1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Thank you for coming and joining us 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,960 both in person and virtually to 3 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,071 celebrate International Women's Day . 4 00:00:06,260 --> 00:00:08,371 The idea behind international women's 5 00:00:08,371 --> 00:00:11,190 day began in 1908 , when 15,000 women 6 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,256 marched through New York , demanding 7 00:00:13,256 --> 00:00:15,367 shorter work hours , better pay and a 8 00:00:15,367 --> 00:00:17,422 right to vote and was a day that was 9 00:00:17,422 --> 00:00:20,230 officially sanctioned 67 years later by 10 00:00:20,230 --> 00:00:22,970 the United Nations International 11 00:00:22,970 --> 00:00:24,692 Women's Day serves as a day to 12 00:00:24,692 --> 00:00:26,914 celebrate women's achievement , educate 13 00:00:26,914 --> 00:00:29,081 and raise awareness for women equality 14 00:00:29,081 --> 00:00:31,081 and call for positive change in the 15 00:00:31,081 --> 00:00:33,680 advancement of women this year in honor 16 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:35,680 of International Women's Day . I am 17 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:37,847 pleased to welcome our special guest . 18 00:00:37,847 --> 00:00:40,013 Ladies and gentlemen , please rise for 19 00:00:40,013 --> 00:00:42,140 the 35th Deputy Secretary Defense Dr 20 00:00:42,140 --> 00:00:43,400 Kathleen Hicks . 21 00:00:51,470 --> 00:00:53,660 Well , please sit down um good 22 00:00:53,660 --> 00:00:55,690 afternoon . Thank you , Tina . And 23 00:00:55,690 --> 00:00:57,857 thanks to everyone for joining us here 24 00:00:57,857 --> 00:01:00,320 today . Since day one , Secretary 25 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,153 Austin has been focused on three 26 00:01:02,153 --> 00:01:04,320 priorities . You could probably , I'll 27 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:06,542 repeat them . I hope you can , but I'll 28 00:01:06,542 --> 00:01:06,510 give them to you here , defending the 29 00:01:06,510 --> 00:01:08,677 nation , taking care of our people and 30 00:01:08,677 --> 00:01:10,843 succeeding through teamwork . Over the 31 00:01:10,843 --> 00:01:12,454 past two years . We've taken 32 00:01:12,454 --> 00:01:14,510 significant strides in advancing the 33 00:01:14,510 --> 00:01:16,621 secretary's priorities . It's because 34 00:01:16,621 --> 00:01:18,700 of our people our uniformed and 35 00:01:18,700 --> 00:01:20,430 civilian workforce who worked 36 00:01:20,430 --> 00:01:23,360 tirelessly to overcome challenges , day 37 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,490 in and day out no matter their 38 00:01:25,490 --> 00:01:26,370 magnitude . 39 00:01:29,250 --> 00:01:31,194 Today , as the department observes 40 00:01:31,194 --> 00:01:33,306 International Women's Day and Women's 41 00:01:33,306 --> 00:01:35,139 History Month , we celebrate the 42 00:01:35,139 --> 00:01:37,194 tremendous talent and expertise that 43 00:01:37,194 --> 00:01:39,194 women bring to the table . Each and 44 00:01:39,194 --> 00:01:41,660 every day . We are advancing the 45 00:01:41,660 --> 00:01:43,827 secretary's priorities . We are making 46 00:01:43,827 --> 00:01:45,827 contributions that make the world a 47 00:01:45,827 --> 00:01:48,780 safer and more secure place . This year 48 00:01:48,780 --> 00:01:50,820 is especially meaningful because 49 00:01:50,830 --> 00:01:53,052 women's history month and international 50 00:01:53,052 --> 00:01:54,840 women's day also coincide with 51 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,062 significant anniversaries including the 52 00:01:57,062 --> 00:01:59,173 50th anniversary of the all volunteer 53 00:01:59,173 --> 00:02:01,284 force and the 75th anniversary of the 54 00:02:01,284 --> 00:02:03,284 integration of the armed services . 55 00:02:03,284 --> 00:02:05,507 Though met with resistance taking these 56 00:02:05,507 --> 00:02:07,570 historic steps have only made our 57 00:02:07,570 --> 00:02:10,150 military stronger and more effective . 58 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,382 And the success that we've had over the 59 00:02:12,382 --> 00:02:14,271 decades that followed these major 60 00:02:14,271 --> 00:02:16,930 milestones serve as proof that we are 61 00:02:16,940 --> 00:02:19,560 at our best when we draw on the talents 62 00:02:19,570 --> 00:02:22,400 of every American who desires and is 63 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,150 qualified to serve in this department 64 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,040 regardless of gender , race or identity . 65 00:02:28,660 --> 00:02:30,771 Yet , as we reflect on the progress , 66 00:02:30,771 --> 00:02:32,880 the department is made to swing its 67 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,090 doors open to women , to expand 68 00:02:35,090 --> 00:02:37,620 opportunities and to achieve gender 69 00:02:37,620 --> 00:02:40,430 equity and equality . We also 70 00:02:40,430 --> 00:02:42,597 acknowledge that there is more work to 71 00:02:42,597 --> 00:02:44,610 do more barriers to break down and 72 00:02:44,610 --> 00:02:48,020 overcome and a new younger generation 73 00:02:48,030 --> 00:02:50,040 rising through the ranks that is 74 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,110 watching us and deserves to inherit an 75 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,810 even better workplace and world just 76 00:02:55,810 --> 00:02:58,110 like prior generations insured for , 77 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,470 for us , not long ago , I was walking 78 00:03:01,470 --> 00:03:03,692 into a meeting and a colleague joyfully 79 00:03:03,700 --> 00:03:06,140 pointed out how many senior military 80 00:03:06,140 --> 00:03:08,307 aides that were waiting outside in the 81 00:03:08,307 --> 00:03:10,940 hallway were women that wasn't always 82 00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:13,330 the case . The department has come a 83 00:03:13,330 --> 00:03:15,274 long way in terms of diversity and 84 00:03:15,274 --> 00:03:17,440 inclusion and it's visible in this 85 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:19,790 building's busy hallways and quarters . 86 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,130 It's something to be proud of and we 87 00:03:22,130 --> 00:03:25,730 should be . I know I am yet as 88 00:03:25,730 --> 00:03:27,890 much as I want to see accomplished 89 00:03:27,890 --> 00:03:30,390 women in these plum aid assignments , I 90 00:03:30,390 --> 00:03:33,180 want even more to see them inside the 91 00:03:33,180 --> 00:03:35,620 meeting rooms seated at the table . And 92 00:03:35,620 --> 00:03:37,760 I especially look forward to seeing 93 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,370 more women at the head of those tables 94 00:03:40,380 --> 00:03:43,240 leading and making decisions . And let 95 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,630 me assure you if we want to attract a 96 00:03:45,630 --> 00:03:48,270 new generation of talent , this is 97 00:03:48,270 --> 00:03:50,920 precisely what they expect to see an 98 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,198 environment where their work is valued , 99 00:03:53,270 --> 00:03:55,060 where they feel appreciated and 100 00:03:55,060 --> 00:03:57,810 empowered enough to pursue their goals 101 00:03:57,820 --> 00:03:59,876 and where they can see themselves at 102 00:03:59,876 --> 00:04:02,610 the head of the table . So thank you 103 00:04:02,620 --> 00:04:04,842 for those of you tuning in and those of 104 00:04:04,842 --> 00:04:06,953 you here live . I look forward to the 105 00:04:06,953 --> 00:04:09,350 fireside chat and a vibrant discussion 106 00:04:09,350 --> 00:04:11,183 during the question and answer . 107 00:04:18,590 --> 00:04:20,701 Thank you so much , Secretary Hicks . 108 00:04:20,701 --> 00:04:24,080 Um First . Um but um I wanted to thank 109 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,230 you and especially because as a first 110 00:04:26,230 --> 00:04:29,520 generation Colombian American um and as 111 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,660 a air force reservist , I can promise 112 00:04:31,660 --> 00:04:33,720 you , not only could I have never 113 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,553 imagined a seat at the table but 114 00:04:35,553 --> 00:04:37,887 definitely not a chair up on this stage . 115 00:04:37,887 --> 00:04:39,998 That's so , so thank you for that and 116 00:04:39,998 --> 00:04:42,053 thank you for your welcoming remarks 117 00:04:42,053 --> 00:04:41,900 about making sure there's a space for 118 00:04:41,900 --> 00:04:44,160 everybody who wants to serve and who's 119 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,580 qualified to serve . Um I want to start , 120 00:04:46,605 --> 00:04:48,685 hopefully not with an easy question 121 00:04:48,695 --> 00:04:50,806 because I know you don't need as easy 122 00:04:50,806 --> 00:04:53,028 questions and you are . Um I don't mind 123 00:04:53,028 --> 00:04:54,917 easy questions . Okay . Yeah , no 124 00:04:54,917 --> 00:04:57,084 problem . But I wanted to start with a 125 00:04:57,084 --> 00:04:58,806 little bit about your personal 126 00:04:58,806 --> 00:05:00,751 experience . Um How , what did you 127 00:05:00,751 --> 00:05:02,973 aspire to be when you were growing up ? 128 00:05:02,973 --> 00:05:05,139 And how does that align with where you 129 00:05:05,139 --> 00:05:07,735 are now ? Sure . Well , um I won't go 130 00:05:07,735 --> 00:05:09,957 all the way back to the beginning , but 131 00:05:09,957 --> 00:05:12,013 I will say when I was in college , I 132 00:05:12,013 --> 00:05:14,013 was really debating between , did I 133 00:05:14,013 --> 00:05:16,124 wanna be a professor or did I want to 134 00:05:16,124 --> 00:05:17,957 do public service ? And as I was 135 00:05:17,957 --> 00:05:19,846 finishing up college , I actually 136 00:05:19,846 --> 00:05:21,902 applied to graduate programs in both 137 00:05:21,902 --> 00:05:23,679 history professor is what I was 138 00:05:23,679 --> 00:05:25,791 thinking at the time or public policy 139 00:05:25,791 --> 00:05:28,013 schools . And , you know , as I kind of 140 00:05:28,013 --> 00:05:30,013 weighed that through in my head , I 141 00:05:30,013 --> 00:05:32,235 really thought the called mission was , 142 00:05:32,235 --> 00:05:34,235 was very important . I grew up in a 143 00:05:34,235 --> 00:05:36,402 military family at the time . I didn't 144 00:05:36,402 --> 00:05:38,457 think of it in the national security 145 00:05:38,457 --> 00:05:40,679 sense per se , but I definitely grew up 146 00:05:40,679 --> 00:05:42,624 with both of my parents being very 147 00:05:42,624 --> 00:05:44,679 engaged in community . Um And in the 148 00:05:44,679 --> 00:05:46,791 case of my father being um you know , 149 00:05:46,791 --> 00:05:48,957 active duty , military career , active 150 00:05:48,957 --> 00:05:50,902 duty , military . So I pursued the 151 00:05:50,902 --> 00:05:53,430 public policy course . And uh you know , 152 00:05:53,430 --> 00:05:55,597 in that sense , was , was drawn pretty 153 00:05:55,597 --> 00:05:58,730 early toward um what the life of public 154 00:05:58,730 --> 00:06:00,952 service could offer . I've done that in 155 00:06:00,952 --> 00:06:03,230 the nonprofit sector and in government , 156 00:06:03,230 --> 00:06:05,063 I think you can serve in lots of 157 00:06:05,063 --> 00:06:07,230 different ways I've chosen as civilian 158 00:06:07,230 --> 00:06:09,390 path . Um And um that's what gets me 159 00:06:09,390 --> 00:06:11,446 going every day . That's , that's my 160 00:06:11,446 --> 00:06:13,557 passion . Thank you so much on that . 161 00:06:13,557 --> 00:06:15,668 Um I love that piece on being able to 162 00:06:15,668 --> 00:06:17,557 serve in different capacities . I 163 00:06:17,557 --> 00:06:19,834 myself am navigating that as well . So , 164 00:06:19,834 --> 00:06:22,001 thank you for speaking about that . Um 165 00:06:22,001 --> 00:06:24,057 And so shifting a little bit towards 166 00:06:24,057 --> 00:06:26,223 policies and gender within the D O D . 167 00:06:26,310 --> 00:06:28,421 Could you talk us through some recent 168 00:06:28,421 --> 00:06:31,040 changes that the initiatives um that 169 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,390 focus on improving the environment for 170 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,511 the workforce as it relates to gender 171 00:06:35,511 --> 00:06:37,567 and perhaps some areas that we still 172 00:06:37,567 --> 00:06:39,789 need some work on ? Sure . Absolutely . 173 00:06:39,789 --> 00:06:41,733 Um Well , let me first say back to 174 00:06:41,733 --> 00:06:44,050 taking care of people . Um Everything 175 00:06:44,050 --> 00:06:46,400 we do to make the force stronger and 176 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,511 healthier is helping the women in our 177 00:06:48,511 --> 00:06:50,750 force . So when we think about pay 178 00:06:50,750 --> 00:06:52,528 raises , which we've given both 179 00:06:52,528 --> 00:06:55,150 civilian and military , um when we 180 00:06:55,150 --> 00:06:57,570 think about improvements that we're 181 00:06:57,570 --> 00:07:01,080 making in our installations , um uh 182 00:07:01,090 --> 00:07:03,257 mental health , excuse me , behavioral 183 00:07:03,257 --> 00:07:05,423 health improvements , expansion of our 184 00:07:05,430 --> 00:07:08,405 um offerings through , through D H A , 185 00:07:08,415 --> 00:07:11,265 all of that helps women on the specific 186 00:07:11,265 --> 00:07:14,465 issues of um of that are probably most 187 00:07:14,465 --> 00:07:16,521 important to women . I'd highlight a 188 00:07:16,521 --> 00:07:18,576 few things first , I'd highlight the 189 00:07:18,576 --> 00:07:20,695 recent expansion of parental leave , 190 00:07:20,705 --> 00:07:23,595 which there was both a piece that was 191 00:07:23,595 --> 00:07:26,055 statutory , the six months of six weeks , 192 00:07:26,055 --> 00:07:27,895 excuse me , of statutory leave . 193 00:07:27,895 --> 00:07:30,228 Everyone got excited there for a minute . 194 00:07:30,228 --> 00:07:31,673 And then we added to that 195 00:07:31,673 --> 00:07:33,728 undersecretary narrows added to that 196 00:07:33,728 --> 00:07:35,990 six , you know , additional weeks . Um 197 00:07:36,190 --> 00:07:38,950 um uh for , for so you have the 198 00:07:38,950 --> 00:07:41,061 convalescent leave and then leave for 199 00:07:41,061 --> 00:07:43,570 parents . So that's one good example . 200 00:07:43,570 --> 00:07:45,737 That's very recent . Also in the child 201 00:07:45,737 --> 00:07:47,959 care vein , we've done a lot of work um 202 00:07:47,959 --> 00:07:50,070 in the taking care of people realm to 203 00:07:50,070 --> 00:07:52,181 make sure we can expand the offerings 204 00:07:52,181 --> 00:07:53,848 both through our formal child 205 00:07:53,848 --> 00:07:56,260 development centers are CDCs , but also 206 00:07:56,260 --> 00:07:58,371 off post if you will off installation 207 00:07:58,371 --> 00:08:00,610 in terms of expanding access to our 208 00:08:00,610 --> 00:08:04,320 subsidized child care um offerings and 209 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,431 we're doing more there . Um There's a 210 00:08:06,431 --> 00:08:08,653 child care crisis throughout the United 211 00:08:08,653 --> 00:08:10,820 States . We certainly are a reflection 212 00:08:10,820 --> 00:08:13,042 of that , but we have world class child 213 00:08:13,042 --> 00:08:15,042 care in D O G . So we're looking to 214 00:08:15,042 --> 00:08:17,264 expand our offerings while keeping that 215 00:08:17,264 --> 00:08:19,320 really high quality of care . Um And 216 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,487 you'll see some other things . We have 217 00:08:21,487 --> 00:08:21,380 a budget coming out in just a few days . 218 00:08:21,380 --> 00:08:23,547 You'll see some other initiatives that 219 00:08:23,547 --> 00:08:25,713 I can't preview here um that are along 220 00:08:25,713 --> 00:08:28,240 the same , same lines there . You know , 221 00:08:28,250 --> 00:08:30,583 even though those are some recent items , 222 00:08:30,583 --> 00:08:32,806 there are some things I think are worth 223 00:08:32,806 --> 00:08:35,720 mentioning that go back a little longer 224 00:08:35,730 --> 00:08:37,930 because we've had such success with 225 00:08:37,930 --> 00:08:40,360 them . And the most obvious obvious is 226 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,570 the work that secretary then Secretary 227 00:08:42,580 --> 00:08:44,850 Ash Carter who's recently passed away 228 00:08:44,850 --> 00:08:47,020 undertook to open all combat roles to 229 00:08:47,020 --> 00:08:49,230 women . And so about eight years into 230 00:08:49,230 --> 00:08:51,610 that effort , we in fact have seen the 231 00:08:51,610 --> 00:08:54,030 expansion of , of all combat roles to 232 00:08:54,030 --> 00:08:56,750 women . All who are qualified can serve 233 00:08:56,750 --> 00:08:58,639 in those roles . And I think it's 234 00:08:58,639 --> 00:09:00,861 incredibly important to our longer term 235 00:09:00,861 --> 00:09:02,972 success to make sure we can get women 236 00:09:02,972 --> 00:09:05,350 to the top . Um You know , and that's a 237 00:09:05,350 --> 00:09:07,540 clear requirement on the military side 238 00:09:07,540 --> 00:09:10,470 is to have those combat um Mos is 239 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,702 available to them . Yeah , thank you so 240 00:09:12,702 --> 00:09:14,758 much . I um love that you brought up 241 00:09:14,758 --> 00:09:16,924 the parental leave policy because even 242 00:09:16,924 --> 00:09:19,091 I have two Children and what a drastic 243 00:09:19,091 --> 00:09:21,258 difference between when I had my first 244 00:09:21,258 --> 00:09:23,424 one and when I had my oldest one . And 245 00:09:23,424 --> 00:09:25,591 I also really like the parental policy 246 00:09:25,591 --> 00:09:27,702 because it's something that addressed 247 00:09:27,702 --> 00:09:29,924 that opened the doors for men , right ? 248 00:09:29,924 --> 00:09:29,720 As far as taking leave . And it , it 249 00:09:29,730 --> 00:09:33,520 shows an example of how advancing uh 250 00:09:33,530 --> 00:09:35,620 policies for women also opens up the 251 00:09:35,620 --> 00:09:37,842 doors for men as well . And so I really 252 00:09:37,842 --> 00:09:39,842 appreciate our parents in general , 253 00:09:39,842 --> 00:09:42,009 right ? Because it includes people who 254 00:09:42,009 --> 00:09:43,953 are adopting . And so I really , I 255 00:09:43,953 --> 00:09:43,580 think that's a really great example . 256 00:09:43,580 --> 00:09:45,747 Yeah , and I just add on that , if you 257 00:09:45,747 --> 00:09:47,413 look at , you know , what the 258 00:09:47,413 --> 00:09:49,469 generation we need to bring into our 259 00:09:49,469 --> 00:09:51,691 civilian and military ranks , what they 260 00:09:51,691 --> 00:09:53,747 value , what they care about . It is 261 00:09:53,747 --> 00:09:55,802 much less than it would have been in 262 00:09:55,802 --> 00:09:57,913 previous general , about which gender 263 00:09:57,913 --> 00:09:59,976 you are . Um It's about what the 264 00:09:59,976 --> 00:10:02,032 institution values . It's about your 265 00:10:02,032 --> 00:10:04,456 ability to manage life . Um And to do 266 00:10:04,456 --> 00:10:06,926 so successfully . And I think we bring 267 00:10:06,926 --> 00:10:08,982 a lot to the table there and to your 268 00:10:08,982 --> 00:10:11,636 point that matters a lot to the men who 269 00:10:11,636 --> 00:10:13,858 we are looking to recruit and retain as 270 00:10:13,858 --> 00:10:16,080 well . Yeah , absolutely . Thank you so 271 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,192 much . Um So now I wanted to shift to 272 00:10:18,192 --> 00:10:20,192 one of my favorite topics , women , 273 00:10:20,192 --> 00:10:22,182 peace and security . Um It's a 274 00:10:22,182 --> 00:10:24,349 framework that acknowledges that women 275 00:10:24,349 --> 00:10:26,460 and girls need to be at the table and 276 00:10:26,460 --> 00:10:28,238 they need to be the part of the 277 00:10:28,238 --> 00:10:30,452 decisions that are being made and that 278 00:10:30,462 --> 00:10:32,672 they need to in order to achieve 279 00:10:32,672 --> 00:10:34,839 international peace and security . And 280 00:10:34,839 --> 00:10:36,561 the four main pillars focus on 281 00:10:36,561 --> 00:10:38,982 protection , prevention , participation , 282 00:10:38,992 --> 00:10:41,370 and relief and recovery . Um Could you 283 00:10:41,370 --> 00:10:43,703 talk us through the importance of women , 284 00:10:43,703 --> 00:10:45,703 peace and security , the department 285 00:10:45,703 --> 00:10:47,759 strategy of implementation and where 286 00:10:47,759 --> 00:10:50,320 you believe we should focus ? Yes . So 287 00:10:50,330 --> 00:10:53,050 um such an important initiative 288 00:10:53,060 --> 00:10:55,227 worldwide initiative . I just actually 289 00:10:55,227 --> 00:10:57,393 have come from the White House for the 290 00:10:57,393 --> 00:10:59,616 first Lady in the Secretary of State to 291 00:10:59,616 --> 00:11:03,380 give the awards of courage to women who 292 00:11:03,380 --> 00:11:06,220 are um you know , in different conflict 293 00:11:06,220 --> 00:11:07,998 zones around the world , really 294 00:11:07,998 --> 00:11:11,850 standing up girls . Um So 295 00:11:11,850 --> 00:11:13,683 important portfolio , there's an 296 00:11:13,683 --> 00:11:15,794 external facing piece of it . I would 297 00:11:15,794 --> 00:11:17,961 say for the department and an internal 298 00:11:17,961 --> 00:11:20,239 facing . So sticking with the external , 299 00:11:20,239 --> 00:11:22,350 as I just talked about , um there are 300 00:11:22,350 --> 00:11:24,461 specific effects of conflict on women 301 00:11:24,461 --> 00:11:26,183 and girls and one of the major 302 00:11:26,183 --> 00:11:28,239 initiatives the secretary has had as 303 00:11:28,239 --> 00:11:30,406 his um civilian harm mitigation plan . 304 00:11:30,406 --> 00:11:32,183 Um That work is ongoing . We're 305 00:11:32,183 --> 00:11:34,239 standing up a center of excellence . 306 00:11:34,239 --> 00:11:36,017 The army has been assigned that 307 00:11:36,017 --> 00:11:38,128 responsibility . Uh We're expanding , 308 00:11:38,128 --> 00:11:40,017 we have the , the billets and the 309 00:11:40,017 --> 00:11:42,370 dollars to expand training across the 310 00:11:42,370 --> 00:11:44,850 whole force . Um This is called chim 311 00:11:44,850 --> 00:11:48,350 rap , so on chim rap . Um and 312 00:11:48,350 --> 00:11:50,860 those efforts alongside what was 313 00:11:50,860 --> 00:11:53,370 already existing in terms of our , you 314 00:11:53,370 --> 00:11:55,481 know , gender advisers throughout the 315 00:11:55,481 --> 00:11:58,070 force . Um This is really empowering 316 00:11:58,070 --> 00:12:00,790 them to start to have the resources . 317 00:12:00,790 --> 00:12:03,540 They need to look at the effects of 318 00:12:03,540 --> 00:12:05,707 civilian harm , look at the effects on 319 00:12:05,707 --> 00:12:07,890 particular on women and girls Um in 320 00:12:07,890 --> 00:12:10,150 conflict and to make sure our force 321 00:12:10,150 --> 00:12:13,390 understands um that piece of it as well 322 00:12:13,390 --> 00:12:15,980 as the value that women bring to the 323 00:12:15,980 --> 00:12:17,813 negotiating table . So if you're 324 00:12:17,813 --> 00:12:20,036 looking at conflict resolution anywhere 325 00:12:20,036 --> 00:12:22,091 that we are in the world , um and we 326 00:12:22,091 --> 00:12:24,147 certainly have been through 20 years 327 00:12:24,147 --> 00:12:26,369 where that's been really important . We 328 00:12:26,369 --> 00:12:25,350 need to be able to bring women to the 329 00:12:25,350 --> 00:12:28,570 table looking inward . I think the most 330 00:12:28,570 --> 00:12:31,250 significant thing we have done is begun 331 00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:33,417 the implementation of the more than 80 332 00:12:33,417 --> 00:12:35,700 recommendations of our Independent 333 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:37,811 Review Commission on sexual assault , 334 00:12:37,811 --> 00:12:39,756 counting sexual assault and sexual 335 00:12:39,756 --> 00:12:41,867 harassment and domestic violence that 336 00:12:41,867 --> 00:12:43,978 work is ongoing . There's a thousands 337 00:12:43,978 --> 00:12:45,811 of prevention , workforce , um , 338 00:12:45,811 --> 00:12:47,978 employees being hired on as we speak . 339 00:12:47,978 --> 00:12:49,700 Um There is a significant work 340 00:12:49,700 --> 00:12:51,867 throughout . I really give hats off to 341 00:12:51,867 --> 00:12:54,290 Beth Foster and her team , the pr team , 342 00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:56,792 um for the work they're doing to really 343 00:12:56,792 --> 00:12:58,848 get that underway . That will have , 344 00:12:58,848 --> 00:13:01,126 speaking of effects beyond women . Yes , 345 00:13:01,126 --> 00:13:03,348 that helps us on , um , are women peace 346 00:13:03,348 --> 00:13:05,514 and security because what we're trying 347 00:13:05,514 --> 00:13:07,348 to do is make sure we are a good 348 00:13:07,348 --> 00:13:09,570 employer for women . And that of course 349 00:13:09,570 --> 00:13:11,792 means we have to counter the scourge of 350 00:13:11,792 --> 00:13:11,540 sexual assault , sexual harassment . 351 00:13:11,550 --> 00:13:13,661 Also an issue that affects men in our 352 00:13:13,661 --> 00:13:17,380 force . Um And it's also a case where 353 00:13:17,380 --> 00:13:19,602 the that prevention workforce will help 354 00:13:19,602 --> 00:13:21,769 us on things like suicide prevention , 355 00:13:21,769 --> 00:13:23,824 alcohol , drug abuse , etcetera . So 356 00:13:23,824 --> 00:13:25,769 there are a lot of effects that go 357 00:13:25,769 --> 00:13:27,880 beyond the specifics of women , peace 358 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:29,880 and security . But it shows you how 359 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,102 when you invest in those areas , it can 360 00:13:32,102 --> 00:13:34,158 really grow again from externally in 361 00:13:34,158 --> 00:13:36,490 terms of developing peace solutions in 362 00:13:36,490 --> 00:13:38,157 a conflict to here in our own 363 00:13:38,157 --> 00:13:40,268 institutions , really just creating a 364 00:13:40,268 --> 00:13:42,046 healthier workforce , healthier 365 00:13:42,046 --> 00:13:44,212 workforce environment . Yeah , I think 366 00:13:44,212 --> 00:13:46,323 what you touched on is exactly what I 367 00:13:46,323 --> 00:13:48,268 was thinking is that everything is 368 00:13:48,268 --> 00:13:50,323 tightened together so much , right ? 369 00:13:50,323 --> 00:13:50,310 And so if you address one component , 370 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,050 it kind of helps address multiple areas 371 00:13:54,050 --> 00:13:56,272 where we can improve on . And then also 372 00:13:56,272 --> 00:13:58,439 thank you for touching on the piece of 373 00:13:58,439 --> 00:14:00,606 both focus internally and externally . 374 00:14:00,606 --> 00:14:02,772 Um a conversation I was having earlier 375 00:14:02,772 --> 00:14:04,883 today focused on you when it comes to 376 00:14:04,883 --> 00:14:07,050 women , peace and security . Should we 377 00:14:07,050 --> 00:14:09,161 be looking at policy or culture ? And 378 00:14:09,161 --> 00:14:11,328 the answer is really both , right ? Um 379 00:14:11,328 --> 00:14:11,280 You have to do , they're two different 380 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,224 things but they're both equally as 381 00:14:13,224 --> 00:14:15,169 important when , when pushing this 382 00:14:15,169 --> 00:14:17,113 agenda . And then the last thing I 383 00:14:17,113 --> 00:14:19,113 thought of was I always have a hard 384 00:14:19,113 --> 00:14:21,280 time coming up with an example of , of 385 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,170 um conveying how women peace and 386 00:14:23,170 --> 00:14:25,580 security looks like when implemented . 387 00:14:25,590 --> 00:14:28,980 Well , and um thankfully , um 388 00:14:28,990 --> 00:14:32,210 the good example I have um now is 389 00:14:32,210 --> 00:14:34,321 operation allies . Welcome . Um where 390 00:14:34,321 --> 00:14:36,321 it's the first example where gender 391 00:14:36,321 --> 00:14:38,432 focal points and gender advisers were 392 00:14:38,432 --> 00:14:41,180 intentionally integrated into welcoming 393 00:14:41,190 --> 00:14:43,079 refugees from Afghanistan . And I 394 00:14:43,079 --> 00:14:45,190 really do think it contributed to its 395 00:14:45,190 --> 00:14:47,134 success , but I do think it has to 396 00:14:47,134 --> 00:14:49,357 become more of like the norm versus the 397 00:14:49,357 --> 00:14:51,523 exception . So yeah , that's so true . 398 00:14:51,523 --> 00:14:53,412 When I visited , I think was Fort 399 00:14:53,412 --> 00:14:55,523 Monroe in , in , in Virginia . And uh 400 00:14:55,523 --> 00:14:57,690 you know , saw the value of the gender 401 00:14:57,690 --> 00:15:00,010 advisers helping just to make sure for 402 00:15:00,010 --> 00:15:03,490 instance , that the line for 403 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:05,590 personal goods which could include 404 00:15:05,590 --> 00:15:07,812 feminine products could include lots of 405 00:15:07,812 --> 00:15:09,979 things . But there was a separate line 406 00:15:09,979 --> 00:15:11,868 for women . That was the gender , 407 00:15:11,868 --> 00:15:13,757 gender and culturally appropriate 408 00:15:13,757 --> 00:15:16,900 approach , excuse me , to welcoming , 409 00:15:16,910 --> 00:15:19,130 you know , our our allies there . So 410 00:15:19,130 --> 00:15:21,297 that was a great , I think you write a 411 00:15:21,297 --> 00:15:23,352 great example for us overall . Thank 412 00:15:23,352 --> 00:15:25,630 you . Now I'm gonna touch on something , 413 00:15:25,630 --> 00:15:27,519 maybe not uh or a little bit of a 414 00:15:27,519 --> 00:15:29,519 challenge but recruitment , right , 415 00:15:29,519 --> 00:15:31,741 we've all heard a lot about recruitment 416 00:15:31,741 --> 00:15:33,741 recently and um as you mentioned in 417 00:15:33,741 --> 00:15:35,797 your opening remarks for celebrating 418 00:15:35,797 --> 00:15:35,770 the 50th anniversary of the All 419 00:15:35,770 --> 00:15:38,100 Volunteer Force , um which is great , 420 00:15:38,100 --> 00:15:40,322 but um as we all know , comes at a time 421 00:15:40,322 --> 00:15:41,989 where recruitment is becoming 422 00:15:41,989 --> 00:15:43,880 intentionally more difficult or a 423 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:45,991 little bit more of a sticking point . 424 00:15:45,991 --> 00:15:47,991 Um what are your thoughts on how we 425 00:15:47,991 --> 00:15:50,400 begin to bridge the civilian military 426 00:15:50,410 --> 00:15:53,270 gap that exists ? And um what do you , 427 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,500 what is being done to improve it ? Sure . 428 00:15:56,500 --> 00:15:58,556 So the first thing I'll say is let's 429 00:15:58,556 --> 00:16:00,778 come back and talk about retention . So 430 00:16:00,778 --> 00:16:03,000 we'll come back on that . Um which is a 431 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,000 good news story on recruitment . We 432 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,670 have um a dynamic , unlike any we have 433 00:16:07,670 --> 00:16:09,892 seen since the , since the beginning of 434 00:16:09,892 --> 00:16:12,003 the All Volunteer Force , we've had a 435 00:16:12,003 --> 00:16:13,892 pandemic that's kept folks out of 436 00:16:13,892 --> 00:16:16,003 school and most specifically kept our 437 00:16:16,003 --> 00:16:18,003 recruiters , therefore further away 438 00:16:18,003 --> 00:16:19,948 from the target audience . Um High 439 00:16:19,948 --> 00:16:22,910 school age Children , please excuse us , 440 00:16:22,910 --> 00:16:26,350 frog in my throat . Um In addition to 441 00:16:26,350 --> 00:16:29,250 that , you have the hottest economy , 442 00:16:29,250 --> 00:16:32,090 lowest unemployment rate in , in , in a 443 00:16:32,090 --> 00:16:35,380 generation , um which makes it harder 444 00:16:35,380 --> 00:16:37,547 in general to anyone to recruit . It's 445 00:16:37,547 --> 00:16:39,436 hard for any company right now to 446 00:16:39,436 --> 00:16:42,640 recruit a few layer onto that . Some 447 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:44,807 trends we're seeing societally , we're 448 00:16:44,807 --> 00:16:47,770 seeing um gaps in speaking of trouble 449 00:16:47,780 --> 00:16:49,920 hiring and recruiting for doctors for 450 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,490 nurses , firefighters law , enforcement . 451 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,300 AmeriCorps Peace Corps . And of course , 452 00:16:55,300 --> 00:16:57,510 now we know the military . 453 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,900 So there's , there's work to be done 454 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:03,122 there . I think there is a basic civics 455 00:17:03,122 --> 00:17:05,122 problem that I would nest this in . 456 00:17:05,122 --> 00:17:09,070 Sorry . And , um , that's really 457 00:17:09,070 --> 00:17:12,160 around , you know , why don't we have a 458 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,520 generation that sees public service as 459 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,100 valuable and then military service 460 00:17:17,100 --> 00:17:19,044 within that . And I failed to even 461 00:17:19,044 --> 00:17:21,100 mention the most obvious which is we 462 00:17:21,100 --> 00:17:23,211 have fewer veterans in our population 463 00:17:23,211 --> 00:17:25,322 and that will increase that they will 464 00:17:25,322 --> 00:17:27,378 continue to decrease as a percent of 465 00:17:27,378 --> 00:17:29,211 the population over time . Um So 466 00:17:29,211 --> 00:17:31,100 there's less familiarity with the 467 00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:33,100 military . Um So I think there is a 468 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:34,878 national call to service that's 469 00:17:34,878 --> 00:17:37,044 required the secretary has really laid 470 00:17:37,044 --> 00:17:37,020 that out for , for the defense 471 00:17:37,020 --> 00:17:39,242 department . And I think he's joined by 472 00:17:39,242 --> 00:17:41,242 the , you know , a variety of other 473 00:17:41,242 --> 00:17:43,242 actors , the National Commission on 474 00:17:43,242 --> 00:17:45,353 Public Service , for instance , which 475 00:17:45,353 --> 00:17:47,687 is a few years old , noted this problem . 476 00:17:47,687 --> 00:17:49,742 So there's a lot that has to be done 477 00:17:49,742 --> 00:17:51,909 there . What can we do here inside D O 478 00:17:51,909 --> 00:17:54,076 D ? Well , first , we can make sure we 479 00:17:54,076 --> 00:17:56,242 put a good value proposition forward . 480 00:17:56,242 --> 00:17:58,131 Um So that gets to a lot of these 481 00:17:58,131 --> 00:17:57,960 taking care of people issues . We just 482 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,127 talked about the retention piece we're 483 00:18:00,127 --> 00:18:02,238 gonna talk about in a second . Um But 484 00:18:02,238 --> 00:18:04,510 it also means , um that we need people 485 00:18:04,510 --> 00:18:06,788 to be able to hear the call to service . 486 00:18:06,788 --> 00:18:09,340 Um And that means we need voices making 487 00:18:09,340 --> 00:18:11,880 that call , little stories tell the big 488 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,190 story . Um , individual cases of why 489 00:18:15,190 --> 00:18:17,100 did you join either to join the 490 00:18:17,100 --> 00:18:20,020 civilian workforce or the uniform 491 00:18:20,020 --> 00:18:22,240 workforce ? Our contractors are the 492 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:24,296 folks in the industrial base who are 493 00:18:24,296 --> 00:18:26,462 working with D O D . That's a choice . 494 00:18:26,462 --> 00:18:28,610 What , why work with defense ? Why is 495 00:18:28,610 --> 00:18:30,721 that a value proposition ? It's about 496 00:18:30,721 --> 00:18:32,832 what we think , how aligned we are to 497 00:18:32,832 --> 00:18:34,888 the values of this nation and how we 498 00:18:34,888 --> 00:18:36,777 defend them . And I think we need 499 00:18:36,777 --> 00:18:38,999 everyone out there telling that story . 500 00:18:38,999 --> 00:18:41,221 Practically speaking , we're also going 501 00:18:41,221 --> 00:18:43,443 to spend more . I am the deputy . So it 502 00:18:43,443 --> 00:18:43,090 comes down to money . At some point , 503 00:18:43,090 --> 00:18:45,201 we're gonna spend more on the efforts 504 00:18:45,201 --> 00:18:47,368 that we have underway . Folks may know 505 00:18:47,368 --> 00:18:49,590 the army , for instance , just released 506 00:18:49,590 --> 00:18:51,757 yesterday there , Newbie , all their , 507 00:18:51,757 --> 00:18:54,360 their old new retro be all your , all 508 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:56,416 you can be campaign . I think you're 509 00:18:56,416 --> 00:18:58,527 gonna see each of the services taking 510 00:18:58,527 --> 00:19:00,527 their own spin on how they're going 511 00:19:00,527 --> 00:19:02,416 after recruiting challenges . But 512 00:19:02,416 --> 00:19:04,416 that's , that's a little bit of how 513 00:19:04,416 --> 00:19:04,370 we're looking at it . There are a lot 514 00:19:04,370 --> 00:19:06,510 of focus . Yeah , there's um a lot of 515 00:19:06,510 --> 00:19:08,732 space to do a lot of great things . But 516 00:19:08,732 --> 00:19:10,954 the way I see it , even for our service 517 00:19:10,954 --> 00:19:13,010 members here today , they're wearing 518 00:19:13,010 --> 00:19:15,177 the uniform . You guys are like one of 519 00:19:15,177 --> 00:19:17,510 our best marketing tools walking around . 520 00:19:17,510 --> 00:19:19,677 Um And I know that I didn't see myself 521 00:19:19,677 --> 00:19:19,470 in uniform . I didn't even know that 522 00:19:19,470 --> 00:19:21,526 was a possibility for me until I saw 523 00:19:21,526 --> 00:19:25,190 someone in uniform Um So I think a very 524 00:19:25,190 --> 00:19:27,246 small steps can make big differences 525 00:19:27,246 --> 00:19:29,523 and thank you for touching on that and , 526 00:19:29,523 --> 00:19:31,857 and you wanted me to bring up attention . 527 00:19:31,857 --> 00:19:34,079 Yes . So I will bring up attention . Um 528 00:19:34,079 --> 00:19:36,301 But it's a good point , like you said , 529 00:19:36,301 --> 00:19:38,579 it's , it's um our retention is higher . 530 00:19:38,579 --> 00:19:40,301 I think a lot of people couple 531 00:19:40,301 --> 00:19:42,357 recruitment and retention together , 532 00:19:42,357 --> 00:19:41,830 but there are different , slightly 533 00:19:41,830 --> 00:19:43,820 different approaches . And as you 534 00:19:43,830 --> 00:19:45,886 mentioned , with recruitment , we're 535 00:19:45,886 --> 00:19:48,163 not doing so well , but with retention , 536 00:19:48,163 --> 00:19:50,330 retention is um doing well . However , 537 00:19:50,330 --> 00:19:52,441 it is uh retention is not as high for 538 00:19:52,441 --> 00:19:54,810 women as it is For men . And so , um 539 00:19:54,810 --> 00:19:56,866 what are we working to , what are we 540 00:19:56,866 --> 00:19:59,088 doing to close that gap ? Sure . Well , 541 00:19:59,088 --> 00:20:01,421 first , let me tell the good news story , 542 00:20:01,421 --> 00:20:01,310 which is that every service is above 543 00:20:01,310 --> 00:20:04,280 its for 2022 was above its retention 544 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,710 goals . And it's the highest retention 545 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,960 again . And I'm told 50 years by the 546 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:11,410 joint staff across all the services 547 00:20:11,410 --> 00:20:13,577 were doing very , very well . So we at 548 00:20:13,577 --> 00:20:15,799 the same time that we're looking at are 549 00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:18,070 the wise on recruiting . We want to 550 00:20:18,070 --> 00:20:20,292 really understand the whys on retention 551 00:20:20,292 --> 00:20:22,348 because you know , where we're doing 552 00:20:22,348 --> 00:20:24,348 things right , we want to make sure 553 00:20:24,348 --> 00:20:26,570 we're taking the right lessons away . I 554 00:20:26,570 --> 00:20:28,737 think one of the right lessons is that 555 00:20:28,737 --> 00:20:30,792 readiness is pretty good right now . 556 00:20:30,792 --> 00:20:32,903 We're hearing from commanders um that 557 00:20:32,903 --> 00:20:34,903 the readiness funding is relatively 558 00:20:34,903 --> 00:20:38,110 robust . Um If you have the tools to do 559 00:20:38,110 --> 00:20:40,410 your job , you're trained and equipped . 560 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:42,329 Um , and these taking care of our 561 00:20:42,329 --> 00:20:44,720 people initiatives are underway . You 562 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,887 know , we're not a perfect workplace , 563 00:20:46,887 --> 00:20:48,998 but we're a workplace that recognizes 564 00:20:48,998 --> 00:20:51,053 our challenges and goes after them . 565 00:20:51,053 --> 00:20:53,276 And there's something to that . There's 566 00:20:53,276 --> 00:20:52,760 an ability to trust . So those are some 567 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,160 of my intuitions about what we'll find 568 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,390 in that you are absolutely right that 569 00:20:57,390 --> 00:20:59,612 women and minorities , by the way , are 570 00:20:59,612 --> 00:21:02,290 not retained , um , at the same percent , 571 00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:06,180 um or at equal percent with 572 00:21:06,180 --> 00:21:09,540 others in the force . Um One of those 573 00:21:09,540 --> 00:21:11,596 reasons is of course , the promotion 574 00:21:11,596 --> 00:21:13,818 rates and that's something we look very 575 00:21:13,818 --> 00:21:16,040 hard at . We now collect data , I think 576 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,262 very effectively . Um And that includes 577 00:21:18,262 --> 00:21:20,340 not just by rank but also by Mos 578 00:21:20,350 --> 00:21:22,580 officer and enlisted . Of course , and 579 00:21:22,580 --> 00:21:24,870 we know where those , um you know , 580 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,991 leveling off points , those knees and 581 00:21:26,991 --> 00:21:29,840 the curves are for women . And we're 582 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,007 starting to look at how do we go after 583 00:21:32,007 --> 00:21:34,062 them ? Some of the things we already 584 00:21:34,062 --> 00:21:36,062 talked about parental leave , child 585 00:21:36,062 --> 00:21:38,284 care , we have Air Force has initiative 586 00:21:38,284 --> 00:21:41,260 or a policy change um in terms of the 587 00:21:41,260 --> 00:21:43,093 ability to continue flying while 588 00:21:43,093 --> 00:21:45,038 pregnant in consultation with your 589 00:21:45,038 --> 00:21:47,204 doctor , you know , things like that , 590 00:21:47,204 --> 00:21:49,260 that make it possible to continue to 591 00:21:49,260 --> 00:21:51,482 progress in your career . Um that helps 592 00:21:51,482 --> 00:21:53,593 us retain people . Um The other thing 593 00:21:53,593 --> 00:21:55,704 that helps us retain people is having 594 00:21:55,704 --> 00:21:55,640 people at the top who want to make sure 595 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:57,900 that you are retained . Um And I think 596 00:21:57,900 --> 00:22:00,067 you have to be able to see yourself if 597 00:22:00,067 --> 00:22:02,178 you're looking from the bottom up and 598 00:22:02,178 --> 00:22:04,233 believe that you have a pathway . We 599 00:22:04,233 --> 00:22:06,178 now have a service secretary who's 600 00:22:06,178 --> 00:22:08,780 female . We have um three combatant 601 00:22:08,780 --> 00:22:11,002 commanders who are female . We have the 602 00:22:11,002 --> 00:22:13,350 V C N O is female . The commandant of 603 00:22:13,350 --> 00:22:15,990 the Coast Guard is female . Um , this 604 00:22:15,990 --> 00:22:18,760 matters , I guarantee you it matters . 605 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,704 And as somebody who's often at the 606 00:22:20,704 --> 00:22:22,927 heads of tables , it makes a difference 607 00:22:22,927 --> 00:22:25,204 to be able to have in any conversation . 608 00:22:25,204 --> 00:22:27,538 Um where you're making policy decisions , 609 00:22:27,538 --> 00:22:29,704 you know , that diversity of voices to 610 00:22:29,704 --> 00:22:31,760 bring lots of different perspectives 611 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,871 and lots of different ways to measure 612 00:22:33,871 --> 00:22:35,982 diversity . It's not just in gender , 613 00:22:35,982 --> 00:22:38,093 but , but the gender piece has made a 614 00:22:38,093 --> 00:22:40,316 difference . And I think when women are 615 00:22:40,316 --> 00:22:40,300 making a choice of , do I stay or do I 616 00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:43,140 go where it's , you know , the point , 617 00:22:43,140 --> 00:22:45,460 the , if there are points where we are 618 00:22:45,470 --> 00:22:48,780 um not equitable , that's on us and we 619 00:22:48,780 --> 00:22:50,724 have to work on that . And then if 620 00:22:50,724 --> 00:22:52,669 we're there points where women are 621 00:22:52,669 --> 00:22:54,613 choosing to leave and part of that 622 00:22:54,613 --> 00:22:56,447 choice is because they can't see 623 00:22:56,447 --> 00:22:58,613 themselves advancing . I think we need 624 00:22:58,613 --> 00:23:00,700 to show them that pathway . A slight 625 00:23:00,710 --> 00:23:02,932 add if I may . Um We also have a Deputy 626 00:23:02,932 --> 00:23:05,154 Secretary of Defense , that's the way . 627 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:08,740 Um So thank you for showing us an 628 00:23:08,740 --> 00:23:11,070 example of what we can be . Um And 629 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,302 especially about one of the things that 630 00:23:13,302 --> 00:23:15,469 I thought of . Um a lot of times , the 631 00:23:15,469 --> 00:23:17,691 military is viewed as an alternative to 632 00:23:17,691 --> 00:23:20,090 education and for me . Um and maybe for 633 00:23:20,090 --> 00:23:22,150 a lot of my uh colleagues that are 634 00:23:22,150 --> 00:23:24,530 still serving active duty , it's , it's 635 00:23:24,530 --> 00:23:26,860 a pathway to education . Um My parents 636 00:23:26,860 --> 00:23:29,027 could definitely not afford to send me 637 00:23:29,027 --> 00:23:31,082 to college . Um which is why the Air 638 00:23:31,082 --> 00:23:33,304 Force opened so many doors for me . And 639 00:23:33,304 --> 00:23:35,138 I'm very proud to say , I'm very 640 00:23:35,138 --> 00:23:37,138 thankful that because of it , I now 641 00:23:37,138 --> 00:23:39,027 have a Bachelor's to master's and 642 00:23:39,027 --> 00:23:40,971 currently pursuing my doctorate at 643 00:23:40,971 --> 00:23:43,138 Georgetown all all on the D O D . So , 644 00:23:43,138 --> 00:23:45,138 thank you . Thank you . Thank you . 645 00:23:45,138 --> 00:23:47,193 Thank you . So , yeah , just finding 646 00:23:47,193 --> 00:23:49,360 ways to , to show that it's a , it's a 647 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:51,138 pathway to education and not an 648 00:23:51,138 --> 00:23:53,730 alternative . Um And then um if we have 649 00:23:53,740 --> 00:23:56,550 time , we're gonna wrap it up . We have 650 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,351 um this is a little bit of the harder 651 00:23:59,351 --> 00:24:01,573 question you mentioned budget earlier . 652 00:24:01,573 --> 00:24:03,780 Um So it's related to national defense 653 00:24:03,780 --> 00:24:06,470 strategy . We recently marked the one 654 00:24:06,470 --> 00:24:08,400 year anniversary of Russia's war 655 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,690 against Ukraine . And what are key 656 00:24:10,690 --> 00:24:12,912 lessons learned that are informing your 657 00:24:12,912 --> 00:24:15,079 perspective of how future wars will be 658 00:24:15,079 --> 00:24:17,480 fought and won ? Um Have they shaped 659 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,702 your investments on forthcoming defense 660 00:24:19,702 --> 00:24:21,813 budget or whatever you can share with 661 00:24:21,813 --> 00:24:23,540 them about that and um such as 662 00:24:23,540 --> 00:24:26,060 investments focused on the P R C pacing 663 00:24:26,060 --> 00:24:29,110 challenge ? Sure . So they definitely 664 00:24:29,110 --> 00:24:31,930 are influencing um shaping the 665 00:24:31,930 --> 00:24:34,640 investment choices we're making . I do 666 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,751 want to say , you know , I'm cautious 667 00:24:36,751 --> 00:24:39,110 about lesson learnt lessons learned 668 00:24:39,110 --> 00:24:42,030 processes because you often need a 669 00:24:42,030 --> 00:24:44,141 little more time and distance to make 670 00:24:44,141 --> 00:24:46,308 sure you're , you're pulling the right 671 00:24:46,308 --> 00:24:48,840 lessons . So we are actively engaged in 672 00:24:48,850 --> 00:24:51,060 taking on the lessons of Ukraine and 673 00:24:51,060 --> 00:24:52,949 using them to think through , for 674 00:24:52,949 --> 00:24:55,060 instance , the Taiwan crisis or other 675 00:24:55,060 --> 00:24:58,580 potential crises of the future . But 676 00:24:58,590 --> 00:25:01,190 we're also trying to make sure that 677 00:25:01,190 --> 00:25:03,468 that's an ongoing process that there's , 678 00:25:03,468 --> 00:25:05,190 you know , serious work that's 679 00:25:05,190 --> 00:25:07,190 happening , whether it's in the war 680 00:25:07,190 --> 00:25:09,301 colleges or elsewhere , there , other 681 00:25:09,301 --> 00:25:11,134 parts of the department that are 682 00:25:11,134 --> 00:25:13,357 working on lessons learned . So I think 683 00:25:13,357 --> 00:25:12,690 that's important to say . So what are 684 00:25:12,690 --> 00:25:14,770 those out of the gate lessons that 685 00:25:14,770 --> 00:25:16,992 we're definitely already working off of 686 00:25:16,992 --> 00:25:19,270 and taking away ? I would say , um , 687 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,020 first is , um , you know , as we have 688 00:25:23,020 --> 00:25:25,390 long known readiness matters , I said 689 00:25:25,390 --> 00:25:27,612 before , we're ready force were capable 690 00:25:27,612 --> 00:25:29,779 force . We're not , we're a force that 691 00:25:29,779 --> 00:25:32,550 has operated . Um , and the Russian 692 00:25:32,550 --> 00:25:35,870 force was large and uh not effective 693 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,450 and even to this day continues to be 694 00:25:38,450 --> 00:25:40,617 quite ineffective , not well trained , 695 00:25:40,617 --> 00:25:42,783 not well organized , has not , has not 696 00:25:42,783 --> 00:25:45,580 moved away from an old Soviet model . 697 00:25:45,590 --> 00:25:48,770 Um , for how they train , they don't 698 00:25:48,780 --> 00:25:50,947 have the same N C O Corps approaches a 699 00:25:50,947 --> 00:25:54,510 lot that they're missing . Um And we 700 00:25:54,510 --> 00:25:57,480 think that others will see whether it's 701 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,000 in North Korea , you know , or , um P R 702 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,580 C . They will see that the US is , is 703 00:26:03,580 --> 00:26:05,913 quite capable and we have been training , 704 00:26:05,913 --> 00:26:07,969 we , the West have been training the 705 00:26:07,969 --> 00:26:09,913 Ukrainians since 2014 in a Western 706 00:26:09,913 --> 00:26:11,691 model of warfare . And they are 707 00:26:11,691 --> 00:26:13,858 focusing , they themselves are focused 708 00:26:13,858 --> 00:26:15,760 on training that also gets to the 709 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,816 second piece , which is that partner 710 00:26:17,816 --> 00:26:19,982 matters a lot , the will of the people 711 00:26:19,982 --> 00:26:23,000 matters . Um , there invest the degree 712 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,000 to which they are invested in their 713 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,000 self defense matters . And we think 714 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,167 that's an important lesson , um , both 715 00:26:29,167 --> 00:26:31,389 for aggressors to understand that , you 716 00:26:31,389 --> 00:26:33,389 know , is seemingly less capable uh 717 00:26:33,389 --> 00:26:36,200 neighbor . Um , you know , with a lot 718 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,700 of will and guts and determination and 719 00:26:38,700 --> 00:26:41,280 support can make it very different . 720 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,660 Can give you a big headache . Um That's 721 00:26:43,660 --> 00:26:45,827 an important lesson and it's also good 722 00:26:45,827 --> 00:26:47,660 for us to know that , you know , 723 00:26:47,660 --> 00:26:49,604 helping in that way , helping with 724 00:26:49,604 --> 00:26:51,549 equipment , helping with other non 725 00:26:51,549 --> 00:26:53,660 lethal support makes a big difference 726 00:26:53,660 --> 00:26:55,716 to those societies . And I think the 727 00:26:55,716 --> 00:26:57,993 other big big takeaway of co of course , 728 00:26:57,993 --> 00:27:00,216 is the value the symmetric value to the 729 00:27:00,216 --> 00:27:02,382 United States of allies and partners . 730 00:27:02,382 --> 00:27:04,438 Um We have been able to put together 731 00:27:04,438 --> 00:27:07,150 for Ukraine alongside , um , you know , 732 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:08,920 our , our NATO allies and the 733 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,031 Ukrainians themselves , a substantial 734 00:27:11,031 --> 00:27:13,680 international coalition that's making 735 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,170 sure that aggressors around the world 736 00:27:16,170 --> 00:27:18,003 understand we're going to create 737 00:27:18,003 --> 00:27:20,070 economic consequences . Um Your 738 00:27:20,070 --> 00:27:22,237 conflicts are going to be protracted , 739 00:27:22,237 --> 00:27:24,348 they're gonna be long , they're gonna 740 00:27:24,348 --> 00:27:27,170 be unpleasant and bloody . Um And um 741 00:27:27,180 --> 00:27:30,230 that's a difficult pill to swallow if 742 00:27:30,230 --> 00:27:32,397 you're an aggressor who wants a really 743 00:27:32,397 --> 00:27:34,397 quick when , you know , um for your 744 00:27:34,397 --> 00:27:36,550 domestic audience for instance , so 745 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,727 those are all things we're taking back 746 00:27:38,727 --> 00:27:40,893 with us and are in fact informing what 747 00:27:40,893 --> 00:27:42,782 we invest in . Those are a lot of 748 00:27:42,782 --> 00:27:45,200 lessons learned . Yeah . Yeah . And , 749 00:27:45,210 --> 00:27:47,321 and that was the short . Yeah , I was 750 00:27:47,321 --> 00:27:49,432 gonna say I'm sure that there's a lot 751 00:27:49,432 --> 00:27:51,488 where that came from . Um and in the 752 00:27:51,488 --> 00:27:53,710 interest of time to be able to give the 753 00:27:53,710 --> 00:27:55,766 audience the opportunity to , to ask 754 00:27:55,766 --> 00:27:57,988 questions . I just wanted to personally 755 00:27:57,988 --> 00:27:57,490 thank you before we open it up to the 756 00:27:57,490 --> 00:27:59,930 floor for your time today for talking 757 00:27:59,930 --> 00:28:02,041 to us about your personal experiences 758 00:28:02,041 --> 00:28:03,960 and policy and retention and 759 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,071 recruitment . But I wanted to open it 760 00:28:06,071 --> 00:28:07,904 up to the floor . Do we have any 761 00:28:07,904 --> 00:28:10,200 questions ? Only one question ? Oh , I 762 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,367 see the first hand right here . Second 763 00:28:12,367 --> 00:28:14,070 roll high . Um 764 00:28:15,930 --> 00:28:18,041 Colonel Leslie Kipling National Guard 765 00:28:18,041 --> 00:28:20,208 Bureau . Um many of the taking care of 766 00:28:20,208 --> 00:28:22,420 people initiatives really focus on 767 00:28:22,420 --> 00:28:24,960 active duty or resources at a military 768 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:27,690 base . How are the , how is the reserve 769 00:28:27,690 --> 00:28:29,190 component being taken to a 770 00:28:29,190 --> 00:28:31,357 consideration for these initiatives as 771 00:28:31,357 --> 00:28:33,468 well ? Sure , the Reserve , the Total 772 00:28:33,468 --> 00:28:35,523 Force is really our focus for all to 773 00:28:35,523 --> 00:28:37,746 take care of people initiatives . Um So 774 00:28:37,746 --> 00:28:40,200 I think I would say , I believe we have 775 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,367 done a good job all the way through in 776 00:28:42,367 --> 00:28:44,311 each of the initiatives . It would 777 00:28:44,311 --> 00:28:46,089 probably depend on which you're 778 00:28:46,089 --> 00:28:48,311 thinking of . Um If you think there's a 779 00:28:48,311 --> 00:28:50,478 difference there , I would simply also 780 00:28:50,478 --> 00:28:52,478 add that for the Deputies Workforce 781 00:28:52,478 --> 00:28:54,478 Council , which is where we sort of 782 00:28:54,478 --> 00:28:56,644 work through this issue set and then a 783 00:28:56,644 --> 00:28:58,367 layer below that the W M G the 784 00:28:58,367 --> 00:29:00,940 workforce management group may be um 785 00:29:00,950 --> 00:29:04,250 which is run by undersecretary PNR . 786 00:29:04,260 --> 00:29:06,427 The National Guard Bureau is an active 787 00:29:06,427 --> 00:29:08,649 participant in both of those at both of 788 00:29:08,649 --> 00:29:10,920 those layers . Um And General Sassy 789 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,160 Ville is a great representative for all 790 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,480 the needs of the National Guard , the 791 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,190 Reserve Component , the the R C piece 792 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,210 of the R C is the service . The 793 00:29:21,210 --> 00:29:23,450 services are also bringing that forward 794 00:29:23,450 --> 00:29:26,220 in their representation . But we do 795 00:29:26,220 --> 00:29:28,164 work very hard to make sure we are 796 00:29:28,164 --> 00:29:31,100 applying our solutions against the 797 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:34,500 total force . Oh , we do have one more . 798 00:29:34,510 --> 00:29:37,150 Oh , yes , thank you anyone else . 799 00:29:39,870 --> 00:29:42,092 There's one right over here . 3rd row . 800 00:29:44,370 --> 00:29:47,270 No , thank you . 801 00:29:48,390 --> 00:29:50,900 So we know retaining female leaders is 802 00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:53,230 a key readiness issue . How can the 803 00:29:53,230 --> 00:29:56,310 department converge and work jointly to 804 00:29:56,310 --> 00:29:58,100 improve command climate and 805 00:29:58,110 --> 00:30:00,560 particularly how do we integrate the 806 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:02,671 gains that we've made in our people ? 807 00:30:02,671 --> 00:30:04,630 Priorities into readiness or 808 00:30:04,630 --> 00:30:06,963 conceptions of readiness ? Yes , I mean , 809 00:30:06,963 --> 00:30:10,150 I I , I absolutely think we need to 810 00:30:10,150 --> 00:30:12,540 understand and I think good leaders 811 00:30:12,540 --> 00:30:14,707 already do throughout the department . 812 00:30:14,707 --> 00:30:17,860 Um That readiness is about , you know , 813 00:30:17,870 --> 00:30:21,020 in the , in the fire , you trust who's 814 00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:23,131 on your left and your , who's on your 815 00:30:23,131 --> 00:30:25,187 right ? And you can operate together 816 00:30:25,187 --> 00:30:27,353 effectively as a unit , right ? And to 817 00:30:27,353 --> 00:30:29,353 operate effectively as a unit , you 818 00:30:29,353 --> 00:30:31,298 have to again trust each other and 819 00:30:31,298 --> 00:30:33,520 building that trust is what this is all 820 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,960 about . If we're gonna have the , the 821 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,860 advantages that we can from the U S 822 00:30:38,860 --> 00:30:40,860 workforce . And us , we have a huge 823 00:30:40,860 --> 00:30:43,193 demographics advantage over competitors . 824 00:30:43,193 --> 00:30:44,804 We've actually tap into that 825 00:30:44,804 --> 00:30:46,971 demographic , women is focused today . 826 00:30:46,971 --> 00:30:49,138 Um There are lots of other demographic 827 00:30:49,138 --> 00:30:51,304 factors we have to be thinking about . 828 00:30:51,304 --> 00:30:53,304 So we want to tap into the broadest 829 00:30:53,304 --> 00:30:55,527 possible pool , right ? That means when 830 00:30:55,527 --> 00:30:57,416 you're building a team out of the 831 00:30:57,416 --> 00:30:59,416 broadest possible pool , there's so 832 00:30:59,416 --> 00:30:59,160 much opportunity in that because we 833 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,327 already have plenty of business school 834 00:31:01,327 --> 00:31:03,382 research that tells us diverse teams 835 00:31:03,382 --> 00:31:05,327 are stronger teams , they give you 836 00:31:05,327 --> 00:31:07,493 better outcomes , better investments , 837 00:31:07,493 --> 00:31:06,960 better , every better decision making 838 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,130 lots of study on that . But you have to 839 00:31:10,130 --> 00:31:13,680 then of course , go through the part of 840 00:31:13,690 --> 00:31:15,690 building readiness that is building 841 00:31:15,690 --> 00:31:18,430 that diversity into a team . So as I 842 00:31:18,430 --> 00:31:20,152 said , I do think good leaders 843 00:31:20,152 --> 00:31:22,208 throughout the department understand 844 00:31:22,208 --> 00:31:24,263 that and have long understood that . 845 00:31:24,263 --> 00:31:26,374 But we have challenges and it's about 846 00:31:26,374 --> 00:31:29,270 making sure that we continue to advance 847 00:31:29,270 --> 00:31:31,660 leaders who have that mentality . There 848 00:31:31,660 --> 00:31:33,882 are initiatives underway throughout the 849 00:31:33,882 --> 00:31:36,049 department . I will point to one which 850 00:31:36,049 --> 00:31:39,210 is the army has a evaluation approach 851 00:31:39,210 --> 00:31:41,321 they are using now now for officers . 852 00:31:41,321 --> 00:31:44,420 Um And uh it's been adopted in some 853 00:31:44,420 --> 00:31:46,476 ways by some of the other services , 854 00:31:46,476 --> 00:31:48,809 their versions of this and the services , 855 00:31:48,809 --> 00:31:50,976 but they are looking more holistically 856 00:31:50,976 --> 00:31:52,698 at leadership capabilities and 857 00:31:52,698 --> 00:31:56,020 capacities . Um so that we indeed are 858 00:31:56,020 --> 00:31:58,242 advancing leaders who understand how to 859 00:31:58,242 --> 00:32:00,610 make the most out of , of a unit and 860 00:32:00,610 --> 00:32:03,920 that is readiness . Well , I think 861 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,253 that's all we have time for , for today . 862 00:32:06,253 --> 00:32:08,420 I'm personally thankful that you ma'am 863 00:32:08,420 --> 00:32:10,698 had to answer those questions about me . 864 00:32:10,698 --> 00:32:12,864 Thank you so much for taking your time 865 00:32:12,864 --> 00:32:14,920 to celebrate today and thank you all 866 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:16,476 for being here to celebrate 867 00:32:16,476 --> 00:32:16,410 International Women's Happy 868 00:32:16,410 --> 00:32:18,354 International Women's Day . Thanks 869 00:32:18,354 --> 00:32:20,577 everybody . Thank you . Appreciate it . 870 00:32:20,577 --> 00:32:21,710 Thanks so much .