Defense Secretary Mattis In Philippines To Strengthen Ties With ASEAN, Discuss North Korea

Jim Garamone at the DoD News offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 — Strengthening ties with allies, increasing defense capabilities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and discussions about the threat of North Korea are among the topics Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will contend with on his trip to the region, he told reporters traveling with him yesterday.

The secretary arrived in the Philippines this morning Washington time. He laid out his agenda for the trip during an in-flight news conference.

Mattis will meet with Philippine officials before taking part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministerial set for Oct. 23-25. That meeting is at the former Clark Air Base.

“One of the first things I’m going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists,” he told reporters. It was a very tough fight, as you know, in southern Mindanao. And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines battled forces allied under the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Marawi. Coalition forces helped the Philippine troops with intelligence, advice and logistic support. While small pockets of terrorists remain, the government declared the city liberated Oct. 17.

ASEAN

The association has been in existence for almost 50 years and is a force promoting peace and stability in the region. It is a forum for the nations to discuss issues among themselves and hash out ways to cooperate that brings prosperity to the region, Mattis said. The meeting also marks 40 years of friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and the United States.

“ASEAN provides an international venue, giving voice to those who want relations between states to be based on respect, not on predatory economics or on the size of militaries,” he said. “ASEAN nations have demonstrated that they can listen to one another, they identify opportunities to increase defense cooperation for their own security and seek shared solutions to shared concerns. The U.S. remains unambiguously committed to supporting ASEAN.”

The secretary will take advantage of his time at the meeting to visit with his regional counterparts, he said. In addition to meeting Philippine counterparts, Mattis is scheduled to meet with representatives of Japan, South Korea, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

He will also hold trilateral talks with Japanese and South Korean defense officials.

North Korea

Mattis said the regional distubances created by North Korea will be on the agenda at ASEAN. He said will also emphasize the shared values the nations of the alliance have, the territorial sovereignty of the nations and the need for “freedom of navigation through historically international waters and fair and reciprocal trade.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mattis will lead the official U.S. delegation to the funeral of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016. The royal cremation rite ends the period of mourning for the country -- one of America’s treaty allies in the region. “He was understandably beloved by his people and a proponent of our strong Thailand-United States relationship,” the defense secretary said.

After the ASEAN meeting ends, Mattis will move on to Seoul, where he and South Korea’s Defense Minister Song Young-moo will co-chair the 49th annual Security Consultative Meeting. “There, we will underscore our ironclad commitment to each other,” Mattis said.

North Korea is a threat to the region and globally, defense officials have said. Two unanimous U.N. Security Council resolutions have isolated the state from the rest of the world. The U.N. acted after North Korea detonated nuclear devices and flew an intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan. During his meetings in South Korea, the secretary said he will discuss reinforcing diplomatic efforts to return to a denuclearized Korean peninsula.

The defense leaders will also discuss “how we are going to maintain peace by keeping our militaries alert while our diplomats -- Japanese, South Korean and U.S. -- work with all nations to denuclearize the Korean peninsula,” Mattis said.

President Elevates U.S. Cyber Command To Unified Combatant Command

Jim Garamone and Lisa Ferdinando at the DoD News offer the below piece:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2017 — At the direction of the president, the Defense Department today initiated the process to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a unified combatant command.

"This new unified combatant command will strengthen our cyberspace operations and create more opportunities to improve our nation’s defense," President Donald J. Trump said in a written statement.

The elevation of the command demonstrates the increased U.S. resolve against cyberspace threats and will help reassure allies and partners and deter adversaries, the statement said.  The elevation also will help to streamline command and control of time-sensitive cyberspace operations by consolidating them under a single commander with authorities commensurate with the importance of those operations and will ensure that critical cyberspace operations are adequately funded, the statement said.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is examining the possibility of separating U.S. Cyber Command from the National Security Agency, and is to announce his recommendations at a later date.

Growing Mission

The decision to elevate U.S. Cyber Command is consistent with Mattis' recommendation and the requirements of the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, Kenneth P. Rapuano, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security, told reporters at the Pentagon today.

"The decision is a welcome and necessary one that ensures that the nation is best positioned to address the increasing threats in cyberspace," he added.

Cybercom's elevation from its previous subunified command status demonstrates the growing centrality of cyberspace to U.S. national security, Rapuano said, adding that the move signals the U.S. resolve to "embrace the changing nature of warfare and maintain U.S. military superiority across all domains and phases of conflict."

Cybercom was established in 2009 in response to a clear need to match and exceed enemies seeking to use the cyber realm to attack the United States and its allies. The command is based at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, with the National Security Agency. Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers is the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency director. The president has directed Mattis to recommend a commander for U.S. Cyber Command, and Rogers for now remains in the dual-hatted role, Rapuano said.

More Strategic Role

Since its establishment, Cybercom has grown significantly, consistent with DoD's cyber strategy and reflective of major increases in investments in capabilities and infrastructure, Rapuano said. The command reached full operational capability Oct. 31, 2010, but it is still growing and evolving. The command is concentrating on building its Cyber Mission Force, which should be complete by the end of fiscal year 2018, he said.

The force is expected to consist of almost 6,200 personnel organized into 133 teams. All of the teams have already reached initial operational capability, and many are actively conducting operations. The force incorporates reserve component personnel and leverages key cyber talent from the civilian sector.

"This decision means that Cyber Command will play an even more strategic role in synchronizing cyber forces and training,  conducting and coordinating military cyberspace operations, and advocating for and prioritizing cyber investments within the department,"  Rapuano said.

Cybercom already has been performing many responsibilities of a unified combatant command. The elevation also raises the stature of the commander of Cyber Command to a peer level with the other unified combatant command commanders, allowing the Cybercom commander to report directly to the secretary of defense, Rapuano pointed out.

The new command will be the central point of contact for resources for the department's operations in the cyber domain and will serve to synchronize cyber forces under a single manager. The commander will also ensure U.S. forces will be interoperable.

"This decision is a significant step in the department's continued efforts to build its cyber capabilities, enabling Cyber Command to provide real, meaningful capabilities as a command on par with the other geographic and functional combat commands," Rapuano said. 

Defense Secretary 'Mad Dog' Mattis To Sailors: ‘You're Not some Pu--y Sitting On The Sidelines’

Geoff Ziezulewicz at the Navy Times reports on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis using blunt (and no doubt popular) language while addressing U.S. Navy sailors.

Visiting with sailors at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington state, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis didn’t mince words when discussing the differences between serving in the military and the civilian population.

Mattis told sailors they would experience the best and worst life has to offer while in the Navy, a sign they are living life to the fullest.

“That means you’re not some p---y sitting on the sidelines”...

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/08/15/mattis-to-sailors-youre-not-some-pu-y-sitting-on-the-sidelines/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2008.16.2017&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief 

The Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford: ‘A 100,000-Ton Message To The world’

The Washington Times published my piece on the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and why carriers are important to America’s freedom.

As an old Navy man who served as a young enlisted sailor on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War, I was pleased and proud to see the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), join America’s fleet.

Last month President Trump, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other dignitaries attended the commissioning of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s latest nuclear-powered supercarrier, at the Norfolk naval base. The new carrier was named in honor of President Ford, who served on an aircraft carrier during World War II. His daughter, Susan Ford Bales, the ship’s sponsor, was also in attendance.

“The USS Ford is a magnificent warship that joins the best Navy in the world,” Mr. Mattis said at the ceremony. “It is named after a tried-and true member of the Greatest Generation, and that spirit will permeate this ship so long as it sails on the seas, as well as the U.S. Navy spirit of ‘We have just begun to fight,’ ” he said.

Mr. Trump stated that a ship is only as good as the people who serve on it, and he said the American sailor is the best in the world.

“Among you are great welders, radar technicians, machine operators and pilots,” Mr. Trump said. “You take pride in your work and America takes pride in you. Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong.”

… According to the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier remains as the centerpiece of our forward-operating forces. Often the presence of an aircraft carrier has deterred potential adversaries from striking against U.S. interests. Aircraft carriers employ aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat and shore targets, as well as engage in sustained power projection operations in support of U.S. and coalition forces. The aircraft carrier and its strike group also engage in maritime security operations to interdict threats to merchant shipping and prevent the use of the seas for terrorism and piracy. Aircraft carriers also provide unique capabilities for disaster response and humanitarian assistance.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/14/uss-gerald-ford-projects-american-power/

Note: You can click on the above U.S. Navy photos to enlarge.