Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at a ceremony to dedicate the Pentagon September 11 Memorial. He says that the ceremony is to honor the sacrifice of families that have lost a husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend. (0:31)
Following an announcement by the Bush administration to withdraw 8,000 further troops from Iraq by February and funnel more troops to Afghanistan, the Secretary of Defense said that both the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan are top military priorities. “With positive developments in Iraq, the strategic flexibility provided by ongoing troop reductions there , and the prospect of further reductions next year– I think it is possible in the months to come to do militarily what we must in both countries,” said Sec. Robert Gates in his written statement, referencing earlier Defense Department statements that in Afghanistan the U.S. does what it can and in Iraq it does what it must.
Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who drew the earlier distinction prioritizing the two wars, told the House Armed Services Committee that both conflicts are military priorities. “These [wars] are our priorities and they’ve been our priorities,” he said. Mullen also enumerated the differences between the two conflicts including the nature of the enemy to the terrain on the ground. “We treated the needs of each war separately– and weighed out decisions for each solely– against the risks inherent and resources available.”
Both Gates and Mullen made statements indicating united military decision making in reference to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward and a subsequent series in the Washington Post on the surge and how the military may have been circumvented by the White House. Mullen who is quoted in the book, emphasiezd that he was not interviewed about his statements. Mullen said that his advice, as chairman to the president was allowed up the chain of command unimpeded. “I think that is a very important part of our democracy and how the system is supposed to work.”
Speaking about the recent 45-day period of review of troop levels in Iraq Mullen said that the decision was “candid, transparent, and thoroughly collaborative…including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
Additionally Gates announced that a procurement process for a new air tanker fleet would be postponed until July of 2009. The original bidding and selection process had been contested by Boeing and the GAO ordered a new request for proposals. Gates said because of the changes that need to be made to the “emotional” and “complicated” process, this procurement should be left to the next administration.
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recounts his visits to troops returning from the theater of war. He says that a primary concern is more time in the U.S. between deployments so service members can meet someone to date or spend more time with a spouse and children. (0:32)
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that success in Iraq is, “Getting to a point where the Iraqi government can provide for it’s people, where the economy is healthy, where Iraqi security forces can provide for their own security and can be a strong neighbor for that part of the world.” (0:36)
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that there can’t be discssion on the security of Afghanistan withou talking about Pakistan. He calls for a plan and strategy to deal with Pakistan. (0:33)
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee about the FY09 Budget request for the Department of Defense. The total budget is $515.4 billion or 3.4 percent of U.S. GDP. $35 Billion more than last budget period. The budget includes $183.8 billion for modernization. Included in legislation is a request is for $70 billion in bridge funding which goes to funding the war. Gates made the complaint that the Congress still has not authorized the war supplemental request from $108 billion. Gates repeated a point made by his press secretary that Army payroll accounts could be dry by June if the Congress does not pass both the DoD budget and the war supplemental funding measures.
One of the most interesting exchanges occurred between Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Sec. Gates. Specter asked repeated question about the U.S. diplomatic relationship with Iran. Specter made reference to statements made by Gates last week, when he said that the U.S. should seek out more leverage to negotiate with Iran. Specter argued that the United States had more leverage in 2003 at the beginning of the war, when government of Iran seemed open to some kind of talks. Specter also said that it ridiculous to use our ultimate goal–the cessation of Iran’s nuclear activities– as a precondition to talks. “We sit across from them and speculate,” said Specter saying that only more direct talks will lead to figuring out more leverage.
Also interesting was Sen. Diane Feinstein’s (D-Calif) questions on the progress of a DoD investigation into the possibility of closing Guantanamo Bay prison. “Frankly, we’re stuck,” responded Gates. He outlined the roadblocks. Gates said that the Defense Department is struggling to get foreign countries to accept their detainees back, to ensure that accepted detainees are further detained and not let go, and to place detainees that will not be accepted back, will not be tried, but can not be released because of the risk that they will again engage in terrorism against the United States. Feinstein was critical saying that the investigation has done nothing so far to “absolve the massive loss of credibility” the U.S. has suffered over Guantanamo.
During a press conference at the Pentagon Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that despite a desire by the Commandant of the Marine Coprs, General James Conway, to move Marines into Afghanistan, additional deployments of Marines or other additional troops depend on the force levels in Iraq. (0:40)
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen briefed the press at the Pentagon. The made a brief opening statement about how May is Military Appreciation Month and then took questions.
Gates stressed that there is no plan to extend the tour of the 3,400 Marines currently in Afghanistan. He said that “no one has suggested even the possibility of extending that rotation and I’d be loath to do that.” Mullen followed up that further additions of Marines to Afghanistan are “very much tied to troop levels in Iraq.” Gates said that a transition for the Marines from Iraq to Afghanistan “should it occur would be very challenging.”
On Myanmar the Secretary said that the Essex Strike Group has been offloading helicopters in Thailand where drops of supplies could be available in Myanmar within hours. The rest of the naval assets in the region have begun to head toward Myanmar in the even that the U.S. military is granted access to give aid. Both the secretary and the admiral stressed that under no circumstances would the U.S. move in without the permission of the Myanmar government. “The tragedy is compounded by the fact that if you look at what our Navy was able to do both with the tsunami and the Pakistani earthquake there is an opportunity here to save a lot of lives and we are fully prepared to help and help right away, it would be a tragedy if these assets, people didn’t take advantage of them.” Gates emphasized that the U.S. offer to help is totally non-political. (more…)
By Meredith MacKenzie
I was born on Hahn AFB in Germany during the Cold War. I was baptized by an Air Force chaplain. For most of my life my father has been an F-16 Fighter pilot and my mother the most understanding and enduring of military spouses. All of my father’s friends went by names like “Fuzz,” “Mad Dog,” and “Chairman.” I have waited at an airport many times with that “Welcome Home Daddy!” sign. I understand every phrase from military life from “hurry up and wait” to the alphabet soup of TDY and the SOP and I will never forget the ROE my dad made me sign in order to get my learner’s permit.
As an Air Force brat, I thought that I understood America’s military. I mean, I come from a military family, the military helped pay for my education, my favorite college team (after my alma mater, of course) is the Fighting Falcons. But being on the ground, on base, even my own failed attempt to join AFROTC in college, could not have prepared me for getting to know the Department of Defense all over again.
As the TRNS Pentagon correspondent I had the chance over the last week to travel with the Secretary of Defense to Mexico City, Ft. Bliss, Texas, and the largest Army vehicle depot in the country at Texarkana. It was my first time traveling with a government entourage and I want to tell my fellow citizens that there is no better way to travel. I imagine that only the President or the Secretary of State travel in more style than Secretary Gates.
It was the contrast between our great accommodations (which the journalists themselves pay for) and the convenience of riding in a police escorted motorcade and the drab brown surroundings of Ft. Bliss that stuck out to me. I thought I knew what military life was about– turns out that I know military life in an officer’s family. My family has never had to live on base, my father has never had a 15-month hardship deployment, and he certainly has never had three of them.
The House Armed Services held a hearing on the partnerships between the State Department and the Department of Defense. Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified on joint capacity programs and funding for strengthening military and governance capabilities of U.S. allies, particularly undeveloped or young states. Mullen made an opening statement but did not offer testimony. He was available only to answer questions for members.
In his opening statement, chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) criticized the fact that interagency cooperation is often ad hoc and are not the result of advanced planning. He mentioned that Rice had appealed for more funding for these capacity building programs but the “administration has not taken the hint.” Currently the Defense Department foots the bill for adding weapons and training to states like the Philippines, Nepal, and Lebanon. The idea behind supporting these militaries is to prevent terrorist groups or rebel guerrillas from creating a crisis that would require U.S. military intervention or threaten U.S. security.
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