Secretary of Defense Ash Carter will travel to locations in Florida, Texas and Massachusetts March 30 - April 1 on a wide-ranging trip that will focus on the Counter-ISIL campaign and the secretary's commitment to innovation.
On Wednesday in Tampa, he will attend change of command ceremonies for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. In addition to his keynote remarks at both ceremonies, he will conduct a press conference with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford and Generals Joseph Votel and Raymond Thomas, who will assume command at CENTCOM and SOCOM, respectively.
Secretary Carter will then fly to Austin, Texas. He will first visit the University of Texas to participate in a roundtable with students and UT leadership to discuss issues of common concern within the military and on campus, followed by a moderated conversation with University of Texas students including members of the ROTC. Secretary Carter will also visit the university's Innovation and technology center, and a tech incubator in Austin to meet with local tech startups.
On Friday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, Secretary Carter will make a major announcement regarding a new technology partnership that will link the DoD with private sector companies and academic institutions in the area.
Press interested in covering these events can contact the DoD Press Office, at (703) 697-5131. Please note that both changes of command and the remarks at MIT will be live-streamed on
www.defense.gov.