifle.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- Afghan commandos and uniformed police and coalition forces killed seven enemy fighters and wounded four others during a clearing operation in Kunduz province's Imam Sahib district.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Panjwai district killed a Taliban intelligence operative who coordinated attacks in the area. He directed ambush attacks and placement of IEDs targeting Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitated the movement of weapons and IEDs in the district.

 

TRIAL BEGINS FOR ACCUSED WIKILEAK'S LEAKER PFC. BRADLEY MANING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Trial Begins for Soldier Accused of Classified Leaks

By David Vergun
Army News Service

FORT MEADE, Md., June 4, 2013 - With the prosecution accusing Army Pfc. Bradley Manning of causing immeasurable harm to national security and Manning's attorney portraying the soldier as "young and naïve, but good-intentioned," Manning's court-martial in what has become known as "the WikiLeaks case" began here yesterday.

Manning, 25 is charged with committing various crimes, including aiding the enemy, by leaking classified information to the WikiLeaks website while assigned to Iraq as an intelligence analyst in 2009 and 2010. If convicted, Manning could be sentenced to life in prison.

In his opening statement, Army Capt. Joe Morrow, the prosecutor, called the leaks the "biggest ever" in U.S. history, involving hundreds of thousands of classified documents, and that they provided "potentially actionable information for targeting U.S. forces."

David Coombs, Manning's attorney, said in his opening statement that Manning was selective about the documents he released and "was hoping to make the world a better place" by doing so.

The judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, asked Manning if he wanted to reconsider trial by a military judge alone, herself, rather than by jury, which is termed a "panel" by the military. Manning declined.

In the afternoon, the prosecutor called the first witness, Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Smith, who was the senior enlisted Criminal Investigative Division agent at the time. He and another case agent, Tony Graham, were the first to investigate the "scene of the crime," as Smith called the sensitive compartmented information facility where Manning worked in Iraq. Smith discussed the procedures they used to collect evidence and conduct interviews.

The prosecutor will call more witnesses and use sworn statements as evidence as its case proceeds. The defense will present its arguments in the coming days.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JUNE 03, 2013

 

U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Ross, left, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Olin Harrington, center, and U.S. Army Spc. Jared Malda, right, provide security for their team outside a village in Zabul province, Afghanistan, May 26, 2013. Ross, Harrington and Malda, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, were part of an Afghan-led search for weapon and explosive caches. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tim Morgan

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan Force Kills 20 Enemy Fighters in Paktika Province

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2013 - An Afghan quick-reaction force killed 20 enemy fighters and detained another while responding to an attack on a local police checkpoint in the Orgun-e district of Afghanistan's Paktika province yesterday, military officials reported.

The Afghan force engaged an unknown number of enemies shortly after being dispatched by the district operations center, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined Afghan and coalition security force in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district arrested a Taliban leader who has conducted numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also coordinates the movement of weapons and fighters and performs limited intelligence duties for local Taliban networks.

-- In the Helmand province city of Lashkar Gah, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who controls a group responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also is involved in the construction and emplacement of improvised explosive devices, facilitates the movement of weapons and receives guidance from senior Taliban officials for dissemination to front-line fighters. The security force also arrested another enemy fighter and seized ammunition and five assault-rifle magazines.

In June 1 operations:

-- A Haqqani network leader was killed in Paktia province's Gardez district. Faizullah, also known as Shahab, conducted IED attacks and intimidation campaigns targeting Afghan and coalition forces. He facilitated the movement of weapons and military equipment and was responsible for kidnapping operations and coordinating with senior Haqqani leaders.

-- In Zabul province's Shah Joy district, local police and coalition forces seized and destroyed three rifles, two pistols, a 107 mm rocket, a machine gun, a shotgun and assorted ammunition.

-- A combined force in Helmand province's Marjah district arrested a Taliban leader who is responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also is involved in the construction of vehicle-borne IEDs and provides operational reports to other Taliban fighters. The security force also seized a mortar round and an assault rifle.

-- In Kandahar province's city of Kandahar, a combined force arrested an enemy fighter during a search for a Taliban leader who controls a group responsible for coordinating attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also has directed assassinations of Afghan civilians and has facilitated the movement of weapons.

-- A combined force in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district arrested two enemy fighters during a search for a senior Taliban leader who oversees a group involved in ambushes, IED operations and complex attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitates the movement of weapons and serves as an intelligence operative for senior Taliban officials. The security force also seized 8 pounds of opium.

President Obama Speaks at the National Conference on Mental Health | The White House

President Obama Speaks at the National Conference on Mental Health | The White House

ACCOUNTANT SENTENCED FOR ROLES IN TWO FRAUD SCHEMES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Florida Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Two Fraud Schemes

Joseph Rizzuti, of Stuart, Fla., was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department and the IRS announced today.

According to court documents, Rizzuti, an accountant and the owner of Beacon Accounting Services in Palm City, Fla., interfered with the IRS’s ability to collect taxes owed by two clients by stealing payments from those clients intended for the IRS and making misrepresentations to the clients, as well as the IRS, to conceal his scheme. Rizzuti also admitted to engaging in a criminal conspiracy to commit wire fraud by making material misrepresentations to individuals throughout the United States who believed the money they were investing with Rizzuti and his co-conspirators was funding Nigerian-related oil and Bahamian construction projects, but instead Rizzuti and his co-conspirators used the investors’ money for their own personal expenses. In total, Rizzuti and his co-conspirators stole approximately $3 million.

In addition to prison time, U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham sentenced Rizzuti to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $298,000 in restitution to victims of his schemes to the IRS. Additional penalties will be assessed in the next 90 days.

This case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Trial Attorneys Justin Gelfand and Rebecca Perlmutter of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.

Pain, exercise and fibromyalgia

Pain, exercise and fibromyalgia

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY

130529-N-GH245-078 CORONADO, Calif. (May 29, 2013) Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Stephanie Alexander plays the role of an aggressor for Dax, a military working dog, who is providing detection and deterrence assistance for Master-at-Arms Seaman Mauricio Rincongonzalez during building clearing drills at Naval Base Coronado. Military working dogs are trained to provide deterrence, patrol and detection services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher Pratt/Released

130529-N-GH245-016 CORONADO, Calif. (May 29, 2013) Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Brian May is attacked by military working dog Apoch during a controlled aggression demonstration at Naval Base San Diego. Military working dogs are trained to provide deterrence, patrol and detection services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Christopher Pratt/Released/Released).

 

Remarks at the American Jewish Committee Global Forum

Remarks at the American Jewish Committee Global Forum

DVIDS - Video - IISS Asian Security Summit

DVIDS - Video - IISS Asian Security Summit

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

Immagine EO della settimana: Creta

Immagine EO della settimana: Creta

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL'S REMARKS ON BOARD THE USS FREEDOM

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel tours the flight deck of the USS Freedom in Singapore, June 2, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Remarks by Secretary Hagel to the Crew of the Littoral Combat Ship USS Freedom in Singapore

COMMANDING OFFICER TIMOTHY WILKE: Good afternoon. As you know, it's our honor and privilege today to have Secretary of Defense Secretary Hagel on board. It's a very important day for us on his visit out here. He took some time out of his day to come talk to us and talk to Freedom.

And without further ado, Secretary Hagel.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL: Captain Wilke, thank you. And to each of you, thank you for the opportunity to come bother you this afternoon. I know you've got real work to do, but I wanted to say hello. I wanted to tell you how much we appreciate your good work.

You all are making history out here. I think you know that. What you represent to our country and our partnerships in the Asia Pacific -- I don't think can be overstated. You are really defining a new era -- a new era of partnerships -- new ship, new capacities, new opportunities.

You each were assigned to this ship because you have had records of accomplishment. And it's a big deal for our country; it's a big deal for you. I want to also thank your families for what you're doing. And thank your families when you talk with them. Tell them how much we appreciate what they're doing for our country.

I had an opportunity to be out here actually when this was being built over the years, and I watched -- as I was here three years in a row, starting in about 2002 -- how all of this was being put together, brought together, the leadership, the cooperation.

And at the beginning of that effort -- I don't know if anyone not only would have recognized but would have predicted what this was all going to be about, and eventually how we were going to put the first new combat ship out here that represented so much, and so much new capacity.

So I wanted to just, again, thank you and tell you we're grateful, and also tell you how proud we are of what you're doing out here. You all are really ambassadors in every way, and there are high expectations for you, and I think you know that. But, you're up to it, and it's an honor to be on your ship, and I look forward to meeting each of you individually as I get through this this afternoon.

Thank you.

SECRETARY HAGEL WORKING ON PACIFIC REBALANCE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

U.S. Following Through on Pacific Rebalance, Hagel Says
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

SINGAPORE, June 1, 2013 - The United States is committed to a strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and aims to strengthen its ties in the region, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told an audience of Pacific leaders here today.

Hagel spoke at the first full day of the 2013 Shangri-La Dialogue, named for the Singapore hotel that serves as the annual venue for the gathering. This year defense ministers, military chiefs and other senior government leaders are representing some 27 countries at the conference.

The secretary said U.S. ties to the region are unbreakable, but need to be "renewed and reinvigorated after a decade of war in the Middle East and Central Asia." He added, however, that the rebalance should not be misinterpreted.

"The U.S. has allies, interests and responsibilities across the globe. The Asia-Pacific rebalance is not a retreat from other regions of the world," the secretary said. But, he added, developing nations, technologies and security cooperation, along with trade, energy and environmental issues all point toward the region's strategic significance.

Hagel listed what he called "a range of persistent and emerging threats" in the region. These include, he said:

-- North Korea's nuclear weapons, missile programs and continued provocations;

-- Land and sea disputes over natural resources;

-- Natural disasters, poverty and pandemic disease;

-- Environmental degradation;

-- Illicit trafficking in people, drugs and weapons, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and

-- Disruptive activities in space and cyberspace.

To address those challenges, he said, America and Asia-Pacific nations must "strengthen existing alliances, forge new partnerships, and build coalitions based on common interests to ensure this region's future is peaceful and prosperous."

Hagel said the U.S. commitment to the region is demonstrated by its investments, its relationships with other Pacific nations, and its support for developing regional institutions that "evolve from talking about cooperation to achieving real, tangible solutions to shared problems, and a common framework for resolving differences."

Hagel said the Obama administration is rebalancing diplomatically and economically by increasing funding for diplomacy and development in Asia; providing new resources for regional efforts that improve water management, disaster resilience and public health; and fostering trade and investment through work with regional institutions.

The Defense Department plays an important role in securing the rebalance, he noted.

While future U.S. defense budgets will be lower than during the Iraq and Afghan wars, he said, "Even under the most extreme budget scenarios, the United States military will continue to represent nearly 40 percent of global defense expenditures."

Hagel noted he recently directed a Strategic Choices and Management Review to assess Pentagon spending priorities. While the results are not complete, he said, "I can assure you that coming out of this review, the United States will continue to implement the rebalance and prioritize our posture, activities and investments in Asia-Pacific."

That emphasis already can be seen, he said, as Army and Marine units return to home stations in the Pacific theater, and the Army's designation of its 1st Corps as regionally aligned to the Asia-Pacific.

Hagel added that the Navy will forward-base 60 percent of its assets in the Pacific by 2020, and the Air Force has allocated 60 percent of its overseas-based forces, including tactical aircraft and bomber forces from the continental United States, to the Asia-Pacific.

"The Air Force is focusing a similar percentage of its space and cyber capabilities on the region," Hagel added. "These assets enable us to capitalize on the Air Force's inherent speed, range, and flexibility."

DOD will use its capabilities to strengthen regional partnerships, he said. He noted that last year, then-Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced at the forum that the U.S. Navy would rotate up to four littoral combat ships through Singapore.

"In recent weeks, the first of those ships, the USS Freedom, arrived to begin a busy schedule of regional maritime engagements," he noted. "I look forward to visiting the ship tomorrow."

Meanwhile, he added, the second company-sized rotation of U.S. Marines recently arrived in Darwin, Australia, to deepen cooperation with that treaty ally and other regional partners. Hagel said that eventually, 2,500 U.S. Marines will deploy to Australia each year.

The five-year defense budget plan now before Congress prioritizes the rapidly deployable resources needed to secure a vast region largely covered by water, he said, "Such as submarines, long-range bombers, and carrier strike groups, that can project power over great distance and carry out a variety of missions."

He added the region will see more such advanced capabilities in the future, "As we prioritize deployments of our most advanced platforms to the Pacific, including the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter deployments to Japan, and a fourth Virginia-class fast attack submarine forward deployed to Guam."

Further over the horizon, Hagel said, the U.S. will bring to the region developing capabilities "that will enhance our decisive military edge well into the future," including the Navy's recently tested carrier-launched remotely piloted aircraft. He also said that next year, for the first time, the Navy will deploy a solid-state laser aboard a ship, the USS Ponce.

"This capability provides an affordable answer to the costly problem of defending against asymmetric threats like missiles, swarming small boats and remotely piloted aircraft," the secretary said.


America's allies and partners must be able to trust the nation's commitment, Hagel said. He outlined separate U.S. defense initiatives underway with Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand to support that goal.

Trilateral cooperation in the region is also promising, he said, with growing interaction among the United States, Japan and South Korea, as well as among the United States, Japan and Australia.

The department is also exploring trilateral training opportunities including jungle training between the U.S. and Thailand that could expand to incorporate South Korea, he said. Similarly, he added, the United States is working to build trilateral cooperation with Japan and India.

"Here in Singapore I look forward to building on our practical collaboration under the U.S.-Singapore Strategic Framework Agreement, which has guided security cooperation not only in this region, but in the Gulf of Aden and Afghanistan as well," he said.

Hagel described additional U.S. defense partnership initiatives with New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma. And with India, he said, "We are moving beyond purely defense trade towards technology sharing and co-production."

The U.S. vision for the Asia-Pacific region is an open and inclusive one, the secretary said. He added that rising powers such as India, Indonesia and China "have a special role to play in a future security order as they assume the responsibilities that come with their growing stake in regional stability."


A positive, constructive relationship with China also is an essential part of America's rebalance to Asia, Hagel said.

The United States welcomes and supports a prosperous and successful China, he said, and supports China's participation in regional and global economic and security institutions.

Hagel praised China and Taiwan's efforts to improve cross-strait relations, adding, "We have an enduring interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

The U.S. and China differ on human rights, Syria and regional security issues in Asia, Hagel acknowledged, but added such differences are best addressed as part of a continuous and respectful dialogue.

"I am pleased that the dialogue between our armed forces is steadily improving," Hagel said. He listed positive developments over the course of the past year, including a series of visits between defense and political leaders and increased military exercises involving U.S. and Chinese forces.

While such bilateral progress is pleasing, Hagel said, maintaining regional stability will require multilateral institutions that can provide critical platforms and opportunities for countries to work together.


Hagel announced today that during meetings this weekend, he will invite defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to "provide another opportunity for us to discuss a shared vision for a dynamic, peaceful, and secure future for the region."

Maintaining peace and security in the region requires adherence to established principles of open commerce; rights and responsibilities of nations and fidelity to the rule of law; open access to sea, air, space and cyberspace domains; and resolving conflict without the use of force.

"Unfortunately, some nations continue to dismiss these values and pursue a disruptive path – most notably, North Korea," he said.

The United States has made clear, he said, "that we will take all necessary steps to protect our homeland and our allies from dangerous provocations, including significantly bolstering our missile defense throughout the Pacific."

No country should conduct "business as usual" with a North Korea that threatens its neighbors, Hagel said.

"We are working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to strengthen our posture and ability to respond to threats from North Korea," he said. "The prospects for a peaceful resolution also will require close coordination with China."

Hagel then addressed the issue of competing territorial claims in the East and South China seas. The United States does not take a position on sovereignty in such cases, he said, but has an interest in how such disputes are settled.

"The United States stands firmly against any coercive attempts to alter the status quo," Hagel said. "We strongly believe that incidents and disputes should be settled in a manner that maintains peace and security, adheres to international law, and protects unimpeded lawful commerce, as well as freedom of navigation and overflight."

Hagel said he is encouraged by recent moves toward developing a code of conduct for the South China Sea.

Turning to cyber issues, Hagel said he will attend a series of NATO ministerial meetings next week, during which cyber will be an agenda item.

"The United States has expressed our concerns about the growing threat of cyber intrusions, some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military," the secretary noted.

The United States and China have agreed to establish a cyber working group, Hagel said. "We are determined to work more vigorously with China and other partners to establish international norms of responsible behavior in cyberspace," he added.

HEALTH CARE LAW MOVING FORWARD WITH RULES ON EMPLOYMENT-BASED WELLNESS PROGRAMS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Obama administration continues moving forward to implement health care law by releasing final rules on employment-based wellness programs

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury today issued final rules on employment-based wellness programs. The final rules support workplace health promotion and prevention as a means to reduce the burden of chronic illness, improve health and limit growth of health care costs, while ensuring that individuals are protected from unfair underwriting practices that could otherwise reduce benefits based on health status.

The final rules continue to support participatory wellness programs, which generally are available without regard to an individual's health status. These include programs that reimburse for the cost of membership in a fitness center; that provide a reward to employees for attending a monthly, no-cost health education seminar; or that reward employees who complete a health risk assessment, without requiring them to take further action.

The rules also outline standards for nondiscriminatory health-contingent wellness programs, which generally reward individuals who meet a specific standard related to their health. Examples of health-contingent wellness programs include programs that provide a reward to those who do not use, or decrease their use of, tobacco, or programs that reward those who achieve a specified health-related goal, such as a specified cholesterol level, weight, or body mass index, as well as those who fail to meet such goals but take certain other healthy actions.

Today's final rules ensure flexibility for employers by increasing the maximum reward that may be offered under appropriately designed wellness programs, including outcome-based programs. The final rules also protect consumers by requiring that health-contingent wellness programs be reasonably designed, are uniformly available to all similarly situated individuals and accommodate recommendations made at any time by an individual's physician, based on medical appropriateness.

The final rules will be effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

 

FROM: U.S. NAVY

130524-N-JN142-296 SOUDA BAY, Greece (May 24, 2013) The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) departs Souda harbor after a routine port visit. Florida, homeported in Kings Bay, Ga., is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Peggy Bebb/Released)

U.S. CONGRATULATES DR. HAMDALLAH AS THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Dr. Rami Hamdallah
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 2, 2013
We congratulate Dr. Rami Hamdallah, the next Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. His appointment comes at a moment of challenge, which is also an important moment of opportunity. Together, we can choose the path of a negotiated two-state settlement that will allow Palestinians to fulfill their legitimate aspirations, and continue building the institutions of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state that will live in peace, security, and economic strength alongside Israel.

We also recognize the extraordinary contributions of outgoing Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad, who has worked tirelessly to build effective Palestinian institutions.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND NATO SECRETARY GENERAL RASMUSSEN MAKE REMARKS TO REPORTERS

 

President Barack Obama and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen meet in the White House Oval Office, May 31, 2013. NATO photo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Obama, Rasmussen Praise Afghan Forces, Look to Future
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2013 - Afghan forces are just several weeks away from taking the lead in combat operations from NATO-led forces across Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said today after meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the White House.

Speaking to reporters, Obama called the imminent security transition a "new milestone," one in which NATO's International Security Assistance Force will shift to a training, assisting, and advising role, while U.S and alliance forces continue to draw down ahead of the end of the NATO combat mission in 2014.

"We've seen great progress in the Afghan national security forces. We want to continue that progress," Obama said. "And we are now looking over the next several weeks to a new milestone ... where we are transitioning to Afghan lead for combat operations."

Declaring that "our goal is in sight," Rasmussen noted the progress the Afghan army and police have made over the past year, in the time since NATO leaders agreed at a summit in Chicago to set the middle of 2013 as the goal for transitioning combat operations across the country. Rasmussen said the alliance now is working to establish a new training mission to continue assisting Afghan forces after the current NATO mission ends.

"It will be a very different mission, a noncombat mission with a significantly lower number of troops and trainers," he said. "So we are determinedly moving towards our goal: an Afghanistan that can stand on its own feet."

To that end, Obama and Rasmussen announced NATO will hold a summit next year to determine how the alliance can continue partnering with the Afghan government. Obama said the summit will not only "underscore this final chapter in our Afghan operations, but also paint a picture of a future whereby we're partnering with the Afghan government on behalf of the Afghan people and on behalf of world security" to ensure the country does not become a base for terrorism in the future.

On other matters, Obama and Rasmussen discussed making sure Libya, where several NATO countries intervened to protect civilians from former ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, also does not become a haven for terrorists.

"I think NATO has an important role to play on that front," Obama said, adding that he knows Rasmussen recently met with Libya's prime minister and had discussions about how NATO could provide assistance.

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

U.S. CONCERNED OVER EGYPTIAN CIVIL SOCIETY LAW

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. Concerns with Proposed Egyptian Civil Society Law
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 31, 2013

The United States is concerned by the civil society draft law submitted by the Egyptian Presidency to the Shura Council. After holding consultations with local stakeholders and international experts, the government requested and received constructive recommendations for revisions to the bill, and we note that some improvements were made from earlier drafts. However, the draft law still imposes significant government controls and restrictions on the activities and funding of civic groups, which appear contrary to the right of freedom of association enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a party. The United States believes the proposed law is likely to impede Egyptians’ ability to form civic groups that are critical to advancing freedoms, supporting democracy, and acting as appropriate checks on the government. As the Shura Council reviews the draft legislation, we urge further consultations with civil society and revisions to ensure the law respects universal human rights, empowers civil society to play its legitimate role, and responds to the Egyptian people’s aspirations for democracy as guaranteed specifically in Egypt’s new constitution.

Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 5/31/2013 | The White House

Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 5/31/2013 | The White House

SECRETARY HAGEL ON SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE VALUE

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EPA PROPOSES RULES TO PROTECT PUBLIC FROM FORMALDEHYDE

FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Proposes Rules to Protect Americans from Exposure to Formaldehyde

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed two rules to help protect Americans from exposure to the harmful chemical formaldehyde, consistent with a Federal law unanimously passed by Congress in 2010. These rules ensure that composite wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States meet the formaldehyde emission standards established by Congress.

Formaldehyde is used in adhesives to make a wide range of building materials and products. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause adverse public health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, other respiratory symptoms and, in certain cases, cancer.

"The proposed regulations announced today reflect EPA’s continued efforts to protect the public from exposure to harmful chemicals in their daily lives," said James J. Jones, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Once final, the rules will reduce the public’s exposure to this harmful chemical found in many products in our homes and workplaces."

In 2010, Congress passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which establishes emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood products and directs EPA to propose rules to enforce the act’s provisions. EPA’s proposed rules align, where practical, with the requirements for composite wood products set by the California Air Resources Board, putting in place national standards for companies that manufacture or import these products. EPA’s national rules will also encourage an ongoing industry trend towards switching to no-added formaldehyde resins in composite wood products.

EPA's first proposal limits how much formaldehyde may be emitted from hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished goods, that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported in the United States. The emitted formaldehyde may be left over from the resin or composite wood making process or be released when the resin degrades in the presence of heat and humidity. This proposal also includes testing requirements, laminated product provisions, product labeling requirements, chain of custody documentation, recordkeeping, a stockpiling prohibition, and enforcement provisions. It also includes a common-sense exemption from some testing and record-keeping requirements for products made with no-added formaldehyde resins.

The second proposal establishes a third-party certification framework designed to ensure that manufacturers of composite wood products meet the TSCA formaldehyde emission standards by having their composite wood products certified though an accredited third-party certifier. It would also establish eligibility requirements and responsibilities for third-party certifier's and the EPA-recognized accreditation bodies who would accredit them. This robust proposed third-party certification program will level the playing field by ensuring composite wood products sold in this country meet the emission standards in the rule regardless of whether they were made in the United States or not.

DATA-SHARING ASSETS SOUGHT BY SPECIAL OPS

Air Force combat controllers and Army Special Forces soldiers execute a static line jump from an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft during Emerald Warrior 2013 at Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 26, 2013. Special operations forces commanders are advocating for technology that delivers better situational awareness, better networking and communications, and more precise location and targeting capabilities for operators undertaking challenging missions around the world. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Special Ops Commanders Seek Intel, Data-sharing Assets
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

TAMPA, Fla., May 30, 2013 - Senior commanders recently called on the defense industry to provide technologies that give special operations forces more situational awareness, better networking and communications and more precise location and targeting capabilities.

All noted the unprecedented capabilities the defense industry has delivered to help special operations forces succeed during the past 12 years of conflict. But looking to the future -- the drawdown in Afghanistan, budget constraints and a refocus on the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the globe beyond the Middle East and Southwest Asia – they said they will need more.

So despite budget constraints and uncertainties, efforts must continue to ensure that special operations forces have the tools they will need to succeed in missions ranging from building partner capacity to irregular warfare and counterterrorism, the commanders emphasized.

At the top of their list are improved intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and better processes for sifting through the mountains of data streams to paint a more complete operational picture.

Socom's current acquisition efforts are focused on equipping both manned and unmanned fixed-wing assets with ISR capabilities suitable for diverse global requirements, Navy Adm. Michael McRaven, the Socom commander, reported to Congress earlier this year.

"We will need to have an ability to continue to search large data bases to identify enemies and information that helps us understand and gives us clues into what [violent extremist] networks are doing out there," Army Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Votel, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, told the Tampa assembly.

And in support of Navy Adm. William H. McRaven's vision of a global special operations forces network, Votel underscored the need for knowledge management and information storage and sharing technologies to support it.

"We want every advantage before we lock horns with an adversary, and that is knowing what they have available to them and then countering it with decisive action," Navy Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, told the assembly.

What's needed, the commanders agreed, are more universal systems to replace those that work only on specific platforms.

"We have to have plug-and-play ISR packages that allow us to select the right tool for the right environment, and be able to work in a standardized fashion in the aircraft that we are operating across the enterprise," Votel said.

Marine Col. Michael Sweeney, deputy commander of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, echoed the need for a single, multitiered network to consolidate what five and sometimes six sets of equipment now do. "We are increasing the burden on the force from a load perspective," he said.

"We are system agnostic," said Army Maj. Gen. Michael S. Repass, commander of Special Operations Command Europe. "We don't care what it is, as long ... as the communications are compatible with whatever the distribution network is."

Army Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said the systems that have proven themselves in Afghanistan will remain critical throughout the rest of that mission and into the future.

But looking ahead, he also recognized the fine line between becoming overly dependent on technology and ensuring enough redundancy "to make sure we are not crippled if we lose something as a capability."

Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he sees little decrease in future demand not only for ISR, but also for mobility and strike capability. As wartime requirements decrease, the command is evaluating its portfolio to ensure it is postured to provide what future missions will demand, he reported.

The first of up to 10 CV-22 Osprey aircraft slated to be based in Mildenhall, England, are expected to arrive next month to extend the reach of U.S. special operations forces supporting both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Fiel said.

The MC-130J Commando II aircraft also is slated for the European theater, with 12 to be fielded to provide "a very much-needed capability to both Special Operations Command Africa and Special Operations Command Europe," he added.

Naval Special Warfare Command is undergoing a similar assessment of its inventory, as its SEALs and special boat teams transition back to their traditional maritime environment, Pybus said.

A new Maritime Mobility Roadmap, approved by McRaven, calls for a family of vessels – ranging from high-end, stealth, long-range penetrating craft to a multimission craft that can launch from a variety of ships for operations in littoral waters.

But Pybus also noted the need for other hardware suited to the maritime domain: refreshed rebreathers, propulsion devices, sleds and weapons that can work both underwater and across the beach.

"There is equipment that our partners have, quite frankly, that is better than ours, because we spent the past decade fighting ashore," he said "It is time to move forward so that our troops have the best that there is out there so they can be successful."

While laying out their immediate and future requirements, the commanders made clear they understand the economic realities facing the entire military.

"We are going to have to do things smartly and efficiently, because we just won't have all the things that have been available to us in the past," Pybus said. That, he acknowledged, will mean using legacy systems to the very end of their life cycles.

"But you can accessorize them and make improvements to them to make them better," he told the industry representatives. "And that is what we are going to be looking for from a lot of you."

JOINT STATEMENT ON U.S.-PAKISTAN SECURITY, WMD

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Joint Statement United States and Pakistan Discuss Security, Strategic Stability, and Nonproliferation Issues

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 31, 2013

Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Zamir Akram, co-Chaired the 5th round of the US-Pakistan Security, Strategic Stability, and Nonproliferation (SSS&NP) Working Group in Washington on May 30, 2013.

The delegations had a cordial and productive exchange of views on issues of mutual importance, including international efforts to enhance nuclear security and peaceful applications of nuclear energy. The participants also shared views on nonproliferation challenges, as well as on the multilateral regimes on chemical and biological weapons, export controls, and the importance of regional stability and security.

This meeting is part of an ongoing series of senior level engagements between the United States and Pakistan on a range of issues related to our bilateral relationship. The delegations reaffirmed that the SSS&NP Working Group remains an invaluable forum. Reflecting the significance of these issues, both delegations look forward to continuing the process and will explore meeting in Islamabad this fall.

Weekly Address: Congress Should Take Action to Continue Growing the Economy | The White House

Weekly Address: Congress Should Take Action to Continue Growing the Economy | The White House

Remarks by Secretary Hagel at the IISS Asia Security Summit, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

Remarks by Secretary Hagel at the IISS Asia Security Summit, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

WEST, TEXAS FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE TOPS $5 MILLION

FROM: U.S. FEDEERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
AUSTIN, Texas. – In just over a month since the emergency disaster declaration for the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have approved more than $5.6 million in disaster assistance or low-interest loans for survivors.

This total includes more than $694,000 in Housing and Other Needs Assistance and Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) from the state of Texas and FEMA. The SBA has approved more than $4.91 million in low-interest disaster assistance loans for 59 disaster-impacted residents and businesses. SBA federal disaster loans help pay for residential and business property losses as well as disaster working capital needs for eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

"We are all working together to get the disaster assistance where it needs to be — in the hands of survivors," said the Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin L. Hannes of FEMA. "Survivors are taking advantage of low-interest disaster loans. We will continue to coordinate with and support our federal, state and local partners as the residents of West work to rebuild and recover."

To date, 742 individuals and families have registered for assistance. More than 900 residents have taken advantage of services provided by the Disaster Recovery Center in West and TSA has provided funding for 359 nights at hotels in West and nearby communities to provide eligible residents with a safe place to stay.

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

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, thank you.

Somebody else? Yes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you -- are you in that business?

Q: (OFF-MIC)

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

Who else wants -- yes?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Yes, sir. Good morning, sir.

SEC. HAGEL: Morning.

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

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

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

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

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

20,000 OF PREDATORS IN THE AIR OVER AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Predator passes 20,000-hour mark in Afghanistan
by Capt. Brian Maguire
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

5/28/2013 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- An MQ-1 Predator assigned here recently became the first Predator to pass 20,000 flying hours over Afghanistan, a feat equivalent to flying 15 hours every other day, for 2,667 days.

While the Predator remotely piloted aircraft program surpassed one million hours of total development, test, training and combat in August 2011, this is the first airframe to accumulate 20,000 flying hours individually.

"Reaching this milestone is significant, but what's more special are the missions we enable every day," said Lt. Col. Russ Garner, 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron commander. "

Maintainers are the key to enabling a single airframe to reach so many hours, Garner said. Maintenance keeps the aircraft flying, especially through the extreme weather in Afghanistan, he added.

"Without maintainers we couldn't reach this milestone, let alone get in the air," the squadron commander said. "This achievement is really a tribute to our maintainers."

A team of military and civilian personnel maintain and repair the aircraft.

The mission of the 62nd ERS is to provide launch and recovery for RPA assigned to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing here.

"With only two percent of the RPA aircrew [in the career field deployed here], we're enabling 98 percent of the mission," Garner said. "During their deployment there are no days off for the crew, while they set an unbelievable operations tempo."

The MQ-1 and MQ-9 Reaper are assigned to the squadron and conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and close-air support missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The aircraft are operated by Airmen with the 62nd ERS, U.S. crews located stateside and Royal Air Force crews in the United Kingdom