1 00:00:02,990 --> 00:00:05,046 you said you weren't gonna be here . 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,990 All right , good afternoon everyone . I 3 00:00:10,990 --> 00:00:12,990 have a few things to pass along and 4 00:00:12,990 --> 00:00:15,046 then we'll go ahead and get right to 5 00:00:15,046 --> 00:00:17,800 your questions As you may recall in 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,620 September 2022 , Secretary Austin 7 00:00:20,620 --> 00:00:22,731 signed the taking care of our service 8 00:00:22,731 --> 00:00:24,953 members and their families memo , which 9 00:00:24,953 --> 00:00:27,064 directed specific actions designed to 10 00:00:27,064 --> 00:00:29,009 improve and enhance our support to 11 00:00:29,009 --> 00:00:31,176 military members and their families in 12 00:00:31,176 --> 00:00:33,453 several important areas . From day one , 13 00:00:33,453 --> 00:00:35,509 the secretary has been crystal clear 14 00:00:35,509 --> 00:00:37,731 that taking care of our service members 15 00:00:37,731 --> 00:00:39,453 and their families is a sacred 16 00:00:39,453 --> 00:00:41,398 obligation and a national security 17 00:00:41,398 --> 00:00:43,564 imperative . As we conclude 2022 , I'd 18 00:00:43,564 --> 00:00:45,787 like to provide you with a quick update 19 00:00:45,787 --> 00:00:47,787 on progress in a few key areas . In 20 00:00:47,787 --> 00:00:49,842 october , we automatically increased 21 00:00:49,842 --> 00:00:51,953 basic allowance for housing rates and 22 00:00:51,953 --> 00:00:53,731 28 housing areas where rent has 23 00:00:53,731 --> 00:00:55,676 skyrocketed 20% or more . And as I 24 00:00:55,676 --> 00:00:57,842 briefed you last week , this automatic 25 00:00:57,842 --> 00:00:59,953 increase will expire on december 31st 26 00:00:59,953 --> 00:01:03,760 with the new 2023 . B A R H B H 27 00:01:03,770 --> 00:01:07,250 rates a 12.1% average increase uh will 28 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:10,530 go into effect january 1st . Also in 29 00:01:10,530 --> 00:01:12,252 January will pay a basic needs 30 00:01:12,252 --> 00:01:14,363 allowance to eligible service members 31 00:01:14,363 --> 00:01:16,586 and all service members are on track to 32 00:01:16,586 --> 00:01:18,697 receive a 4.6 cost of living increase 33 00:01:18,697 --> 00:01:20,700 in the new year . In addition to 34 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:22,867 assisting with helping service members 35 00:01:22,867 --> 00:01:24,922 and their families secure affordable 36 00:01:24,922 --> 00:01:27,033 basic needs . We've also taken action 37 00:01:27,033 --> 00:01:29,033 to make military moves easier . For 38 00:01:29,033 --> 00:01:31,033 example , in october we permanently 39 00:01:31,033 --> 00:01:33,033 increased temporary lodging expense 40 00:01:33,033 --> 00:01:34,756 coverage to give families more 41 00:01:34,756 --> 00:01:36,756 flexibility to search for housing . 42 00:01:36,756 --> 00:01:38,644 Also , in october we began paying 43 00:01:38,644 --> 00:01:41,070 dislocation allowance automatically to 44 00:01:41,070 --> 00:01:43,400 all eligible service members regardless 45 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,567 of rank . To help preempt their out of 46 00:01:45,567 --> 00:01:47,630 pocket moving expenses in january 47 00:01:47,630 --> 00:01:50,100 dislocation allowance will be increased 48 00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:52,156 for enlisted service members between 49 00:01:52,156 --> 00:01:54,211 the grades of E one to E six to help 50 00:01:54,211 --> 00:01:56,378 offset personal expenses for permanent 51 00:01:56,378 --> 00:01:58,489 change of station moves . In addition 52 00:01:58,489 --> 00:02:01,490 to support Uh for our military spouses , 53 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:04,280 we've taken action to expound expand 54 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,530 spouse employment . In January , we're 55 00:02:06,530 --> 00:02:08,308 launching a paid private sector 56 00:02:08,308 --> 00:02:10,530 fellowship program for military spouses 57 00:02:10,530 --> 00:02:12,920 and a variety of career paths . We know 58 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:15,142 that one third of military spouses must 59 00:02:15,142 --> 00:02:17,309 obtain new professional licenses every 60 00:02:17,309 --> 00:02:19,420 time they moved to a new state and to 61 00:02:19,420 --> 00:02:21,476 ease this burden , we've accelerated 62 00:02:21,476 --> 00:02:23,142 the development of seven more 63 00:02:23,142 --> 00:02:25,198 interstate licensure compacts and we 64 00:02:25,198 --> 00:02:27,309 anticipate state approval starting in 65 00:02:27,309 --> 00:02:29,400 2023 . Of considerable importance is 66 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,344 the finalization of the interstate 67 00:02:31,344 --> 00:02:33,344 teacher mobility compact , which is 68 00:02:33,344 --> 00:02:35,511 being introduced in state legislatures 69 00:02:35,511 --> 00:02:37,780 across the nation in january . Also to 70 00:02:37,780 --> 00:02:39,947 further strengthen support to families 71 00:02:39,947 --> 00:02:42,224 were improving our child care programs . 72 00:02:42,224 --> 00:02:44,113 For example , this past fall , we 73 00:02:44,113 --> 00:02:46,336 expanded the military childcare in your 74 00:02:46,336 --> 00:02:48,391 neighborhood plus program . Two more 75 00:02:48,391 --> 00:02:50,447 states which will increase access to 76 00:02:50,447 --> 00:02:52,502 quality civilian childcare providers 77 00:02:52,502 --> 00:02:54,836 when on based child care is unavailable . 78 00:02:54,836 --> 00:02:57,058 Moving forward , we'll continue to keep 79 00:02:57,058 --> 00:02:59,002 you updated on the status of these 80 00:02:59,002 --> 00:02:58,850 important initiatives and others 81 00:02:58,860 --> 00:03:00,710 designed to ensure well , we're 82 00:03:00,710 --> 00:03:02,766 fulfilling our sacred obligation and 83 00:03:02,766 --> 00:03:04,932 taking care of our service members and 84 00:03:04,932 --> 00:03:07,154 their families who do so much to defend 85 00:03:07,154 --> 00:03:09,650 our nation separately today marks the 86 00:03:09,650 --> 00:03:11,817 third anniversary of the establishment 87 00:03:11,817 --> 00:03:13,817 of the U . S . Space force over the 88 00:03:13,817 --> 00:03:15,928 last 60 plus years , space has become 89 00:03:15,928 --> 00:03:17,983 essential not only to joint military 90 00:03:17,983 --> 00:03:19,872 operations but to modern life for 91 00:03:19,872 --> 00:03:21,706 americans and people . Worldwide 92 00:03:21,706 --> 00:03:23,650 satellites provide communication , 93 00:03:23,650 --> 00:03:25,594 monitor weather , carry television 94 00:03:25,594 --> 00:03:27,261 broadcasts and the timing and 95 00:03:27,261 --> 00:03:28,983 navigation services of the GPS 96 00:03:28,983 --> 00:03:31,094 constellation operated by Space Force 97 00:03:31,094 --> 00:03:33,094 Guardian's Power . Global financial 98 00:03:33,094 --> 00:03:35,261 networks enable international commerce 99 00:03:35,261 --> 00:03:37,261 synchronized cell phone networks to 100 00:03:37,261 --> 00:03:39,317 highlight just a few examples as the 101 00:03:39,317 --> 00:03:41,539 newest branch of the armed forces . The 102 00:03:41,539 --> 00:03:43,539 U . S . Space Force has been called 103 00:03:43,539 --> 00:03:45,539 upon to protect and defend american 104 00:03:45,539 --> 00:03:47,594 interests and to ensure our forces , 105 00:03:47,594 --> 00:03:49,261 our allies in the world never 106 00:03:49,261 --> 00:03:51,428 experience a day without space . Space 107 00:03:51,428 --> 00:03:53,594 Force Guardians serve across the globe 108 00:03:53,594 --> 00:03:55,650 working 24 7 to design acquire field 109 00:03:55,650 --> 00:03:57,817 test , operate and defend the critical 110 00:03:57,817 --> 00:03:59,872 space systems that our nation in the 111 00:03:59,872 --> 00:04:02,094 world depend upon . We salute the space 112 00:04:02,094 --> 00:04:01,890 forces that celebrates its third 113 00:04:01,890 --> 00:04:04,240 birthday and extend our appreciation to 114 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,407 Guardians everywhere For all , they do 115 00:04:06,407 --> 00:04:08,351 defend our nation and you have one 116 00:04:08,351 --> 00:04:10,518 final uh announcement pass along which 117 00:04:10,518 --> 00:04:12,560 I'll say it till the end . But in a 118 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,727 preview , we'll go ahead and offer the 119 00:04:14,727 --> 00:04:16,930 first question to Barbara starr from 120 00:04:16,930 --> 00:04:20,190 CNN from CNN . 121 00:04:22,330 --> 00:04:25,540 Um This is not a hypothetical question . 122 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,940 This is a question in your 123 00:04:28,940 --> 00:04:32,660 wheelhouse . I want to ask the 124 00:04:32,670 --> 00:04:36,010 world now sees pictures of National 125 00:04:36,010 --> 00:04:39,670 Guard down in texas carrying rifles in 126 00:04:39,670 --> 00:04:43,400 front of their bodies um in 127 00:04:43,410 --> 00:04:47,010 their operations against unarmed 128 00:04:47,020 --> 00:04:50,280 migrants on the border . I fully 129 00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:52,224 understand that the texas National 130 00:04:52,224 --> 00:04:54,800 Guard is state activated and under 131 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,100 state orders . But nonetheless , the 132 00:04:57,100 --> 00:04:59,700 world sees people in U . S . Military 133 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,520 uniforms carrying weapons against 134 00:05:02,530 --> 00:05:04,530 unarmed civilians . I would like to 135 00:05:04,530 --> 00:05:07,890 know if the pentagon thinks this is a 136 00:05:07,890 --> 00:05:11,610 good idea , It seems something 137 00:05:11,620 --> 00:05:13,620 unusual that they would carry those 138 00:05:13,620 --> 00:05:15,509 weapons . And although it's state 139 00:05:15,509 --> 00:05:17,610 activated , the world still sees us 140 00:05:17,610 --> 00:05:20,170 military uniforms . Do you think it's a 141 00:05:20,170 --> 00:05:22,400 good idea ? Do you support them 142 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,600 carrying rifles against unarmed 143 00:05:24,610 --> 00:05:27,220 migrants ? Thanks for the question . 144 00:05:27,230 --> 00:05:30,310 Barbara , as you highlight the forces 145 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,130 that are on the border that we saw 146 00:05:33,140 --> 00:05:35,420 featured leave on a CNN broadcast 147 00:05:35,420 --> 00:05:37,930 earlier this morning . Uh those are 148 00:05:37,940 --> 00:05:40,700 texas State National Guard forces . And 149 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:42,867 so of course I don't want to speak for 150 00:05:42,867 --> 00:05:45,010 them . Uh from a federal standpoint , 151 00:05:45,010 --> 00:05:46,843 the D . O . D . Does have forces 152 00:05:46,843 --> 00:05:49,730 supporting the Customs and border 153 00:05:49,740 --> 00:05:52,570 protection Agency . Um of course they 154 00:05:52,570 --> 00:05:55,310 are in a detection and monitoring role 155 00:05:55,490 --> 00:05:58,260 uh and so not in any type of law 156 00:05:58,260 --> 00:06:01,430 enforcement role . Certainly as we look 157 00:06:01,430 --> 00:06:04,200 at the situation on the border , the D . 158 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,367 O . D . Will continue to stand ready . 159 00:06:06,367 --> 00:06:08,533 We have not received any requests from 160 00:06:08,533 --> 00:06:11,200 DHS at this point in time to provide 161 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,520 any specific support will stand ready . 162 00:06:13,530 --> 00:06:15,710 I think we certainly all have a vested 163 00:06:15,710 --> 00:06:17,932 interest in ensuring that the situation 164 00:06:17,932 --> 00:06:20,266 that remains safe for everyone involved . 165 00:06:20,270 --> 00:06:22,270 But beyond that again , I'd have to 166 00:06:22,270 --> 00:06:24,159 refer to the texas National Guard 167 00:06:24,159 --> 00:06:27,170 question on a different matter as you 168 00:06:27,170 --> 00:06:30,420 know , the B two fleet is not flying 169 00:06:30,430 --> 00:06:33,880 due to a recent mishap 170 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:37,360 and the runway at White Men remains 171 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,920 closed due to now several days of 172 00:06:39,930 --> 00:06:43,870 debris on the runway . So one of 173 00:06:43,870 --> 00:06:45,790 the premier bombers in the United 174 00:06:45,790 --> 00:06:49,270 States military is unable to fly and 175 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:53,160 unable to even access the runway . What 176 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,870 concerns does it cause you that this 177 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,870 premier bomber capability as we sit 178 00:06:59,870 --> 00:07:01,926 here today , is not available to the 179 00:07:01,926 --> 00:07:04,200 United States military ? Well , the 180 00:07:04,210 --> 00:07:06,266 Department of Defense to include the 181 00:07:06,266 --> 00:07:08,488 Air Force has a variety of capabilities 182 00:07:08,488 --> 00:07:10,820 at its disposal , particularly when it 183 00:07:10,820 --> 00:07:12,931 comes to our strategic bomber fleet . 184 00:07:12,931 --> 00:07:14,931 As you know , we also have the B 52 185 00:07:14,931 --> 00:07:17,098 which is both conventional and nuclear 186 00:07:17,098 --> 00:07:19,480 capable , which provides a redundant 187 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,180 capability um broadly speaking , when 188 00:07:22,180 --> 00:07:24,730 it comes to to our strategic forces . 189 00:07:24,740 --> 00:07:28,500 And so uh for any aircraft . Certainly 190 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:30,611 I know that our maintainers work very 191 00:07:30,611 --> 00:07:32,778 hard to ensure that those aircraft are 192 00:07:32,778 --> 00:07:35,000 available and off the ground as soon as 193 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,170 uh as soon as I can . In terms of the 194 00:07:37,170 --> 00:07:39,337 specifics on the status of the B two , 195 00:07:39,337 --> 00:07:41,510 I'd refer you to the Air Force . But 196 00:07:41,510 --> 00:07:43,470 I'm confident that we continue to 197 00:07:43,470 --> 00:07:45,970 maintain the bomber capability that we 198 00:07:45,970 --> 00:07:47,803 need to deter adversaries and if 199 00:07:47,803 --> 00:07:49,990 necessary , engage in any kind of 200 00:07:49,990 --> 00:07:51,934 priority to try and get the runway 201 00:07:51,934 --> 00:07:54,157 clear to get the plane back . I'd refer 202 00:07:54,157 --> 00:07:56,101 to the Air force to talk about the 203 00:07:56,101 --> 00:07:58,212 specific status of the runway , but I 204 00:07:58,212 --> 00:08:00,323 have no doubt that people are working 205 00:08:00,323 --> 00:08:02,323 around the clock to ensure that our 206 00:08:02,323 --> 00:08:04,546 capabilities are ready to fly and ready 207 00:08:04,546 --> 00:08:06,712 to defend the nation . Thank you . Let 208 00:08:06,712 --> 00:08:09,690 me go to ap Uh can you bring us up to 209 00:08:09,690 --> 00:08:11,970 date on what steps the department is 210 00:08:11,970 --> 00:08:14,500 taking in terms of um rescinding the 211 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:17,990 requirement for the vaccine um and more 212 00:08:17,990 --> 00:08:21,950 broadly . Uh the funding bill um 213 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,190 includes $45 billion dollars for 214 00:08:24,190 --> 00:08:26,190 Ukraine . Can you talk a little bit 215 00:08:26,190 --> 00:08:28,660 about um priorities going forward for 216 00:08:28,660 --> 00:08:30,827 support and how that money is going to 217 00:08:30,827 --> 00:08:33,890 be used ? Sure . In terms of 218 00:08:33,900 --> 00:08:36,600 pending potential pending pending 219 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,440 funding for Ukraine . Um , I won't have 220 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,440 any specifics to announce . Clearly 221 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,607 we've made a commitment to continue to 222 00:08:44,607 --> 00:08:46,829 support Ukraine for as long as it takes 223 00:08:46,829 --> 00:08:49,250 uh in terms of security assistance . Uh 224 00:08:49,250 --> 00:08:51,194 and so we will continue to do that 225 00:08:51,194 --> 00:08:54,270 going forward as far as Covid goes 226 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,224 again . Don't want to get ahead of 227 00:08:56,224 --> 00:08:58,530 pending legislation . The secretary has 228 00:08:58,530 --> 00:09:00,920 been clear that he supports maintaining 229 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,000 the mandate uh and that the health and 230 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,290 the readiness of our force remain the 231 00:09:06,300 --> 00:09:10,000 top priority . Um So moving forward . 232 00:09:10,010 --> 00:09:12,010 Um , when , when and if we have 233 00:09:12,010 --> 00:09:13,732 something new to announce , we 234 00:09:13,732 --> 00:09:17,610 certainly will . Okay . Uh I 235 00:09:17,620 --> 00:09:20,750 have two occasions on North Korea . 236 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,180 North Korea recently insisted on the 237 00:09:24,190 --> 00:09:26,840 best . I mean , test launching our 238 00:09:26,850 --> 00:09:30,290 reconnaissance satellite and said it 239 00:09:30,300 --> 00:09:33,030 would complete the development of our 240 00:09:33,030 --> 00:09:36,040 reconnaissance satellite by early next 241 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,810 year . And can you assess that North 242 00:09:39,810 --> 00:09:43,050 Korea has the capability to complete 243 00:09:43,060 --> 00:09:47,050 reconnaissance satellite or do you 244 00:09:47,050 --> 00:09:50,450 just see it as North Korea 245 00:09:50,460 --> 00:09:54,020 deception tactics ? Yeah , thanks for 246 00:09:54,020 --> 00:09:56,242 the question janey . So I don't want to 247 00:09:56,242 --> 00:09:58,298 talk about specific intelligence . I 248 00:09:58,298 --> 00:10:00,380 will say that this does demonstrate 249 00:10:00,490 --> 00:10:03,160 once again the importance that the 250 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,210 space domain plays in the current 251 00:10:06,220 --> 00:10:09,840 environment . Uh and you know , we will 252 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,007 continue to work very closely with our 253 00:10:12,007 --> 00:10:14,118 allies and our partners in the region 254 00:10:14,118 --> 00:10:16,480 to monitor and to ensure that we have 255 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,510 the capabilities necessary to deter 256 00:10:18,510 --> 00:10:21,450 potential provocative actions from 257 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:24,120 countries like North Korea regarding 258 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,580 the U . S . And South Korea . Navy 259 00:10:26,580 --> 00:10:29,890 Special Forces Navy sees 260 00:10:29,900 --> 00:10:33,370 conduct combined . The exercise is 261 00:10:33,370 --> 00:10:36,500 ongoing . Is this targeting for the 262 00:10:36,510 --> 00:10:39,690 north korean kim jong un ? So as you 263 00:10:39,690 --> 00:10:41,634 know janie we conduct a variety of 264 00:10:41,634 --> 00:10:44,790 exercises with our South korean 265 00:10:44,790 --> 00:10:46,790 counterparts on a variety of 266 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,500 capabilities , all designed to ensure 267 00:10:49,510 --> 00:10:53,040 interoperability uh and also to again 268 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:55,360 signal to our partners in the region 269 00:10:55,370 --> 00:10:59,030 that we are a reliable ally , but 270 00:10:59,030 --> 00:11:01,700 also to potential aggressors in the 271 00:11:01,700 --> 00:11:03,422 region that we do maintain the 272 00:11:03,422 --> 00:11:06,720 capabilities to deter and if necessary , 273 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,110 respond . Thank you . Let me go to Phil . 274 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,730 Does the does the department have any 275 00:11:11,740 --> 00:11:14,810 uh concerns still that the Turks are 276 00:11:14,820 --> 00:11:16,820 Turkey military is going to mount a 277 00:11:16,820 --> 00:11:18,830 ground invasion in Northern Syrian 278 00:11:18,830 --> 00:11:21,020 areas where there are partner patrols 279 00:11:21,020 --> 00:11:24,200 with the sdf and will will the 280 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:26,670 department seeking assurances from from 281 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:28,960 Ankara that that if such an invasion 282 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,210 were to take place , the U . S . Would 283 00:11:31,220 --> 00:11:33,470 be notified ahead of time . Yeah , 284 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,591 thanks for the question Phil so we've 285 00:11:35,591 --> 00:11:37,647 been very clear publicly in terms of 286 00:11:37,647 --> 00:11:39,920 what our position is uh in regards to a 287 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:43,400 potential uh new military operation 288 00:11:43,410 --> 00:11:46,290 in northern Syria with our Turkish 289 00:11:46,300 --> 00:11:48,730 allies . And so I won't I won't recover 290 00:11:48,730 --> 00:11:52,080 that ground at this time . Uh , you 291 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,969 know , we continue to monitor the 292 00:11:53,969 --> 00:11:56,210 situation . As you know , the sdf . The 293 00:11:56,210 --> 00:11:58,210 U . S . S . D . F . Partner patrols 294 00:11:58,210 --> 00:12:00,700 have resumed our focus again in that 295 00:12:00,700 --> 00:12:03,560 region continues to be on containing 296 00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:06,690 ISIS as evidenced by centcom's 297 00:12:06,700 --> 00:12:09,320 raid that they announced earlier today . 298 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:11,504 And so again , we'll stay in close 299 00:12:11,504 --> 00:12:13,616 communication with our Turkish allies 300 00:12:13,616 --> 00:12:15,671 on that front . And then I'm sorry , 301 00:12:15,671 --> 00:12:17,782 the second part of your question , do 302 00:12:17,782 --> 00:12:19,782 you think that the Turkish military 303 00:12:19,782 --> 00:12:21,893 that will notify you ahead of time if 304 00:12:21,893 --> 00:12:23,949 there were to be such an invasion so 305 00:12:23,949 --> 00:12:23,920 you can get troops us american forces 306 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:25,976 out of harm's way ? Yeah , I don't I 307 00:12:25,976 --> 00:12:28,198 don't want to speak for the Turks again 308 00:12:28,198 --> 00:12:30,420 will keep the channels of communication 309 00:12:30,420 --> 00:12:32,364 open . We regularly communicated a 310 00:12:32,364 --> 00:12:34,531 variety of levels levels with Turkey . 311 00:12:34,531 --> 00:12:36,753 Uh , and certainly when it comes to the 312 00:12:36,753 --> 00:12:39,340 safety and security of our forces , I 313 00:12:39,350 --> 00:12:41,517 would hope that we would not find them 314 00:12:41,517 --> 00:12:43,572 in a situation that would jeopardize 315 00:12:43,572 --> 00:12:45,572 that . Thank you . Let me go to the 316 00:12:45,572 --> 00:12:47,906 phone here real quick uh rio from decay . 317 00:12:49,810 --> 00:12:52,032 Hi , thank you for taking my question . 318 00:12:52,032 --> 00:12:54,610 The Japanese government should be 319 00:12:54,620 --> 00:12:57,130 announced its intention to purchase 320 00:12:57,130 --> 00:12:59,750 tomahawk cruise missiles from the US 321 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,910 and the secretary welcome Japan's new 322 00:13:02,910 --> 00:13:05,210 national security strategy last week , 323 00:13:05,220 --> 00:13:07,840 which intends to significantly 324 00:13:07,850 --> 00:13:10,410 reinforce its defense capabilities . 325 00:13:10,420 --> 00:13:12,700 I'm wondering if the pentagon would 326 00:13:12,700 --> 00:13:15,390 support Japan's purchase of Tomahawk 327 00:13:15,390 --> 00:13:17,557 cruise missiles moving forward . Thank 328 00:13:17,557 --> 00:13:20,950 you . Yeah , Thanks . Rio . So , uh , 329 00:13:20,950 --> 00:13:23,061 as you know , as a matter of policy , 330 00:13:23,061 --> 00:13:25,283 we're not going to comment on potential 331 00:13:25,283 --> 00:13:28,580 defense sales or transfers until uh , 332 00:13:28,590 --> 00:13:30,650 they've been formally notified to 333 00:13:30,650 --> 00:13:33,160 Congress , uh , to which at this time 334 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,271 to my knowledge has not occurred . As 335 00:13:35,271 --> 00:13:38,180 you highlight . We do applaud Japan's 336 00:13:38,180 --> 00:13:40,570 national Security strategy and its 337 00:13:40,570 --> 00:13:43,010 commitment to modernization , which 338 00:13:43,010 --> 00:13:45,121 just strengthens the alliance and the 339 00:13:45,121 --> 00:13:47,232 cooperation between our two countries 340 00:13:47,232 --> 00:13:49,454 and really serves to help ensure a free 341 00:13:49,454 --> 00:13:51,454 and open indo pacific . Thank you . 342 00:13:52,450 --> 00:13:54,830 Thank you sir . Brandy . Vincent from 343 00:13:54,830 --> 00:13:57,180 different scoop at a briefing last week , 344 00:13:57,180 --> 00:13:59,347 senior D . O . D . Officials confirmed 345 00:13:59,347 --> 00:14:02,350 a shift in terminology for D . O . D . 346 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,820 And you A PS from unidentified aerial 347 00:14:05,820 --> 00:14:08,740 phenomena . Two unidentified anomalous 348 00:14:08,740 --> 00:14:11,500 phenomena to account for objects that 349 00:14:11,510 --> 00:14:13,740 aren't just in the air but submerged 350 00:14:13,750 --> 00:14:16,145 and transition between mediums as well . 351 00:14:16,245 --> 00:14:18,525 Nasa announced that it's working on its 352 00:14:18,535 --> 00:14:20,702 own study of U . A . P . S . That it's 353 00:14:20,702 --> 00:14:22,591 still calling unidentified aerial 354 00:14:22,591 --> 00:14:25,285 phenomena . Does this sort of shift and 355 00:14:25,285 --> 00:14:27,415 now lack of common language for the 356 00:14:27,415 --> 00:14:30,065 term you ap between D . O . D . And 357 00:14:30,065 --> 00:14:32,755 Nasa . Um , seem to potentially cause 358 00:14:32,755 --> 00:14:34,977 problems in the near term . And if so , 359 00:14:34,977 --> 00:14:36,977 how are the agencies working to get 360 00:14:36,977 --> 00:14:39,144 ahead of that . So the short answer is 361 00:14:39,144 --> 00:14:41,199 no , I don't I don't think it causes 362 00:14:41,199 --> 00:14:43,533 any problems um for better or for worse , 363 00:14:43,533 --> 00:14:45,644 I've been a part of the Department of 364 00:14:45,644 --> 00:14:47,866 Defense for quite a while and I've seen 365 00:14:47,866 --> 00:14:49,977 on a lot of different initiatives and 366 00:14:49,977 --> 00:14:51,977 efforts where where terminology may 367 00:14:51,977 --> 00:14:54,199 change . I think the important thing is 368 00:14:54,199 --> 00:14:56,366 looking at the bigger picture ensuring 369 00:14:56,366 --> 00:14:58,477 that we're all working towards common 370 00:14:58,477 --> 00:15:00,199 objectives through interagency 371 00:15:00,199 --> 00:15:02,366 dialogues and in discussions , which I 372 00:15:02,366 --> 00:15:04,533 would fully expect will happen in this 373 00:15:04,533 --> 00:15:06,533 case going forward . We have a very 374 00:15:06,533 --> 00:15:08,699 close working relationship with in the 375 00:15:08,699 --> 00:15:10,811 Department of Defense with Nasa and I 376 00:15:10,811 --> 00:15:12,977 have no reason to think that that will 377 00:15:12,977 --> 00:15:15,088 change anytime soon . Thank you . Let 378 00:15:15,088 --> 00:15:14,285 me go back to the phone here . Howard 379 00:15:14,285 --> 00:15:17,810 Altman . Thanks . Uh 380 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:21,440 yeah , I got a question on you talk 381 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,680 about the information , operational 382 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,460 value of Presidents Alinsky's visit to 383 00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:28,682 baku mood today . And then can you give 384 00:15:28,682 --> 00:15:30,940 us a battlefield assessment on the 385 00:15:30,940 --> 00:15:33,540 battle for bahsmahmoud next ? Yeah , 386 00:15:33,550 --> 00:15:35,750 Thanks Howard ? Um I won't speak for 387 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,900 President Zelensky , I think broadly 388 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:40,280 speaking , we continue to see his 389 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,640 leadership uh be a key aspect to 390 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,220 Ukraine's success uh in their fight , 391 00:15:46,220 --> 00:15:48,720 but I'll let him talk to his own 392 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,390 rationale for where he goes and why as 393 00:15:51,390 --> 00:15:54,300 far as box goes . Uh we continue to see 394 00:15:54,300 --> 00:15:57,460 intense fighting in the region of bach 395 00:15:57,460 --> 00:16:01,250 moot um with Russian forces making 396 00:16:01,260 --> 00:16:04,590 very incremental gains . Uh we're 397 00:16:04,590 --> 00:16:08,160 talking feet . Um and you know , again , 398 00:16:08,170 --> 00:16:10,520 the fighting has been intense for a 399 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,742 while there . So our focus from the D . 400 00:16:12,742 --> 00:16:15,180 O . D . Standpoint uh is to continue to 401 00:16:15,190 --> 00:16:17,730 communicate with Ukraine , our allies 402 00:16:17,730 --> 00:16:19,730 and our partners to ensure that the 403 00:16:19,730 --> 00:16:21,952 Ukrainians have the security assistance 404 00:16:21,952 --> 00:16:23,841 they need to be successful on the 405 00:16:23,841 --> 00:16:25,952 battlefield . Thank you . Okay , well 406 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,260 um Britain's defense Minister said 407 00:16:28,260 --> 00:16:32,230 today that Russia is finding two or or 408 00:16:32,230 --> 00:16:34,230 maybe already has supplied advanced 409 00:16:34,230 --> 00:16:36,452 military components to Iran in exchange 410 00:16:36,452 --> 00:16:38,674 for drones . Um do you have do you have 411 00:16:38,674 --> 00:16:40,830 any confirmation on that or or or any 412 00:16:40,830 --> 00:16:43,490 comment on that accusation that , yeah , 413 00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:45,500 I've seen the press reports on that 414 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:47,500 will , but I don't have anything to 415 00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:50,460 provide . Thank you Jim General . The 416 00:16:50,470 --> 00:16:52,920 you know , at the beginning of this uh 417 00:16:52,930 --> 00:16:56,540 in february , then spokesman Kirby said 418 00:16:56,540 --> 00:16:59,290 that he fully expected the Russians to 419 00:16:59,290 --> 00:17:02,960 learn as they went along . And yet 420 00:17:02,970 --> 00:17:05,860 the the results from the Russian 421 00:17:05,860 --> 00:17:08,470 military don't seem to seem that they 422 00:17:08,470 --> 00:17:11,800 have learned anything . Is that is that 423 00:17:11,810 --> 00:17:13,810 the feeling in this building to are 424 00:17:13,810 --> 00:17:16,240 they , are they learning how to handle 425 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,310 the logistics of they , are they 426 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,700 getting better ? Are they going to be 427 00:17:20,710 --> 00:17:23,280 more of a problem for the Ukrainians 428 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:27,260 going forward ? Yeah . So , you 429 00:17:27,260 --> 00:17:29,316 know , again , I don't want to speak 430 00:17:29,316 --> 00:17:31,482 for the Russian Ministry of Defense in 431 00:17:31,482 --> 00:17:33,538 terms of what they may or may not be 432 00:17:33,538 --> 00:17:35,593 learning . Clearly I think uh in any 433 00:17:35,593 --> 00:17:37,760 type of conflict there's always a risk 434 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,240 in underestimating your adversary . Uh 435 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:44,220 and the fact is is that um I think that 436 00:17:44,230 --> 00:17:46,230 any military to include the Russian 437 00:17:46,230 --> 00:17:48,880 military will continue to learn and 438 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,200 evolve on the battlefield . And that is 439 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,680 why it's so important that we continue 440 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:55,780 to work closely with Ukraine and the 441 00:17:55,780 --> 00:17:58,510 international community to ensure that 442 00:17:58,510 --> 00:18:00,830 Ukraine has what it needs to enable 443 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:02,970 them to defend their country as we 444 00:18:02,970 --> 00:18:04,914 especially as we had here into the 445 00:18:04,914 --> 00:18:07,460 winter months . Thank you . Thanks 446 00:18:07,460 --> 00:18:09,349 gentlemen . Happy holidays . Um , 447 00:18:09,349 --> 00:18:11,940 Pentagon military has had a successful 448 00:18:11,940 --> 00:18:14,650 robust program and helping relocate 449 00:18:14,660 --> 00:18:16,890 service animals , the dogs who fight in 450 00:18:16,890 --> 00:18:19,370 the war zones with our soldiers to 451 00:18:19,380 --> 00:18:21,436 shelters and private individuals and 452 00:18:21,436 --> 00:18:23,547 adoption agencies . Is this a general 453 00:18:23,547 --> 00:18:25,530 pentagon policy and will extend to 454 00:18:25,540 --> 00:18:28,300 other animals being used by the 455 00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:31,240 military and different capacities So we 456 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,240 can get back to tom in terms of the 457 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,810 specific policy when it comes to 458 00:18:35,820 --> 00:18:37,987 service animals within the D . O . D . 459 00:18:37,987 --> 00:18:40,970 to your point , I think that one of the 460 00:18:40,980 --> 00:18:43,240 key evolutions and lessons that we've 461 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,900 learned over the course of 20 years of 462 00:18:45,900 --> 00:18:49,320 war is how best to take care of our 463 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,660 veterans and our service members who 464 00:18:51,660 --> 00:18:54,180 require that kind of support and care . 465 00:18:54,330 --> 00:18:56,552 Uh so that that's always a good thing . 466 00:18:56,552 --> 00:19:00,000 So , but it's not just 467 00:19:00,010 --> 00:19:02,830 dogs that help veterans who are alive , 468 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:05,007 It's also the dog of the other animals 469 00:19:05,007 --> 00:19:07,118 that help veterans who are deceased . 470 00:19:07,940 --> 00:19:10,107 So if you can include your response to 471 00:19:10,107 --> 00:19:12,107 cover that area , I'd be grateful . 472 00:19:12,107 --> 00:19:14,329 Sure thing . Alright , let me go to the 473 00:19:14,329 --> 00:19:16,162 phone , Jeff . Showgirl task and 474 00:19:16,162 --> 00:19:18,384 purpose . Thank you . Defense Secretary 475 00:19:18,384 --> 00:19:20,496 Austin was on the hill yesterday . He 476 00:19:20,496 --> 00:19:22,662 spoke with uh , Senate Majority Leader 477 00:19:22,662 --> 00:19:25,690 schumer as well as uh Senator McConnell . 478 00:19:25,690 --> 00:19:27,857 Can you give us any readout about what 479 00:19:27,857 --> 00:19:30,079 he discussed and what prompted his trip 480 00:19:30,079 --> 00:19:32,301 there ? Yeah , thanks Jeff . So I'm not 481 00:19:32,301 --> 00:19:33,968 going to get into the private 482 00:19:33,968 --> 00:19:35,968 conversations of the secretary with 483 00:19:35,968 --> 00:19:38,134 members of Congress . As you know , he 484 00:19:38,134 --> 00:19:40,760 regularly engages with the members on 485 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,649 the hill on a variety of national 486 00:19:42,649 --> 00:19:45,280 defense topics . Uh , and we will 487 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,510 continue to ensure that we're doing 488 00:19:47,510 --> 00:19:51,330 what we can uh to maintain a robust and 489 00:19:51,330 --> 00:19:53,163 ongoing dialogue with members of 490 00:19:53,163 --> 00:19:56,520 Congress . Thank you . Thanks , sir . 491 00:19:56,530 --> 00:19:59,790 Uh , the on the bus uh , that that's 492 00:19:59,790 --> 00:20:01,734 under discussion and appears to be 493 00:20:01,734 --> 00:20:03,623 moving on the hill uh includes an 494 00:20:03,623 --> 00:20:05,568 extension of the special immigrant 495 00:20:05,568 --> 00:20:07,623 immigrant visa program for afghans , 496 00:20:07,623 --> 00:20:09,457 but it does not include the more 497 00:20:09,457 --> 00:20:11,512 extensive afghan adjustment act that 498 00:20:11,512 --> 00:20:13,734 had been under discussion and advocated 499 00:20:13,734 --> 00:20:15,734 by a number of people including the 500 00:20:15,734 --> 00:20:18,420 administration uh , going forward is 501 00:20:18,420 --> 00:20:20,640 the pentagon advocating broader 502 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:22,720 measures to take care of afghan 503 00:20:22,730 --> 00:20:24,674 partners that have assisted the US 504 00:20:24,674 --> 00:20:26,619 military . Thanks dan . So while I 505 00:20:26,619 --> 00:20:29,380 can't talk about pending legislation , 506 00:20:29,390 --> 00:20:32,330 I will say that we in the D O . D do 507 00:20:32,330 --> 00:20:34,386 support efforts to ensure that we're 508 00:20:34,386 --> 00:20:36,570 taking care of our afghan allies who 509 00:20:36,570 --> 00:20:38,240 supported us when we were in 510 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:41,350 Afghanistan . And so as as we have more 511 00:20:41,350 --> 00:20:43,183 to talk about on that front . We 512 00:20:43,183 --> 00:20:45,610 certainly will . Thank you , sir . And 513 00:20:45,620 --> 00:20:47,980 then we'll go to Courtney , just one on 514 00:20:47,980 --> 00:20:49,813 Ukraine earlier , a senior State 515 00:20:49,813 --> 00:20:51,980 Department official said that Russians 516 00:20:51,980 --> 00:20:53,869 were conflicted on Ukraine winter 517 00:20:53,869 --> 00:20:56,030 offensive as the pentagon share that 518 00:20:56,030 --> 00:20:58,940 assessment that Russians are conflicted 519 00:20:58,940 --> 00:20:59,230 on . 520 00:21:03,140 --> 00:21:05,473 Yeah , I don't have any comment on that . 521 00:21:05,473 --> 00:21:07,640 I would refer you to the Russian M O . 522 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,860 D . For questions on that second . Did 523 00:21:10,870 --> 00:21:13,150 can you say anything about these 524 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,950 attacks or raids in the last 48 hours 525 00:21:16,950 --> 00:21:19,172 that you mentioned earlier that centcom 526 00:21:19,172 --> 00:21:21,370 carried out centcom forces was this , 527 00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,960 can you just explain , let us know if 528 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:25,960 this was coordinator , did you guys 529 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,182 inform Turkey ahead of time about these 530 00:21:28,182 --> 00:21:31,060 operations ? So so central Command can 531 00:21:31,060 --> 00:21:33,640 provide you with a higher level of 532 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,100 detail as I understand it . Um percent 533 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,710 calms release us forces alongside our 534 00:21:40,710 --> 00:21:43,430 local partner force . The SDF conducted 535 00:21:43,430 --> 00:21:45,460 three helicopter raids into Eastern 536 00:21:45,470 --> 00:21:47,581 Syria which resulted in the detention 537 00:21:47,581 --> 00:21:51,110 of six ISIS operatives . Um again , 538 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,287 centcom can give you a little bit more 539 00:21:53,287 --> 00:21:55,564 granular tactical level detail on that . 540 00:21:55,564 --> 00:21:57,676 Thank you Courtney , one more time to 541 00:21:57,676 --> 00:21:59,898 be able to say I'd like to follow up on 542 00:21:59,898 --> 00:22:02,120 Barbara's question , but actually would 543 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:04,287 like to follow up on it . I understand 544 00:22:04,287 --> 00:22:06,453 that these are National Guard soldiers 545 00:22:06,453 --> 00:22:08,453 that are down in texas , but but it 546 00:22:08,453 --> 00:22:10,453 does beg the question because we've 547 00:22:10,453 --> 00:22:10,380 heard so much for the past several 548 00:22:10,380 --> 00:22:12,324 years about the concerns from this 549 00:22:12,324 --> 00:22:14,380 Pentagon with uniforms and civilians 550 00:22:14,380 --> 00:22:16,158 about the politicization of the 551 00:22:16,158 --> 00:22:18,158 military . So , given the fact that 552 00:22:18,158 --> 00:22:20,670 most people don't look at a uniformed 553 00:22:20,670 --> 00:22:22,503 service member and say oh that's 554 00:22:22,503 --> 00:22:24,337 clearly a state National Guard . 555 00:22:24,337 --> 00:22:26,281 Clearly on state duty . It's not a 556 00:22:26,281 --> 00:22:28,448 federal thing . It does . The pentagon 557 00:22:28,448 --> 00:22:31,410 leaders as you as speaking for them 558 00:22:31,420 --> 00:22:35,210 have concerns about the optics of the 559 00:22:35,210 --> 00:22:37,470 fact that there are uniformed service 560 00:22:37,470 --> 00:22:39,340 members as Barbara said carrying 561 00:22:39,340 --> 00:22:42,870 weapons in what is a very politicized 562 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:44,980 mission along the border in texas . 563 00:22:44,990 --> 00:22:48,040 Yeah , again , so as a D . O . D . 564 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:49,984 Spokesperson , I can speak for the 565 00:22:49,984 --> 00:22:53,250 Department of Defense and our federal 566 00:22:53,260 --> 00:22:55,890 forces . Uh and so the particular 567 00:22:55,890 --> 00:22:57,946 forces that you're talking about are 568 00:22:57,946 --> 00:23:00,500 serving under the state authorities for 569 00:23:00,500 --> 00:23:02,500 the state governor . So again , I'd 570 00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:04,722 refer you to the state of texas to talk 571 00:23:04,722 --> 00:23:07,150 about the actions of their forces . 572 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,500 Certainly from a Department of Defense 573 00:23:09,510 --> 00:23:12,610 standpoint , we want to like I said , 574 00:23:12,610 --> 00:23:14,880 ensure that safety and security is 575 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,540 paramount in that area . Um but again , 576 00:23:17,550 --> 00:23:19,717 I'm not in a position to speak for the 577 00:23:19,717 --> 00:23:21,994 state of texas . Just one on the N . D . 578 00:23:21,994 --> 00:23:24,106 A . I mean , all indications are that 579 00:23:24,106 --> 00:23:26,106 the president is going to sign it , 580 00:23:26,106 --> 00:23:25,330 right ? I know you don't want to talk 581 00:23:25,330 --> 00:23:27,330 about pending legislation , but I'm 582 00:23:27,330 --> 00:23:29,497 wondering if you can give us any sense 583 00:23:29,497 --> 00:23:31,870 of once it is signed , how we're gonna 584 00:23:31,870 --> 00:23:35,070 hear the next steps for the revoking 585 00:23:35,070 --> 00:23:37,292 the vaccine mandate for instance , Like 586 00:23:37,292 --> 00:23:39,670 should we expect to hear from an OsD 587 00:23:39,670 --> 00:23:41,960 level , is this something from the 588 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,182 secretary from PNR , is it going to get 589 00:23:44,182 --> 00:23:46,516 kicked immediately down to the services ? 590 00:23:46,516 --> 00:23:46,290 Like can you give us sort of the way 591 00:23:46,290 --> 00:23:48,123 forward ? I'm sure is a planning 592 00:23:48,123 --> 00:23:50,234 organization . This place has already 593 00:23:50,234 --> 00:23:52,401 got that laid out in some flow chart . 594 00:23:52,401 --> 00:23:54,568 That's on a power point somewhere . So 595 00:23:54,568 --> 00:23:56,623 can you share some of that with us ? 596 00:23:56,623 --> 00:23:58,900 It's not on a power point now , I I 597 00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:01,122 appreciate the question . Courtney will 598 00:24:01,122 --> 00:24:03,122 certainly keep you updated as as we 599 00:24:03,122 --> 00:24:05,178 move forward . I don't have anything 600 00:24:05,178 --> 00:24:07,370 specific to announce today in regards 601 00:24:07,370 --> 00:24:10,910 to uh what actions we will take 602 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,400 other than to say that as always we 603 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,920 will comply with with the law when it's 604 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,976 the law . So we'll keep you informed 605 00:24:17,976 --> 00:24:20,087 and we certainly understand the great 606 00:24:20,087 --> 00:24:22,309 interest in this particular topic , not 607 00:24:22,309 --> 00:24:24,420 only among the public and the media , 608 00:24:24,420 --> 00:24:26,642 but also among our service members . So 609 00:24:26,642 --> 00:24:28,809 we will be sure to provide information 610 00:24:28,809 --> 00:24:30,976 as quickly as possible in that in that 611 00:24:30,976 --> 00:24:33,198 regard . Thank you . Now , following up 612 00:24:33,198 --> 00:24:34,976 on Barbara and Courtney , these 613 00:24:34,976 --> 00:24:38,460 questions . Has the Governor of texas 614 00:24:38,470 --> 00:24:40,920 requested assistance , building 615 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:42,753 shelters , temporary shelters or 616 00:24:42,753 --> 00:24:44,753 anything like that for the flood of 617 00:24:44,753 --> 00:24:46,920 migration . Individuals who are at the 618 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,150 border at this time . So , so I can't 619 00:24:50,150 --> 00:24:52,372 speak for the governor of texas . I can 620 00:24:52,372 --> 00:24:54,500 tell you that we the Department of 621 00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:56,990 Defense have not received any requests 622 00:24:56,990 --> 00:24:58,768 from the Department of Homeland 623 00:24:58,768 --> 00:25:00,970 Security in terms of Southwest border 624 00:25:00,970 --> 00:25:03,270 related support . No new requests . So 625 00:25:03,550 --> 00:25:06,140 uh to my knowledge . No , the state of 626 00:25:06,140 --> 00:25:08,196 texas has not requested support from 627 00:25:08,196 --> 00:25:10,418 the D . O . D . Which as I understand , 628 00:25:10,418 --> 00:25:12,418 it would come through Department of 629 00:25:12,418 --> 00:25:14,529 Homeland Security . Um , but we stand 630 00:25:14,529 --> 00:25:16,473 by to support uh and will consider 631 00:25:16,473 --> 00:25:18,362 requests , you know , when and if 632 00:25:18,362 --> 00:25:20,307 they're received . Thank you . One 633 00:25:20,307 --> 00:25:23,930 other thing . Apparently there are uh 634 00:25:23,940 --> 00:25:26,107 there's an action to try to track down 635 00:25:26,107 --> 00:25:28,218 some of the smugglers who are sort of 636 00:25:28,218 --> 00:25:30,900 promoting this crowd , this um tragedy 637 00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:33,120 at the border . And I wonder if D O D 638 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:35,120 is supporting any of that . I'm not 639 00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:37,231 aware of any efforts in that regard . 640 00:25:37,231 --> 00:25:39,342 Thank you , ma'am . In case you get a 641 00:25:39,342 --> 00:25:42,220 request from the DHS regarding the 642 00:25:42,220 --> 00:25:44,980 border , what type of role , what type 643 00:25:44,980 --> 00:25:47,580 of actions would the pentagon take ? 644 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,142 Well , really , I'm not gonna speculate 645 00:25:50,142 --> 00:25:52,309 about the kinds of things we might get 646 00:25:52,309 --> 00:25:54,198 asked about . We certainly have a 647 00:25:54,198 --> 00:25:56,253 continuing and ongoing dialogue with 648 00:25:56,253 --> 00:25:59,110 the DHS and other agencies within the 649 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:01,287 US government on a variety of topics . 650 00:26:01,287 --> 00:26:03,398 But I won't speculate on the kinds of 651 00:26:03,398 --> 00:26:05,620 things they might ask about . Thank you 652 00:26:05,620 --> 00:26:07,898 sir . Thanks back to Ukraine for a bit . 653 00:26:07,898 --> 00:26:10,064 Do you have an assessment if the visit 654 00:26:10,064 --> 00:26:12,009 of Russian delegation yesterday to 655 00:26:12,009 --> 00:26:14,231 Belarus to Minsk had a military purpose 656 00:26:14,231 --> 00:26:16,342 And if it increases the likelihood of 657 00:26:16,342 --> 00:26:19,190 direct belarussian soldier , military 658 00:26:19,190 --> 00:26:21,630 incursion into Ukraine sure was 659 00:26:21,630 --> 00:26:23,780 certainly aware of President Putin's 660 00:26:23,780 --> 00:26:25,669 visit , as you know , belarus and 661 00:26:25,669 --> 00:26:28,300 Russia have a standing relationship so 662 00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:30,467 that in and of itself is not unusual . 663 00:26:30,670 --> 00:26:32,892 I don't want to get into intelligence , 664 00:26:32,892 --> 00:26:34,837 but at this time we don't have any 665 00:26:34,837 --> 00:26:36,980 information that would suggest that 666 00:26:36,980 --> 00:26:38,813 there is any type of imminent or 667 00:26:38,813 --> 00:26:41,610 pending cross border activities from 668 00:26:41,610 --> 00:26:44,080 Belarus into Ukraine but certainly will 669 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,247 continue to keep a close eye on that . 670 00:26:46,247 --> 00:26:48,413 Thank you . Got time for just a couple 671 00:26:48,413 --> 00:26:50,524 more . Sir . General General recently 672 00:26:50,524 --> 00:26:52,510 in Iraq , Iraqi forces have been 673 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,370 attacked by ISIS , especially in the 674 00:26:56,380 --> 00:26:59,060 car Cook , North of Baghdad . How much 675 00:26:59,060 --> 00:27:01,171 you have concerns about these attacks 676 00:27:01,171 --> 00:27:03,880 recently attacks and you have engaged 677 00:27:03,890 --> 00:27:06,800 with your counterpart in Iraq to to see 678 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,180 how they can support them or help them 679 00:27:10,190 --> 00:27:13,310 to defeat ISIS in the country ? Well , 680 00:27:13,310 --> 00:27:15,366 as you know , we have a longstanding 681 00:27:15,366 --> 00:27:17,510 relationship Iraq with Iraq . When it 682 00:27:17,510 --> 00:27:20,210 comes to countering ISIS , this again 683 00:27:20,210 --> 00:27:22,720 is why it's so important that we uh 684 00:27:22,730 --> 00:27:24,619 continue to work together in that 685 00:27:24,619 --> 00:27:26,841 region to confront the threat that ISIS 686 00:27:26,841 --> 00:27:29,530 presents . I don't have any specifics 687 00:27:29,530 --> 00:27:31,419 to provide . I would refer you to 688 00:27:31,419 --> 00:27:34,360 centcom in terms of any on the ground 689 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:36,471 discussions as it relates to ISIS K . 690 00:27:36,471 --> 00:27:38,582 But as you know , we continue to have 691 00:27:38,582 --> 00:27:40,693 an advise assist mission With Iraq to 692 00:27:40,693 --> 00:27:42,916 train their forces and counterterrorism 693 00:27:42,916 --> 00:27:45,082 capabilities to confront this threat . 694 00:27:45,082 --> 00:27:47,416 Thank you . We've got time for one more . 695 00:27:47,416 --> 00:27:49,360 I wanted to follow up on Barbara's 696 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,582 other question on the B-2 fleet . There 697 00:27:51,582 --> 00:27:53,470 are ongoing conflict , potential 698 00:27:53,470 --> 00:27:55,581 conflicts . Russia , Ukraine , Taiwan 699 00:27:55,581 --> 00:27:58,180 China North Korea does the grounding 700 00:27:58,190 --> 00:28:01,830 make the us vulnerable in any way . No , 701 00:28:01,830 --> 00:28:03,830 and it's important to remember that 702 00:28:03,830 --> 00:28:06,052 these aircraft , whether it's B two S B 703 00:28:06,052 --> 00:28:09,480 52 S . F 22 F 35 . These are our high 704 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,730 tech advanced aircraft that are 705 00:28:11,730 --> 00:28:13,960 operating at very high levels , you 706 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,690 know , of performance uh , and not to 707 00:28:16,690 --> 00:28:19,130 minimize the situation any time there's 708 00:28:19,130 --> 00:28:22,290 a stand down but things are gonna break 709 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:24,467 and we're gonna fix them , we're gonna 710 00:28:24,467 --> 00:28:26,467 get them back in the air . But as I 711 00:28:26,467 --> 00:28:26,420 mentioned , we have plenty of 712 00:28:26,420 --> 00:28:28,476 redundancy and resiliency built into 713 00:28:28,476 --> 00:28:30,420 our combat capabilities across the 714 00:28:30,420 --> 00:28:32,420 Department of Defense and so on any 715 00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:34,587 given day . At any given time there is 716 00:28:34,587 --> 00:28:36,698 going to be aircraft , ships , forces 717 00:28:36,698 --> 00:28:38,920 on the ground available to confront any 718 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,031 threat that we may have , wherever it 719 00:28:41,031 --> 00:28:43,142 may pop up . So no vulnerabilities at 720 00:28:43,142 --> 00:28:46,670 this time . Thank you . Okay . Um , so 721 00:28:46,670 --> 00:28:49,230 before we conclude here , just have one 722 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,850 last final thing to say um 723 00:28:53,380 --> 00:28:55,491 I would like to take this opportunity 724 00:28:55,491 --> 00:28:57,790 to say farewell to our media colleague 725 00:28:57,790 --> 00:29:00,080 Miss Barbara . Starr . Barbara has 726 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,360 reported for CNN for over 20 years and 727 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:04,304 has been a fixture in the Pentagon 728 00:29:04,304 --> 00:29:06,416 Press Corps and today marks her final 729 00:29:06,416 --> 00:29:09,100 day with CNN after a storied and fully 730 00:29:09,100 --> 00:29:11,250 impressive . Excuse me , truly 731 00:29:11,250 --> 00:29:13,310 impressive career . So Barbara , on 732 00:29:13,310 --> 00:29:15,760 behalf of Secretary of Defense Austin , 733 00:29:15,770 --> 00:29:17,881 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 734 00:29:17,881 --> 00:29:20,103 General Milley in the entire Department 735 00:29:20,103 --> 00:29:22,214 of Defense , I would like to extend a 736 00:29:22,214 --> 00:29:24,326 special congratulations and thank you 737 00:29:24,326 --> 00:29:26,103 for your many years of timely , 738 00:29:26,103 --> 00:29:28,214 insightful and important reporting on 739 00:29:28,214 --> 00:29:30,159 our nation's most pressing defense 740 00:29:30,159 --> 00:29:32,326 issues . And as someone who has worked 741 00:29:32,326 --> 00:29:34,270 with you for many of those last 20 742 00:29:34,270 --> 00:29:36,560 years and someone who has had to take 743 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,500 your late night phone calls and emails 744 00:29:39,510 --> 00:29:41,232 and answer your tough but fair 745 00:29:41,232 --> 00:29:43,480 questions I can say from personal 746 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,790 experience that the U . S . Public and 747 00:29:45,790 --> 00:29:47,910 audiences worldwide have been well 748 00:29:47,910 --> 00:29:50,500 served by your in depth reporting from 749 00:29:50,500 --> 00:29:52,333 the pentagon , your journalistic 750 00:29:52,333 --> 00:29:54,410 integrity and your determination to 751 00:29:54,410 --> 00:29:56,410 tell the stories of service members 752 00:29:56,410 --> 00:29:58,577 worldwide and to ensure the government 753 00:29:58,577 --> 00:30:00,743 and D . O . D . Remain transparent and 754 00:30:00,743 --> 00:30:02,743 accountable to the taxpayers in the 755 00:30:02,743 --> 00:30:04,354 american public . They serve 756 00:30:04,354 --> 00:30:06,466 congratulations again and we wish you 757 00:30:06,466 --> 00:30:06,340 the best of luck in your future 758 00:30:06,340 --> 00:30:07,160 endeavors . 759 00:30:13,650 --> 00:30:14,380 You don't 760 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,193 you should have told more of her 761 00:30:32,193 --> 00:30:36,130 friends , don't you have 762 00:30:36,130 --> 00:30:38,186 some questions you've taken that you 763 00:30:38,186 --> 00:30:38,260 need to answer .