WEBVTT 00:01.779 --> 00:03.779 All right . Well , good afternoon , 00:03.779 --> 00:05.835 everyone . Thanks very much for your 00:05.835 --> 00:07.835 patience . Uh for the delayed start 00:07.835 --> 00:10.439 time today . Just a couple of things 00:10.449 --> 00:12.393 here at the top and then we'll get 00:12.393 --> 00:14.393 right to your questions . As you're 00:14.393 --> 00:16.449 aware , Iran conducted a significant 00:16.450 --> 00:18.739 attack against Israel today , launching 00:18.750 --> 00:21.540 approximately 200 ballistic missiles 00:21.629 --> 00:24.120 targeting several locations in Israel . 00:24.569 --> 00:26.625 We condemn these reckless attacks by 00:26.625 --> 00:28.680 Iran and we call on Iran to halt any 00:28.680 --> 00:30.625 further attacks including from its 00:30.625 --> 00:33.090 proxy forces during the attack . The US 00:33.099 --> 00:35.266 military co ordinated closely with the 00:35.266 --> 00:37.377 Israeli defense forces to help defend 00:37.377 --> 00:39.939 Israel . US navy destroyers deployed to 00:39.950 --> 00:42.006 the Middle East region supported the 00:42.006 --> 00:43.561 defense of Israel by firing 00:43.561 --> 00:45.506 approximately a dozen interceptors 00:45.506 --> 00:47.728 against the incoming Iranian missiles . 00:47.728 --> 00:49.783 Initial reports indicate that Israel 00:49.783 --> 00:51.894 was able to intercept the majority of 00:51.894 --> 00:53.950 incoming missiles and that there was 00:53.950 --> 00:56.117 minimal damage on the ground , but I'd 00:56.117 --> 00:58.172 refer you to Israel for confirmation 00:58.172 --> 01:00.394 and any questions on that is there in a 01:00.394 --> 01:02.394 better position to discuss ? Please 01:02.394 --> 01:04.394 note that we're still assessing the 01:04.394 --> 01:06.450 attack and the outcomes . So numbers 01:06.450 --> 01:08.394 may change as we receive updates . 01:08.394 --> 01:10.506 Additionally , no , us personnel were 01:10.506 --> 01:12.561 injured or harmed during the Iranian 01:12.561 --> 01:14.561 missile attack . Secretary Austin , 01:14.561 --> 01:16.783 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , 01:16.783 --> 01:18.950 General CQ Brown Junior and US Central 01:18.950 --> 01:18.550 Command , Commander General Eric 01:18.569 --> 01:20.680 Carilla have been in constant contact 01:20.800 --> 01:23.022 with President Biden and Vice President 01:23.022 --> 01:25.244 Harris throughout the day to consult on 01:25.244 --> 01:27.400 the situation and us actions . In 01:27.410 --> 01:29.632 addition to his phone call earlier this 01:29.632 --> 01:31.466 morning with Israeli Minister of 01:31.466 --> 01:33.632 Defense Gallant . Prior to the Iranian 01:33.632 --> 01:35.688 attack , Secretary , Austin spoke to 01:35.688 --> 01:37.799 the minister again just a short while 01:37.799 --> 01:39.854 ago to get an update , he reaffirmed 01:39.854 --> 01:42.021 the United states' ironclad commitment 01:42.021 --> 01:43.632 to the defense of Israel and 01:43.632 --> 01:45.688 underscored that the US remains well 01:45.688 --> 01:45.470 postured throughout the Middle East 01:45.480 --> 01:48.540 region to protect us forces and defend 01:48.550 --> 01:50.779 Israel in the face of threats from Iran 01:50.849 --> 01:53.182 and Iran backed terrorist organizations . 01:53.309 --> 01:55.531 We'll provide a readout of that call as 01:55.531 --> 01:57.839 soon as possible to be crystal clear as 01:57.849 --> 02:00.250 Secretary Austin has said , should Iran 02:00.260 --> 02:02.849 its partners or its proxies use this 02:02.860 --> 02:05.027 moment to target American personnel or 02:05.027 --> 02:07.082 interests in the region ? The United 02:07.082 --> 02:08.916 States will take every necessary 02:08.916 --> 02:10.860 measure to defend our people . And 02:10.860 --> 02:12.860 separately , I do have an update to 02:12.860 --> 02:14.860 provide on dod support to hurricane 02:14.860 --> 02:16.804 Helene response efforts , but I'll 02:16.804 --> 02:18.971 provide that at the end . Uh with that 02:18.971 --> 02:21.027 happy to take your questions . We'll 02:21.027 --> 02:23.193 start with a PT thanks General Ryder . 02:23.193 --> 02:25.304 Um What navy destroyers were involved 02:25.304 --> 02:27.750 in helping shoot down an intercept and 02:27.759 --> 02:31.759 given this escalation ? Um What's being 02:31.770 --> 02:33.990 communicated between Secretary Austin 02:34.000 --> 02:36.222 and Minister Gallant right now in terms 02:36.222 --> 02:37.833 of tampering things down and 02:37.833 --> 02:40.500 potentially avoiding a wider war . Um 02:40.509 --> 02:42.380 So the , the two navy destroyers 02:42.389 --> 02:45.660 involved were the US S um Bly and the 02:45.669 --> 02:48.369 US S coal . Uh in terms of the , the 02:48.380 --> 02:50.990 conversations between Secretary Austin 02:51.000 --> 02:53.222 and Minister Gla you know , I won't get 02:53.222 --> 02:55.460 into , uh you know , the , the private 02:55.470 --> 02:57.637 discussions other than to say , we are 02:57.637 --> 02:59.779 consulting closely with them on next 02:59.789 --> 03:02.350 steps and the continued defense of 03:02.360 --> 03:04.850 Israel . And then are there any plans 03:04.860 --> 03:08.009 underway to conduct a neo given the 03:08.020 --> 03:10.679 increased risk of a wider war ? Um 03:10.690 --> 03:12.801 Right now , uh there , there has been 03:12.801 --> 03:15.589 no order to evacuate as you've heard us 03:15.600 --> 03:17.322 say before . We are a planning 03:17.322 --> 03:19.433 organization . So we of course , plan 03:19.433 --> 03:21.830 for all contingencies . But as of right 03:21.839 --> 03:23.839 now , uh , state department has not 03:23.839 --> 03:25.950 called for an evacuation . Jennifer , 03:25.950 --> 03:27.950 should we assume that the SM threes 03:27.950 --> 03:30.172 were used by the coal in the Bulkley to 03:30.172 --> 03:32.539 shoot down or to intercept the missiles ? 03:33.169 --> 03:35.336 I'm not going to get into the specific 03:35.336 --> 03:37.447 type of ordinance . Other than to say 03:37.447 --> 03:40.634 again , they fired a dozen interceptors 03:40.675 --> 03:44.285 and Iran said that they gave a heads up 03:44.294 --> 03:47.225 to the US and to Russia . How much 03:47.235 --> 03:49.705 warning were you given by Iran ? I'm 03:49.714 --> 03:53.460 not aware of any pre warning by 03:53.470 --> 03:55.740 Iran uh about their potential attack . 03:55.750 --> 03:57.861 As you know , this is something we've 03:57.861 --> 04:00.194 been following very closely for a while , 04:00.194 --> 04:03.330 uh based on the threats of retaliation 04:03.339 --> 04:06.130 by Iran . And so we've been closely 04:06.139 --> 04:09.490 consulting with Israel uh for a while 04:09.500 --> 04:11.520 now , to be prepared uh in the 04:11.529 --> 04:13.862 eventuality . And as today demonstrated , 04:13.869 --> 04:16.100 uh we were prepared uh and we were able 04:16.109 --> 04:18.299 to successfully work alongside Israel 04:18.309 --> 04:20.420 to defend them from this attack . Let 04:20.420 --> 04:22.799 me go to car . Thanks , Pat . You said 04:22.809 --> 04:24.920 that the destroyers shot down Iranian 04:24.920 --> 04:27.031 missiles . Where did they come from ? 04:27.031 --> 04:29.253 Were they all from inside Iran ? Or was 04:29.253 --> 04:31.420 some also from Yemen being shot by the 04:31.420 --> 04:33.420 Houthis Carla to my knowledge . And 04:33.420 --> 04:35.476 again , we're still assessing this , 04:35.476 --> 04:37.365 these were all launched from Iran 04:37.365 --> 04:39.531 ballistic missiles and what I said was 04:39.531 --> 04:43.149 that they fired the interceptors 04:44.410 --> 04:47.079 towards those missiles . And then were 04:47.089 --> 04:50.070 any other us assets involved in this 04:50.079 --> 04:52.246 defense ? Of course , we have a lot of 04:52.246 --> 04:54.246 capability in the region , a lot of 04:54.246 --> 04:56.301 things that are there to be prepared 04:56.301 --> 04:58.468 for a wide variety of threats , but in 04:58.468 --> 05:00.246 terms of the launching of these 05:00.246 --> 05:02.023 interceptors , it was those two 05:02.023 --> 05:04.135 destroyers . So just being clear , no 05:04.135 --> 05:06.301 ground based interceptors were used in 05:06.301 --> 05:08.679 this . Were the , were you aware of any 05:08.690 --> 05:10.857 duds that didn't fire off that ? Maybe 05:10.857 --> 05:12.746 Iran wanted to fire more than the 05:12.746 --> 05:14.968 roughly 200 as I mentioned , you know , 05:14.968 --> 05:17.023 we're still assessing the outcome of 05:17.023 --> 05:19.023 the attack . And so we'll have much 05:19.023 --> 05:21.190 more information later . But these are 05:21.190 --> 05:23.357 all , you know , our initial reports . 05:23.357 --> 05:25.412 And then on the second call with the 05:25.412 --> 05:27.634 Secretary and Minister Gallant , did he 05:27.634 --> 05:29.468 urge Israel not to respond or to 05:29.468 --> 05:31.523 moderate any response to Iran or did 05:31.523 --> 05:33.412 Israel share Gallant share any of 05:33.420 --> 05:35.587 Israeli intentions for their potential 05:35.587 --> 05:37.698 response here ? Well , again , as I'm 05:37.698 --> 05:39.864 sure you can appreciate , I'm just not 05:39.864 --> 05:41.698 going to be able to get into the 05:41.698 --> 05:43.809 details of their call , other than to 05:43.809 --> 05:45.864 say again , we're consulting closely 05:45.864 --> 05:47.809 about next steps and the continued 05:47.809 --> 05:49.920 defense of Israel . What is , what is 05:49.920 --> 05:51.753 Secretary Austin think about the 05:51.753 --> 05:54.031 potential for an Israeli response here ? 05:54.031 --> 05:56.220 He would , he urge them without saying 05:56.230 --> 05:58.397 what he said in the call necessarily ? 05:58.397 --> 06:00.397 But what are his feelings about the 06:00.397 --> 06:00.049 potential ? Would he urge them 06:00.059 --> 06:02.337 restrained or ? Well , look , you know , 06:02.337 --> 06:04.559 if you take a step back here , we fully 06:04.559 --> 06:06.892 support Israel's right to defend itself . 06:06.892 --> 06:08.850 You just saw , you know , very 06:08.859 --> 06:11.649 significant ballistic missile attack by 06:11.660 --> 06:14.670 Iran against Israel . Uh And so , you 06:14.679 --> 06:16.901 know , we'll continue to work alongside 06:16.901 --> 06:19.850 them to support their defense . We of 06:19.859 --> 06:22.040 course , do not want to see a wider 06:22.049 --> 06:24.271 regional conflict . You've heard us say 06:24.271 --> 06:26.382 that many times and we'll continue to 06:26.382 --> 06:28.382 work towards that end , but we also 06:28.382 --> 06:30.605 fully understand the fact that this was 06:30.605 --> 06:32.809 a significant attack by Iran . And so 06:32.820 --> 06:34.764 we're going to continue to consult 06:34.764 --> 06:36.931 closely and we're going to continue to 06:36.931 --> 06:38.987 support their defense . Let me go to 06:38.987 --> 06:41.042 Laura . Thank you . Just a couple of 06:41.042 --> 06:43.209 clarifications and you say that the US 06:43.209 --> 06:45.431 destroyers had intercepted or shot down 06:45.431 --> 06:47.598 the missiles or just that they fired , 06:47.598 --> 06:49.431 they fired approximately a dozen 06:49.431 --> 06:51.320 interceptors against the incoming 06:51.320 --> 06:53.431 Iranian missiles . And were there any 06:53.431 --> 06:55.670 us aircraft that sent that shot 06:55.679 --> 06:58.329 interceptors at what I've read out is 06:58.339 --> 07:00.450 what participated in the defense of . 07:00.450 --> 07:03.734 And just one more . Can you say if 07:03.774 --> 07:05.552 there were any drones or cruise 07:05.552 --> 07:07.496 missiles that were involved in the 07:07.496 --> 07:09.385 still assessing it right now , it 07:09.385 --> 07:11.552 appears it was ballistic missiles , no 07:11.552 --> 07:13.718 drones . But again , we'll continue to 07:13.718 --> 07:15.830 assess , let me go to Joseph and then 07:15.830 --> 07:17.996 we'll come here , just want to turn to 07:17.996 --> 07:20.163 the Israeli invasion in Lebanon . Um , 07:20.163 --> 07:22.163 For the past couple of months , the 07:22.163 --> 07:24.052 Department and the secretary have 07:24.052 --> 07:26.163 called for deescalating . Um You guys 07:26.163 --> 07:28.107 have voiced your opposition to any 07:28.107 --> 07:30.163 ground incursion invasions , limited 07:30.163 --> 07:34.040 operations after we found out that 07:34.049 --> 07:36.359 the Israeli strike last week killed the 07:36.470 --> 07:38.950 Hezbollah chief Kano . It seems like 07:39.010 --> 07:41.679 the tone changed from the statements 07:41.690 --> 07:43.801 last night . The department secretary 07:43.801 --> 07:45.746 said they supported what Israel is 07:45.746 --> 07:48.440 doing . So , so what changed for , for , 07:48.450 --> 07:50.506 for a change in that tone ? And that 07:50.506 --> 07:52.617 stands from the department ? Yeah , I 07:52.617 --> 07:54.839 think uh the , the biggest thing Joseph 07:54.839 --> 07:57.329 is , um we fully support Israel's right 07:57.339 --> 07:59.619 to defend itself against Hezbollah as 07:59.630 --> 08:01.574 we understand it . Uh They will be 08:01.574 --> 08:04.200 conducting limited operations to 08:04.209 --> 08:06.220 destroy Hezbollah infrastructure . 08:06.230 --> 08:08.450 That's a raid along the border there 08:08.459 --> 08:10.626 that could be used to threaten Israeli 08:10.626 --> 08:13.100 citizens . And so , uh we're continuing 08:13.109 --> 08:15.350 to consult with the Israelis to , to 08:15.359 --> 08:17.581 better understand how they intend to go 08:17.581 --> 08:19.748 forward . Obviously , I'd refer you to 08:19.748 --> 08:22.026 them to talk uh or ask questions about , 08:22.026 --> 08:23.970 you know , details regarding those 08:23.970 --> 08:26.192 operations . Um But you know , we fully 08:26.192 --> 08:28.410 understand uh as part of their overall 08:28.420 --> 08:31.029 efforts to return people home uh that 08:31.040 --> 08:33.151 they do need to address those threats 08:33.151 --> 08:35.207 that are along the border there . Uh 08:35.207 --> 08:37.318 And so , um all that to say , we will 08:37.318 --> 08:39.429 continue to consult with the Israelis 08:39.429 --> 08:41.540 and other partners in the region . Uh 08:41.540 --> 08:43.630 Long term about how we can uh 08:43.640 --> 08:46.710 ultimately deescalated those tensions 08:46.719 --> 08:49.650 and get to a cease fire . Have they 08:49.659 --> 08:51.826 asked for any help from you guys doing 08:51.826 --> 08:53.937 whatever it is they want to do ? No . 08:54.159 --> 08:57.190 Yes , sir . Uh Were the United States 08:57.200 --> 08:59.500 uh surprised by the scale of the 08:59.510 --> 09:02.140 Iranian attack on Israel ? Well , look 09:02.150 --> 09:04.094 like I said before . Um we've been 09:04.094 --> 09:07.049 monitoring this for a while . Uh Iran 09:07.059 --> 09:09.679 had been very public about its threats 09:09.690 --> 09:12.690 to retaliate . Uh And so it's , it's 09:12.700 --> 09:14.867 something that we've been monitoring . 09:14.867 --> 09:17.089 Uh Certainly this was a , a significant 09:17.089 --> 09:19.450 attack , uh probably about twice the , 09:19.460 --> 09:22.590 the size in terms of scope of what we 09:22.599 --> 09:24.809 saw earlier . Um But again , we're 09:24.820 --> 09:26.987 still assessing the outcomes of this . 09:26.987 --> 09:29.042 Uh And , and as I highlighted at the 09:29.042 --> 09:30.987 top , uh we certainly condemn this 09:30.987 --> 09:33.042 reckless attack , this direct attack 09:33.042 --> 09:35.209 against Israel and we will continue to 09:35.209 --> 09:37.153 support Israel's defense . Several 09:37.153 --> 09:39.450 Israeli leaders spoke about a response 09:39.460 --> 09:42.590 tonight . Israeli response tonight to 09:42.599 --> 09:45.580 this attack , including some , not just 09:45.590 --> 09:47.630 Iran , some other Middle Eastern 09:47.690 --> 09:51.580 countries . Will the United 09:51.590 --> 09:54.039 States be assisting the Israelis in the 09:54.049 --> 09:56.090 respond ? Well , I'm not gonna 09:56.140 --> 09:58.330 speculate about hypotheticals . I'd 09:58.340 --> 10:00.673 refer you to the Israelis to talk about , 10:00.673 --> 10:03.570 you know , will the Americans help them 10:03.580 --> 10:05.747 with ? Well , what you're asking me is 10:05.747 --> 10:07.913 if they're going to do something . And 10:07.913 --> 10:09.913 what I'm saying is I'm not going to 10:09.913 --> 10:12.191 speculate about what or if they may do . 10:12.191 --> 10:14.358 Uh as I highlighted to several of your 10:14.358 --> 10:14.299 colleagues , we're consulting closely 10:14.309 --> 10:16.253 with the Israelis in terms of next 10:16.253 --> 10:18.309 steps uh with the emphasis being the 10:18.309 --> 10:20.420 defense of Israel . So let me go this 10:20.420 --> 10:23.919 side of the room or uh essentially a 10:23.929 --> 10:25.985 follow up to that question is the us 10:25.985 --> 10:28.096 willing to strike Iran in response to 10:28.096 --> 10:30.207 this ? Are you , are you putting that 10:30.207 --> 10:32.207 on or off the table ? Well , look , 10:32.207 --> 10:34.429 Arnett again , I don't want to get into 10:34.429 --> 10:33.840 hypotheticals . I think I was very 10:33.849 --> 10:37.580 clear at the top uh that should uh us 10:37.590 --> 10:39.739 forces be targeted by Iran or its 10:39.750 --> 10:41.917 proxies . We will take necessary steps 10:41.917 --> 10:43.861 to defend our people . And I think 10:43.861 --> 10:45.972 we've also been very clear that we're 10:45.972 --> 10:48.619 going to uh support uh the defense of 10:48.630 --> 10:50.960 Israel . And so not going to get into 10:51.530 --> 10:54.419 theoretical or speculative operations 10:54.429 --> 10:57.010 at this stage . Other than to say , you 10:57.020 --> 10:59.131 know , we mean what we say and we say 10:59.131 --> 11:01.131 what we mean . And then a follow up 11:01.131 --> 11:03.242 question , Iran claims to have used a 11:03.242 --> 11:05.409 new Qatar missile which is supposed to 11:05.409 --> 11:07.631 be a hypersonic ballistic missile . Can 11:07.631 --> 11:09.853 you assess whether they did use new and 11:09.853 --> 11:11.909 advanced weaponry in this attack and 11:11.909 --> 11:13.909 whether they learned from the April 11:13.909 --> 11:16.131 attack Uh again , we're still assessing 11:16.131 --> 11:18.298 the attack and the outcomes . And so , 11:18.298 --> 11:17.929 you know , we may have more to provide 11:17.940 --> 11:20.162 later . Uh but I don't have anything on 11:20.162 --> 11:22.218 that right now . Dan , uh thanks for 11:22.218 --> 11:24.162 your time . I have two questions , 11:24.162 --> 11:26.051 please . Um On Secretary Austin's 11:26.051 --> 11:28.162 statement last night , he referred to 11:28.162 --> 11:30.989 uh being supportive of uh operations 11:31.000 --> 11:34.150 along the border . Uh Is he open to uh 11:34.159 --> 11:36.750 Israel using operations on both sides 11:36.760 --> 11:38.816 of the border along the border was a 11:38.816 --> 11:40.871 little vague there . Um Well , I , I 11:40.871 --> 11:43.299 think I'd go back to how I responded to 11:43.309 --> 11:46.400 Joseph , right . We understand uh and 11:46.409 --> 11:48.631 support Israel's right to defend itself 11:48.631 --> 11:50.798 against Hezbollah as we highlighted in 11:50.798 --> 11:52.909 the readout . We understand that part 11:52.909 --> 11:54.853 of that is dismantling some of the 11:54.853 --> 11:56.909 attack infrastructure that Hezbollah 11:56.909 --> 11:58.770 has built along the border . Uh 11:58.780 --> 12:00.836 Certainly , again , we don't want to 12:00.836 --> 12:03.058 see this , um you know , broaden into a 12:03.058 --> 12:04.891 wider regional conflict . But we 12:04.891 --> 12:07.058 understand again , uh that , that what 12:07.058 --> 12:09.539 Israel is doing are limited operations 12:09.549 --> 12:12.179 to destroy that attack infrastructure . 12:12.400 --> 12:15.099 Uh and then enable citizens on both 12:15.109 --> 12:18.119 sides of the border to , to return home . 12:18.309 --> 12:20.531 Um Ultimately , at the end of the day , 12:20.531 --> 12:22.198 we do think that a diplomatic 12:22.198 --> 12:24.309 resolution is the only way to achieve 12:24.309 --> 12:26.420 lasting stability and security across 12:26.420 --> 12:28.476 the Israel Lebanon border . So , you 12:28.476 --> 12:30.642 know , we're going to continue to work 12:30.642 --> 12:30.280 to that end . But we also again 12:30.289 --> 12:32.233 understand Israel's need to defend 12:32.233 --> 12:35.080 itself and then a follow uh the State 12:35.090 --> 12:37.659 Department read out a report on a 12:37.669 --> 12:41.520 attack on uh diplomatic facility at 12:41.530 --> 12:44.150 Baghdad airport last night . Um Have 12:44.159 --> 12:47.219 you seen any other attacks on us forces ? 12:47.229 --> 12:49.451 Uh , I guess since Friday , uh this one 12:49.451 --> 12:51.285 would seem to be on a diplomatic 12:51.285 --> 12:53.669 facility , but be it in the last day , 12:53.679 --> 12:55.901 particularly at this heightened time of 12:55.901 --> 12:58.012 tension or just broadly over the last 12:58.012 --> 13:00.346 couple of days ? Yeah , as of right now , 13:00.346 --> 13:02.679 I'm not aware of any additional attacks . 13:02.679 --> 13:05.909 Thanks sir . The Iron Dome , how 13:05.919 --> 13:07.969 effective is it against ballistic 13:07.979 --> 13:11.270 missiles ? And some of the televised 13:11.280 --> 13:13.390 images appeared to show some of them 13:13.400 --> 13:15.840 landing on infrastructure . Are you 13:15.849 --> 13:18.469 aware of that in general ? Was this 13:18.479 --> 13:20.750 attack more effective than the Iranian 13:20.760 --> 13:24.010 attack in April ? Again , understanding 13:24.020 --> 13:26.559 that a lot is still , you know , very 13:26.570 --> 13:28.909 initial as I highlighted initial 13:28.919 --> 13:31.086 indications are that there was minimal 13:31.086 --> 13:33.419 damage on the ground . Um You know , in 13:33.429 --> 13:35.429 terms of the specifics , though I'd 13:35.429 --> 13:37.540 have to refer you to Israel really to 13:37.540 --> 13:39.762 talk through that . And again , as more 13:39.762 --> 13:41.985 information comes in , uh we'll , we'll 13:41.985 --> 13:44.151 certainly know more but uh the initial 13:44.151 --> 13:46.262 assessment is that uh Israel was able 13:46.262 --> 13:48.929 to successfully defend itself . Uh of 13:48.940 --> 13:51.162 course , with the support from the US . 13:51.162 --> 13:53.450 Uh And so , um again , we may have more 13:53.460 --> 13:56.679 later on that Helene . Uh I uh thanks 13:56.690 --> 13:58.801 Pat , I just want to be clear because 13:58.801 --> 14:00.857 it seems like it's , we're at a very 14:00.857 --> 14:02.690 dangerous time where any kind of 14:02.690 --> 14:04.857 ambiguity from the US could lead to an 14:04.857 --> 14:07.080 attack on American troops . And when 14:07.090 --> 14:09.440 you say we , I I understand what you 14:09.450 --> 14:11.394 say that we're going to defend any 14:11.394 --> 14:13.339 attack at American troops . I also 14:13.339 --> 14:15.394 understand that no American that you 14:15.394 --> 14:17.672 said that no American troops were hurt . 14:17.672 --> 14:17.424 So therefore , are you saying the US is 14:17.434 --> 14:19.775 not planning on a kinetic strike 14:19.784 --> 14:21.895 against Iran ? Because right now when 14:21.895 --> 14:23.951 you say there will be consequences , 14:23.951 --> 14:26.062 all of that , you're leaving it vague 14:26.062 --> 14:28.284 and people don't understand and I wanna 14:28.284 --> 14:30.506 understand , are we going to be joining 14:30.506 --> 14:32.673 Israel in hitting back against Iran in 14:32.673 --> 14:34.979 a kinetic manner ? Yeah . So with all 14:34.989 --> 14:37.211 due respect , uh you're talking about a 14:37.211 --> 14:39.619 hypothetical future , right ? And 14:39.630 --> 14:42.219 presupposing what Israel may or may not 14:42.229 --> 14:44.451 do . So , I'm just not gonna talk about 14:44.630 --> 14:46.741 consequences . And Jake Sullivan said 14:46.741 --> 14:48.908 there will be consequences and I think 14:48.908 --> 14:50.963 broadly speaking , uh you know , the 14:50.963 --> 14:53.789 the US has been clear that uh there 14:53.799 --> 14:55.929 will be security , economic 14:55.940 --> 14:59.219 consequences uh should Iran attack . Um 14:59.229 --> 15:01.396 But I just don't have anything preview 15:01.396 --> 15:03.640 to preview um you know , specifically 15:03.650 --> 15:06.349 as it relates to that . Yes , sir . 15:06.760 --> 15:10.000 Thanks Pat , just to clarify . Um Did 15:10.010 --> 15:12.159 any us aircraft track any of the 15:12.169 --> 15:14.225 missiles either before the launch or 15:14.225 --> 15:16.058 during the attack , even if they 15:16.058 --> 15:18.058 weren't involved kinetically in the 15:18.058 --> 15:20.225 defense of Israel . So I won't go into 15:20.225 --> 15:22.447 specifics , Chris , other than to say , 15:22.447 --> 15:24.336 as you well know , we have a wide 15:24.336 --> 15:26.190 variety of , of ISR capabilities 15:26.200 --> 15:28.450 throughout the region to monitor and 15:28.460 --> 15:31.770 track uh potential aerial threats 15:32.070 --> 15:35.239 to include aircraft that do that . Um 15:35.250 --> 15:37.969 So I'll just leave it there . Ok , 15:38.229 --> 15:41.719 Charlie . Uh Thank you General . I know 15:41.729 --> 15:43.840 you said repeatedly that Iran doesn't 15:43.840 --> 15:45.919 telegraph these attacks yet . From 15:45.929 --> 15:48.096 early this morning , we were told that 15:48.096 --> 15:50.373 an attack would be imminent . So we're , 15:50.373 --> 15:52.540 we're getting some sort of information 15:52.540 --> 15:54.651 from somewhere based on whatever that 15:54.651 --> 15:56.849 was based on . Where does Iran stand 15:56.859 --> 15:59.849 now ? Is this just the first salvo from 15:59.859 --> 16:01.970 your assessment ? Are they positioned 16:01.970 --> 16:04.137 to go ahead and pull the trigger again 16:04.137 --> 16:06.359 at will ? Um , I mean , that's really a 16:06.359 --> 16:08.859 question for Iran . Um , you know , as 16:08.869 --> 16:11.619 evidenced by this attack . Um , you 16:11.630 --> 16:13.574 know , they certainly maintain the 16:13.574 --> 16:15.408 capability to conduct additional 16:15.408 --> 16:17.519 attacks as I highlighted at the top . 16:17.519 --> 16:19.352 Um , we call on them to halt any 16:19.352 --> 16:22.409 further attacks . Uh , and , um , you 16:22.419 --> 16:24.641 know , we'll continue to assess , we'll 16:24.641 --> 16:26.975 also continue to be prepared to respond , 16:26.975 --> 16:29.141 uh , in the defense of Israel . Should 16:29.141 --> 16:30.919 they opt to do another one ? We 16:30.919 --> 16:33.030 certainly hope that they do not , but 16:33.030 --> 16:35.030 we obviously have to be prepared in 16:35.030 --> 16:34.940 that eventuality . I just want to 16:34.950 --> 16:37.006 clarify . I think you said earlier , 16:37.006 --> 16:39.117 this is twice the size and scope from 16:39.117 --> 16:41.283 the attack of April 13th . Um , yeah , 16:41.283 --> 16:43.510 it's about twice as large . Uh , in 16:43.520 --> 16:45.520 terms of , uh , the , the number of 16:45.520 --> 16:47.631 ballistic missiles that they launched 16:47.631 --> 16:49.520 from the last was their intent to 16:49.520 --> 16:51.840 actually do damage this time . Well , 16:51.849 --> 16:54.071 you know , look , um , you don't launch 16:54.071 --> 16:56.840 that many missiles at a target without 16:56.849 --> 16:59.559 the intent of hitting something . So , 16:59.570 --> 17:02.320 absolutely , um just like the last time 17:02.489 --> 17:06.060 their intent is to uh cause destruction . 17:06.839 --> 17:10.250 And so fortunately , you know , Israel 17:10.260 --> 17:12.630 has very significant air defense 17:12.640 --> 17:14.529 capabilities and the US of course 17:14.529 --> 17:16.790 played a role in helping on that front 17:16.800 --> 17:18.911 as well . Thank you , Matt . Thanks , 17:18.911 --> 17:21.022 Pat . You said there have been no new 17:21.022 --> 17:23.078 attacks on us forces in the region , 17:23.078 --> 17:24.911 but is the department tracking a 17:24.911 --> 17:27.359 greater threat now to us forces ? And 17:27.369 --> 17:29.425 are you taking any extra measures on 17:29.425 --> 17:31.910 top of the recent plus ups you've done 17:31.920 --> 17:34.219 for force protection ? Well , Matt , I 17:34.229 --> 17:36.173 mean , we're as , you know , we're 17:36.173 --> 17:38.173 always taking force protection very 17:38.173 --> 17:40.285 seriously . Uh We're , we're all very 17:40.285 --> 17:42.396 well aware of the heightened tensions 17:42.396 --> 17:44.451 in the region and us central Command 17:44.451 --> 17:46.562 has been uh for a long time now , you 17:46.562 --> 17:48.340 know , constantly assessing and 17:48.340 --> 17:50.451 reassessing the threat to ensure that 17:50.451 --> 17:52.340 our forces are protected . Like I 17:52.340 --> 17:54.507 mentioned , I'm not aware as I come to 17:54.507 --> 17:56.396 the podium , I'm not aware of any 17:56.396 --> 17:58.618 additional attacks beyond the , the one 17:58.618 --> 18:00.673 that , um , that Dan mentioned , but 18:00.673 --> 18:02.785 it's something that we will obviously 18:02.785 --> 18:04.951 be , you know , keeping a close eye on 18:04.951 --> 18:07.118 to protect our forces . Were there any 18:07.118 --> 18:09.118 other nations other than the United 18:09.118 --> 18:11.062 States and Israel who took part in 18:11.062 --> 18:13.062 intercepting missiles or helping to 18:13.062 --> 18:15.396 track them or anything like that ? Yeah , 18:15.396 --> 18:17.618 I , I don't have anything to provide on 18:17.618 --> 18:19.840 that and obviously I wouldn't speak for 18:19.840 --> 18:21.896 other countries from here . Um , I'd 18:21.896 --> 18:24.118 like to ask you if you guys talk to the 18:24.118 --> 18:26.062 European allies and if you ask for 18:26.062 --> 18:28.285 military support in protecting Israel , 18:28.285 --> 18:30.550 in case of another attack from Israel 18:30.560 --> 18:33.060 or the proxies , or at the moment , 18:33.069 --> 18:35.219 it's only in the US , um , had been , 18:36.790 --> 18:38.512 well , I'll , I'll allow other 18:38.512 --> 18:40.790 countries to speak for themselves . Um , 18:40.790 --> 18:43.209 I will say , uh , and , and we'll put a 18:43.219 --> 18:45.497 read out on this , uh , this afternoon . 18:45.497 --> 18:47.608 Uh , You know , as soon as we're done 18:47.608 --> 18:49.441 here , the secretary did have an 18:49.441 --> 18:51.330 opportunity to talk to his French 18:51.330 --> 18:53.441 counterpart earlier this morning just 18:53.441 --> 18:55.386 to talk about the situation in the 18:55.386 --> 18:57.275 Middle East . This was before the 18:57.275 --> 18:59.530 Iranian attack occurred . Um And so , 19:00.140 --> 19:01.807 you know , we'll get that out 19:01.807 --> 19:03.918 momentarily broadly speaking though , 19:03.918 --> 19:06.239 again , you know , um in terms of uh 19:06.250 --> 19:10.239 any European uh uh co ordination 19:10.250 --> 19:12.139 or co-operation with Israel , I , 19:12.139 --> 19:13.979 that's really for uh individual 19:13.989 --> 19:16.211 countries to talk to . I won't speak to 19:16.211 --> 19:18.156 them . Let me go to the phone real 19:18.156 --> 19:20.378 quick before I get in trouble . Uh task 19:20.378 --> 19:22.545 and purpose , Jeff Shole . Thank you . 19:22.545 --> 19:24.545 Um I understand that the destroyers 19:24.545 --> 19:27.239 fired about a dozen interceptors . Did 19:27.250 --> 19:30.520 they hit any of the missiles ? If so , 19:30.530 --> 19:33.079 how many ? Yeah , thanks Jeff . Um So 19:33.089 --> 19:35.089 again , we're uh as you highlight , 19:35.089 --> 19:37.256 they fired the interceptors , uh we're 19:37.256 --> 19:39.650 still assessing uh again , outcomes of 19:39.660 --> 19:42.319 that . So I , I can't really uh I , I 19:42.329 --> 19:44.329 just don't have more information to 19:44.329 --> 19:46.551 provide at this time . Ok . Let me go . 19:46.551 --> 19:49.439 To uh heather uh from us and I , hi , 19:49.449 --> 19:51.671 thank you so much . Um So you mentioned 19:51.671 --> 19:53.671 that the United States has the um , 19:53.671 --> 19:57.359 ability and intent to respond if any of 19:57.369 --> 19:59.619 its um , service members are attacked 19:59.859 --> 20:02.640 uh over on Friday , you had three US 20:02.650 --> 20:04.817 destroyer or sorry , two US destroyers 20:04.817 --> 20:06.928 and A L CS come under attack from the 20:06.928 --> 20:08.872 Houthis . It doesn't , which is an 20:08.872 --> 20:10.983 Iranian proxy group . So , would that 20:10.983 --> 20:12.928 give , you know , is there any , I 20:12.928 --> 20:14.817 guess any intention to launch any 20:14.817 --> 20:16.872 attacks in response to those service 20:16.872 --> 20:19.094 members coming under attack ? Um Well , 20:19.094 --> 20:21.261 you know , first of all , uh heather , 20:21.261 --> 20:23.261 uh as you are aware , um you know , 20:23.261 --> 20:25.094 there , there were no us service 20:25.094 --> 20:27.949 members uh injured uh in , in any of 20:27.959 --> 20:30.339 those attacks . And as always , we will 20:30.349 --> 20:32.349 respond appropriately at a time and 20:32.349 --> 20:34.349 place of our choosing , but I'm not 20:34.349 --> 20:36.571 going to telegraph , uh or , you know , 20:36.571 --> 20:38.589 speculate on any uh punches at this 20:38.599 --> 20:40.710 time . All right . And Patrick Tucker 20:40.710 --> 20:44.099 defense one . Hey , uh yeah , thanks 20:44.109 --> 20:45.720 for doing this . So , on the 20:45.720 --> 20:47.553 announcement of three additional 20:47.849 --> 20:51.030 aircraft , uh squadrons , uh F F-15s 20:51.040 --> 20:54.829 F-16s A tens . Uh they used , I presume 20:54.839 --> 20:56.895 that they weren't involved in any of 20:56.895 --> 20:58.895 the interception activity . Can you 20:58.895 --> 21:01.061 talk a little bit about um why they're 21:01.061 --> 21:00.880 there and , and what role they might 21:00.890 --> 21:02.779 fill now in terms of enhancing uh 21:02.779 --> 21:04.946 security for us forces in the region ? 21:05.619 --> 21:07.730 Yeah , absolutely . Well , you know , 21:07.730 --> 21:09.897 as we've been highlighting for a while 21:09.897 --> 21:11.563 uh we have a robust amount of 21:11.563 --> 21:13.619 capability uh in the central command 21:13.619 --> 21:16.449 and us , us European command uh regions . 21:16.800 --> 21:18.856 Uh and , and what those capabilities 21:18.856 --> 21:22.520 provide us uh is uh versatility uh in 21:22.530 --> 21:26.520 terms of uh responding to a variety of 21:26.530 --> 21:29.239 contingencies . Uh And so , you know , 21:29.250 --> 21:31.472 basically having the right tools in the 21:31.479 --> 21:33.560 tool kit to be able to respond 21:33.569 --> 21:37.349 appropriately uh to any type of attack 21:37.359 --> 21:40.290 uh or contingency situation . And so uh 21:40.300 --> 21:43.750 a as you well know , pat uh fighter 21:43.760 --> 21:46.819 aircraft uh can , can perform uh a 21:46.829 --> 21:49.609 variety of missions uh to include uh 21:49.619 --> 21:52.180 taking down drones , uh taking down 21:52.189 --> 21:54.078 missiles , uh particular kinds of 21:54.078 --> 21:56.979 missiles , uh as well as um you know , 21:56.989 --> 22:00.359 providing uh ISR uh electronic 22:00.369 --> 22:03.790 warfare uh and uh types of capabilities . 22:03.949 --> 22:06.130 So all of this comes together to 22:06.140 --> 22:08.729 provide us with options on how best to 22:08.739 --> 22:11.650 respond to any type of attack uh and to 22:11.660 --> 22:13.771 protect our forces . Let me come back 22:13.771 --> 22:15.938 to the room here . Yes , ma'am . Thank 22:15.938 --> 22:18.829 you general first on Iran after today's 22:18.839 --> 22:21.640 attack . And the expected response from 22:21.650 --> 22:24.569 Israel is the assessment at the 22:24.579 --> 22:26.979 Pentagon still that the situation in 22:26.989 --> 22:29.189 the Middle East still under control ? 22:29.569 --> 22:33.150 Uh And we're not in all out war yet . 22:33.510 --> 22:36.150 And the second question on Lebanon , 22:37.020 --> 22:39.560 excuse me , uh what's your 22:39.569 --> 22:42.599 understanding to what Israel is calling 22:42.609 --> 22:45.719 limited ground operations or incursion ? 22:45.979 --> 22:49.520 Um Is it limited by like in time in 22:49.530 --> 22:53.239 scope ? How do you see this ? Um So in 22:53.250 --> 22:55.306 terms of your first question , uh as 22:55.306 --> 22:57.528 you know , we've been working very hard 22:57.528 --> 22:59.472 from the beginning uh to prevent a 22:59.472 --> 23:01.806 wider regional conflict . Certainly the , 23:01.806 --> 23:03.917 the type of aggressive action that we 23:03.917 --> 23:06.020 saw by Iran today uh makes that more 23:06.030 --> 23:09.119 challenging . Um But that continues to 23:09.130 --> 23:11.297 remain our focus and remain , our goal 23:11.297 --> 23:13.630 is to prevent a wider regional conflict . 23:13.630 --> 23:15.797 And so we'll continue to stay uh laser 23:15.797 --> 23:18.140 focused on that . Um in terms of 23:18.150 --> 23:19.983 Israel's operations , again , uh 23:19.989 --> 23:22.045 they're in the best position to , to 23:22.045 --> 23:23.545 answer questions . But our 23:23.545 --> 23:25.719 understanding uh in consulting with 23:25.729 --> 23:28.339 them is that again , these will be uh 23:28.349 --> 23:31.520 limited operations focused uh on 23:31.530 --> 23:34.089 dismantling uh facilities that 23:34.160 --> 23:36.382 Hezbollah has built along the border to 23:36.382 --> 23:39.939 stage attacks into Israel . Uh And so , 23:39.949 --> 23:42.005 you know , part of those discussions 23:42.005 --> 23:44.910 again have been focused on , um you 23:44.920 --> 23:47.589 know , making sure that um there's an 23:47.599 --> 23:50.790 understanding as far as um uh 23:50.800 --> 23:54.030 potential mission creep . Uh And so , 23:54.040 --> 23:56.430 uh a as it relates to the , the broader 23:56.439 --> 23:58.661 tensions in the region , uh But again , 23:58.661 --> 24:00.495 we support their right to defend 24:00.495 --> 24:02.709 themselves from Hezbollah attacks . Uh 24:02.719 --> 24:04.552 And so we'll , we'll continue to 24:04.552 --> 24:06.386 consult with them on that , as I 24:06.386 --> 24:08.441 mentioned . Wa ultimately , uh we do 24:08.441 --> 24:10.663 believe that a diplomatic resolution is 24:10.663 --> 24:12.699 the only way to uh achieve lasting 24:12.709 --> 24:15.069 stability and security there to few 24:15.079 --> 24:18.459 more . Phil , a couple small questions . 24:18.469 --> 24:20.910 One is why weren't uh land based air 24:20.920 --> 24:23.420 defenses used ? And , and did you find 24:23.430 --> 24:25.541 that you had uh did the United States 24:25.541 --> 24:27.708 have fewer partners in trying to knock 24:27.708 --> 24:29.979 down these uh Iranian missiles this 24:29.989 --> 24:33.079 time than I did . Uh , in April , um I , 24:33.089 --> 24:35.459 I would compare it to a pallet . Phil , 24:35.469 --> 24:39.030 you're gonna use uh the , the , you 24:39.040 --> 24:41.280 know , capability uh that you need to 24:41.290 --> 24:43.780 respond to a particular situation . So , 24:43.790 --> 24:47.339 you know , I mean , um , as evidenced 24:47.349 --> 24:49.460 by the fact that that our forces were 24:49.460 --> 24:52.199 able to so quickly support uh Israel's 24:52.209 --> 24:54.920 defense . Uh we have a wide range of 24:54.930 --> 24:56.930 capabilities , a raid to be able to 24:56.930 --> 24:59.041 respond to whatever those threats may 24:59.041 --> 25:01.374 be in the most appropriate way possible . 25:01.374 --> 25:03.479 So it's less about the platform and 25:03.489 --> 25:05.711 it's more about the capability . Uh And 25:05.711 --> 25:08.439 so again , we still maintain a robust 25:08.449 --> 25:10.671 capability to be able to respond to any 25:10.671 --> 25:12.838 potential future threats as well . And 25:12.838 --> 25:15.060 I just want to follow up on what he was 25:15.060 --> 25:17.060 asking , which was important in the 25:17.060 --> 25:19.060 sense . I think you said a red line 25:19.060 --> 25:21.005 that if Iran or its forces were to 25:21.005 --> 25:23.171 attack us troops , there would be a US 25:23.171 --> 25:25.393 response against Iran . At least that's 25:25.393 --> 25:27.560 what it sounded like you were saying . 25:27.560 --> 25:29.782 Is that , is that correct ? What I said 25:29.782 --> 25:32.005 is it should be very clear that if Iran 25:32.005 --> 25:33.782 or its proxies , use this as an 25:33.782 --> 25:36.000 opportunity to attack us forces , we 25:36.010 --> 25:39.900 will respond appropriately . Ok , last 25:39.910 --> 25:42.599 question . Thanks . Pat , I just wanted 25:42.609 --> 25:45.030 to clarify a few things that you said 25:45.910 --> 25:48.150 in terms of Iran's capabilities going 25:48.160 --> 25:50.689 forward . Is it clear from the US side 25:50.939 --> 25:53.500 that this is the imminent risk is over 25:53.510 --> 25:56.810 of another attack from Iran . Uh Well , 25:56.819 --> 25:58.986 look , you know , it's something we're 25:58.986 --> 26:00.708 gonna keep an eye on . Um , we 26:00.708 --> 26:00.699 certainly hope that there's not another 26:00.709 --> 26:02.819 attack . Um , but obviously Iran 26:02.829 --> 26:04.979 maintains a capability and it's just 26:04.989 --> 26:07.045 demonstrated that they're willing to 26:07.045 --> 26:09.930 use it to directly attack Israel . And 26:09.939 --> 26:11.883 so we're gonna continue to consult 26:11.883 --> 26:14.709 closely with Israel uh on next steps , 26:14.719 --> 26:16.775 uh and importantly on the defense of 26:16.775 --> 26:19.660 Israel . So the Israel's limited 26:19.670 --> 26:21.892 incursion , have they provided any sort 26:21.892 --> 26:23.892 of a timeline on , on how long they 26:23.892 --> 26:26.114 would stay there ? Uh I , I'd refer you 26:26.114 --> 26:28.281 to Israel to talk about that . I don't 26:28.281 --> 26:27.949 think it would be appropriate for me to 26:27.959 --> 26:30.189 talk about that . Hey , folks , um 26:30.560 --> 26:32.616 while there's been an understandable 26:32.616 --> 26:34.838 focus today on the Middle East , before 26:34.838 --> 26:36.727 we conclude , I , I would like to 26:36.727 --> 26:38.616 provide a quick update on a topic 26:38.616 --> 26:40.671 closer to home . As Dod continues to 26:40.671 --> 26:42.560 work with federal state and local 26:42.560 --> 26:44.449 officials to support uh hurricane 26:44.449 --> 26:46.790 Helene response efforts . Uh As of this 26:46.800 --> 26:48.967 morning , the department has more than 26:48.967 --> 26:51.270 6500 service members actively engaged 26:51.280 --> 26:53.391 in relief efforts across six states . 26:53.520 --> 26:56.630 Florida has nearly 3500 guardsmen 26:56.640 --> 26:59.839 activated and Georgia has around 1400 26:59.849 --> 27:02.016 guardsmen on duty . South Carolina has 27:02.016 --> 27:04.780 activated nearly 500 guardsmen along 27:04.790 --> 27:07.012 with two helicopters for their recovery 27:07.012 --> 27:09.179 efforts . Tennessee has around 100 and 27:09.179 --> 27:11.123 30 guardsmen and seven helicopters 27:11.123 --> 27:13.179 activated and Virginia has activated 27:13.179 --> 27:15.123 nearly 60 guardsmen along with one 27:15.123 --> 27:17.068 helicopter and numerous high water 27:17.068 --> 27:19.068 vehicles . Additionally , since the 27:19.068 --> 27:20.957 storm passed , North Carolina has 27:20.957 --> 27:23.123 emerged as an area of particular focus 27:23.123 --> 27:25.346 after the historical levels of flooding 27:25.346 --> 27:27.401 that occurred in the western part of 27:27.401 --> 27:29.623 that state . A multi state multi agency 27:29.623 --> 27:31.790 effort is currently underway with more 27:31.790 --> 27:33.846 than 80 guardsmen and 13 helicopters 27:33.846 --> 27:35.512 from Connecticut , Maryland , 27:35.512 --> 27:37.750 Pennsylvania , Iowa , Ohio , New York , 27:37.760 --> 27:39.927 Southern Carolina or excuse me , South 27:39.927 --> 27:42.093 Carolina and Florida joining more than 27:42.093 --> 27:43.927 800 North Carolina guardsmen and 27:43.927 --> 27:46.038 providing support to devastated North 27:46.038 --> 27:47.982 Carolina communities . Us Northern 27:47.982 --> 27:50.093 Command is also providing active duty 27:50.093 --> 27:52.149 support efforts to FEMA and the US . 27:52.149 --> 27:54.204 Army Corps of Engineers is providing 27:54.204 --> 27:56.316 emergency power planning and response 27:56.316 --> 27:58.371 teams to Georgia as well as dam levy 27:58.371 --> 28:00.538 and bridge inspection to Tennessee and 28:00.538 --> 28:02.649 Kentucky and temporary power to North 28:02.649 --> 28:04.816 Carolina . For further questions about 28:04.816 --> 28:04.670 National Guard missions . I would 28:04.680 --> 28:06.791 encourage you to contact the specific 28:06.791 --> 28:09.013 states in questions and for active duty 28:09.013 --> 28:11.124 support efforts to fema us . Northern 28:11.124 --> 28:13.319 Command is standing by for service 28:13.329 --> 28:15.551 specific evacuation efforts . It's best 28:15.551 --> 28:17.773 to contact the services directly as the 28:17.773 --> 28:20.030 dod continues to aid response efforts . 28:20.040 --> 28:22.262 Secretary Austin and department leaders 28:22.262 --> 28:24.484 will continue to be engaged and stay in 28:24.484 --> 28:26.540 close contact with federal state and 28:26.540 --> 28:28.762 local officials to ensure resources are 28:28.762 --> 28:30.484 available and to maximize a co 28:30.484 --> 28:32.540 ordinated response . And in the days 28:32.540 --> 28:34.762 ahead , the department will continue to 28:34.762 --> 28:34.150 keep our fellow Americans who have been 28:34.160 --> 28:36.216 impacted by this storm's devastation 28:36.216 --> 28:38.493 and our thoughts . Thank you very much , 28:38.493 --> 28:38.239 everybody appreciate it .