Hagel Visits Alma Mater, Discusses Defense Issues
DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke on a range of issues including the transition in Afghanistan during a visit to his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, in Omaha, Neb., June 19, 2013. Hagel also discussed the U.S. nuclear arms posture, described by President Barack Obama in Berlin earlier in the day, and outlined how U.S. Strategic Command will help implement the changes.
President Calls for Further Cuts in Nuclear Arms
DOD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad McNeeley
U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to further reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal, provided Russia is willing to do the same, during an address at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, June 19, 2013. Obama said a review determined that if deployed strategic nuclear weapons are reduced by up to one-third, America’s safety and that of its allies can be ensured.
Obama, French President Discuss Afghanistan
White House photo by Pete Souza
U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the progress made by Afghanistan’s security forces in taking the security lead in that country during a meeting with French President Francois Hollande following the annual G-8 conference in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, June 18, 2013. Obama said he and Hollande agreed that an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process is the best way...to ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region.”
Chairman Visits Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., June 18, 2013, where he received a briefing on B-2 bomber operations and maintenance. While on base, Dempsey also visited with airmen.
Services Study Ways to Open More Jobs to Women
U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi
With proxy tests and surveys, consultations and validations, the nation’s military services and U.S. Special Operations Command are preparing to map the path -- and the obstacles -- to opening jobs for women, Defense Department and military officials said during a news conference at the Pentagon, June 18, 2013. Each service will develop its own gender-neutral task standards. Combat exemptions will be lifted in January 2016.
Hagel Initiatives Combat Sexual Assaults in Military
DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has launched new initiatives to eradicate sexual assault in the military. The multidisciplinary approach addresses sexual assault prevention from the command to the recruiting levels, and will increase reporting and improve victim care. Hagel also appointed an independent panel to make recommendations on legal reforms to hold sexual offenders accountable.
U.S. Marines, Sailors Provide Medical Care in Helmand
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia
U.S. Marines and sailors carried an injured Afghan soldier on Combat Outpost Shukvani in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2013. The Marines and sailors, assigned to surgical platoon, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, are members of a shock trauma unit responsible for providing medical care to injured patients brought to the outpost. As of June 18, 2013, Afghan forces have taken the lead in providing security for their country.
