1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:07,050 Hello , everyone . I'm Lloyd Austin , 3 00:00:07,210 --> 00:00:10,250 Secretary of Defense . I want to thank 4 00:00:10,250 --> 00:00:12,250 you for participating in this stand 5 00:00:12,250 --> 00:00:15,260 down , and I think your leadership for 6 00:00:15,260 --> 00:00:17,650 supporting this important initiative 7 00:00:18,740 --> 00:00:21,010 and let me say right at the outset that 8 00:00:21,010 --> 00:00:23,360 there is not a single doubt in my mind 9 00:00:23,940 --> 00:00:27,290 that you take seriously your oath to 10 00:00:27,290 --> 00:00:30,500 the Constitution in that you serve this 11 00:00:30,500 --> 00:00:34,400 country with honor and dignity 12 00:00:34,780 --> 00:00:38,550 and character , and that you believe in 13 00:00:38,940 --> 00:00:42,790 and uphold our core values each and 14 00:00:42,790 --> 00:00:45,820 every day . Many of you have deployed 15 00:00:45,820 --> 00:00:48,080 in harm's way to defend those values . 16 00:00:49,230 --> 00:00:51,286 And some of you are in harm's way at 17 00:00:51,286 --> 00:00:54,180 this very moment . And I want you to 18 00:00:54,180 --> 00:00:57,780 know that I'm grateful for that . I 19 00:00:57,790 --> 00:01:00,190 also want you to know that your fellow 20 00:01:00,190 --> 00:01:02,860 citizens are grateful for that . 21 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,807 You see , we understand the sacrifices 22 00:01:06,807 --> 00:01:09,150 that you and your families are making 23 00:01:09,150 --> 00:01:12,560 to defend this nation . And we know a 24 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,110 stand down like this can seemed like 25 00:01:15,110 --> 00:01:17,950 yet another task to undertake another 26 00:01:17,950 --> 00:01:21,500 burden . But the truth of the matter 27 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:25,460 is , we need your help . I'm 28 00:01:25,460 --> 00:01:27,682 talking , of course , about extremism , 29 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:31,890 an extremist ideology , views and 30 00:01:31,890 --> 00:01:34,570 conduct that run counter to everything 31 00:01:34,790 --> 00:01:37,670 that we believe in in which can 32 00:01:37,670 --> 00:01:40,860 actually tear at the fabric of who we 33 00:01:40,860 --> 00:01:42,380 are as an institution . 34 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,950 You know , I've seen this before . I've 35 00:01:47,950 --> 00:01:51,810 lived through it as a soldier and as a 36 00:01:51,810 --> 00:01:55,430 commander . It's not new to our country , 37 00:01:55,430 --> 00:01:57,780 and sadly , it's not new to our 38 00:01:57,780 --> 00:02:01,770 military . What is new is 39 00:02:01,770 --> 00:02:04,580 the speed and a pervasiveness with 40 00:02:04,580 --> 00:02:07,260 which extremist ideology can spread . 41 00:02:07,260 --> 00:02:11,050 Today , thanks to social media and the 42 00:02:11,050 --> 00:02:14,630 aggressive and organized and emboldened 43 00:02:14,630 --> 00:02:17,340 attitude , many of these hate groups 44 00:02:17,340 --> 00:02:20,170 and their sympathizers are now applying 45 00:02:20,170 --> 00:02:22,150 to their recruitment and to their 46 00:02:22,150 --> 00:02:25,240 operations . You know , it concerns me , 47 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,680 too . I think that anyone wearing the 48 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,230 uniforms of a soldier or sailor and 49 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:33,320 airman , marine or guardian or Coast 50 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,630 Guardsman what a spouse , the source of 51 00:02:36,630 --> 00:02:40,060 beliefs , let alone act on them . 52 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:45,560 But they do . Some of them still 53 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,560 do . We've got to be better than that , 54 00:02:50,540 --> 00:02:53,800 and not just for ourselves and the sort 55 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,800 of work environment that we want to 56 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,022 cultivate for each other , but also for 57 00:02:58,022 --> 00:03:00,133 the country and the very idea of what 58 00:03:00,133 --> 00:03:02,133 the United States represents to the 59 00:03:02,133 --> 00:03:05,360 world . And that's the discussion 60 00:03:06,140 --> 00:03:09,840 that I want you toe have today . I want 61 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,951 you to revisit the oath that you took 62 00:03:11,951 --> 00:03:14,250 when you join the military and when you 63 00:03:14,260 --> 00:03:17,840 re enlisted or got promoted , read 64 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,430 those words again . Consider what they 65 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,930 really mean and think about the promise 66 00:03:24,930 --> 00:03:27,041 that you made to yourselves into your 67 00:03:27,041 --> 00:03:29,263 teammates and to your fellow citizens . 68 00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:32,254 I also want you to share with your 69 00:03:32,254 --> 00:03:34,580 leadership your own personal 70 00:03:34,580 --> 00:03:37,280 experiences with encountering extremist , 71 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,150 an extremist ideology in the military 72 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,130 Should you have any and I want your 73 00:03:44,130 --> 00:03:45,963 leadership toe . Listen to those 74 00:03:45,963 --> 00:03:49,020 stories , and I want them to listen to 75 00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:51,140 any ideas that you might have to help 76 00:03:51,140 --> 00:03:54,630 us stamp out of the ranks the 77 00:03:54,630 --> 00:03:58,010 dangerous conduct that this ideology 78 00:03:58,010 --> 00:04:01,780 inspires . And 79 00:04:01,780 --> 00:04:04,550 so I want you to remember also that 80 00:04:04,550 --> 00:04:06,494 we've got important things to do . 81 00:04:06,494 --> 00:04:08,661 Ladies and gentlemen , we have serious 82 00:04:08,661 --> 00:04:11,500 commitments around the world and people 83 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:14,820 depend on us so we can't afford actions 84 00:04:14,820 --> 00:04:17,560 and behavior that are at odds with our 85 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,000 values and that undermine good order 86 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,390 and discipline that harm or harass 87 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,680 and otherwise violate the oath that we 88 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,290 share and the bonds of trust upon which 89 00:04:31,290 --> 00:04:34,260 we all rely again . 90 00:04:35,140 --> 00:04:36,918 Thank you for it . You and your 91 00:04:36,918 --> 00:04:39,750 families do each and every day . 92 00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:44,350 Thank you for upholding your oath and 93 00:04:44,350 --> 00:04:46,600 thank you for helping us get smarter 94 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,380 about dealing with this very important 95 00:04:49,380 --> 00:04:53,270 readiness issue . I'm proud to be on 96 00:04:53,270 --> 00:04:53,850 your team .