F.P. Report
WASHINGTON: Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby on Wednesday said that Defense Secretary Austin spoke again with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Gantz and again reiterated our unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself, and to protect Israeli citizens and civilians.
This he said during his press briefing, Kirby said that on to Defender Europe 21, the big exercise over in Europe. Over the weekend, Defender-linked Exercise Swift Response wrapped up in Romania with a joint air assault led by the Royal Netherlands Army. U.S. Chinook, Black Hawk and Apache pilots joined Romanian Pumas to transport equipment and Dutch forces across training bases.
Yesterday, Immediate Response – also part of Defender – began; Exercise Immediate Response. More than 5,000 troops from a dozen countries will conduct live-fire exercises across 31 training areas until the first of June.
He added that the European Command commander, Gen. Wolters, will be traveling to Slovenia this week as well, to attend a distinguished visitor day to look more at the exercise.
Kirby added that U.S. Air Force bombers operating from multiple locations around the globe integrated with NATO allies and partners in the Arctic, North America, Europe, and in the Indo-Pacific region. This mission demonstrates our ability to command and control bomber forces to support assigned missions anywhere at any time in support of our defense strategic objectives.
The Department of Defense and the Department of Veteran Affairs are hosting the 2021 DOD V.A. Suicide Prevention Conference, and we’re doing this virtually. Both the secretary and Chairman Milley offered remarks, which will be available on Defense.gov if they aren’t already.
The secretary expressed his regret, of course, in these remarks, over the tragic loss of brave men and women to suicide, and the grief that their families continue to suffer as a result. And he expressed his commitment to doing everything that he can – and we can as a department – to change the lingering stigma around asking for mental health support. That conference will take place, again, starting today through the 20th.
Over the next few weeks, in coordination with FEMA and state and local officials, several DOD-supported community vaccine centers will be mission-complete – in other words, done – and will begin reducing personnel as the – as the sites reassess the size of the vaccination support teams that are going to be needed.
He added that we’re very proud and very grateful of the support that our service members, both active duty and National Guard, have provided to help combat the pandemic, including administering over one – I’m sorry – 15 – I’ve got to make sure I get my glasses; I can’t tell if there’s a decimal point in there – 15 million vaccines to the American public at over 900 sites.
As of today, we are providing support to 30 vaccine sites through 3,289 personnel, including 1,390 vaccinators. So we’re still at 30 teams, but I think over the coming days and coming weeks, you’ll start to see those teams reduce in size as more and more people are electing to get the vaccine.
On personnel-related issues, this week, we on boarded two other DASD-level individuals: Heather King, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, and Integration and Defense Support of Civil Authorities checked on board, and Maynard Holliday, director of Defense Research and Engineering for Modernization is also here. We’re glad to have them on the team. That would bring our total of appointees to 112.
Now, a COVID mask reminder. Last week, I think you saw the deputy secretary updated mask-wearing guidance for the Pentagon Reservation. DOD employees who are fully vaccinated do not have to wear masks. Now, that’s fully vaccinated, means, you know, after your second shot, plus two weeks. However, those who are not fully vaccinated must continue wearing a mask to protect themselves and others.
All other force health protection guidance remains the same in terms of social distancing, hygiene, and certainly we’ll keep you informed if any of that changes.
Finally, looking ahead, on Thursday of this week, you’re going to notice an increase in helicopter activity around the Reservation and the National Capital Region. This is, again, due to a regularly scheduled exercise. I think you saw part of that exercise playing out yesterday. And again, we’ll see another round of it on — on Thursday.
While answering to a question regarding Afghanistan, Kirby said that the retrograde continues at pace, the withdrawal continues at pace with nothing more than some minor harassing attacks that have had no impact, so we agree with that assessment.
He added that Gen. Miller has some capabilities to continue to support Afghan security forces and certainly there are still Afghans that are helping us specifically in our ability to try to help them.
As the retrograde gets closer to completion, our ability to continue to support the Afghan national security forces on the ground in a kinetic way from inside Afghanistan will obviously change and our support will eventually migrate to one of over the horizon support.
He added that it’ll be — in terms of the ANSF and DSF, it’ll be logistical support from over the horizon, as well as some financial support. But eventually — I mean this is their country to fight for and it’s their country to defend and it’s their citizens to look after.
